Poll

I made a note about A Temporary Matter - I read it on the kindle and the paragraph where he notes that she now needs makeup was highlighted 253 times. That was quite a simple yet powerful evocation.

I liked A Temporary Matter well enough, but not as much as Paul's Case, which gets my vote.

I am pleasantly surprised by this early vote. I love Willa Cather. I hardly expected so much agreement. There is an essay in The New Yorker archives, entitled, "Cather and the Academy," by Joan Acocella, which I recommend if you are interested in Cather. I also recommend the Library of America editions of here works.

I am unpleasantly surprised by the early vote.

I am rererereading the Cather out of general respect (and an empty memory), but Interpreter of Maladies is usually my favorite collection of stories. Maybe ATM won't carry its weight or match my glowing memory. IoM is a book I've been unwilling to reread, other than scanning a few paragraphs here or there, as I want its spell sustained. If I am disappointed in ATM this time, Lahiri will not bear the blame.

I have reread "A Temporary Matter" quite a few times, Ctb, and I still love it. I remember well the first time I read it -- or, actually, had it read to me. One of my writing professors read it to us one day, and it truly set me into deep introspection for days. I loved it, loved the delicate vulnerability, the pain, the regret.

But, in another tough match for me, I have to go with Cather's "Paul's Case." I adore Cather's work, too. There were so many other stories I wanted to put here for her, but this one seemed the most appropriate, and I am okay with that because I think it's near perfect. Plus, it's a nice reminder that Cather wrote about so much more than Nebraska (as much as I love those novels and stories).

Paul's Case is a more mature and meaningful work.

I am surprised at the strength of the love here for "Paul's Case". I thought it was ok, but not great. It seemed to be a bit of a ramble to go much of anywhere. I was not sure for a while (after the opening at the school) what the point of it all was. The character of Paul was fine, but not remarkable. I got the sense halfway through the story that this was a lesser version of "Catcher In The Rye". (A quick google search tells me I am far from alone in thinking this.) I can't fault Cather for that because she was first by half a century, but once you've seen it done better it's hard to think too much of the earlier effort.

"A Temporary Matter" was a very engaging read. Recently Lahiri had a new story in "The New Yorker" which was not as good, so I was pleased so see some stronger stuff from her. The threat of falling into formula of the grieving couple was deftly avoided as she develops two interesting people and a complex relationship. The power outage device seemed a little bit gimmicky at first, but I forgave that as the game began to build. I had a bit of trouble with the end, however. Not that she decides to leave or that he decides to tell her the child's sex. Those I both thought were strong developments of the story. But at the very end when they cry together, I could not understand why she would share that moment with him given what he had just done. That seemed a spiteful act. I can understand her sadness, but not her seeming not to mind that he told her. But still, a very good story. "A Temporary Matter" gets my vote.

I was thinking of Catcher in the Rye, also, but wasn't sure if that was a reasonable comparison. Didn't read other opinions.

Really shocked by how much more love there is for "Paul's Case"...! "A Temporary Matter" is not my favorite Lahiri story, but I've heard from several people just how affected they were by it, so I'm surprised to not see that represented by the votes here. I'd be fine with either of these moving on, but Lahiri being one of only two Asian American authors on here means I will happily cast my vote for her, be it into the abyss or not. At least Mukherjee has already advanced.

I'm with you, Thomas -- this is kind of shocking!

In fact, though the match still has a few hours, I've already filled in the bracket with Cather moving on. I love Cather's work so much that I cannot be upset.

Out of curiosity, what is your favorite Lahiri story?

Trevor wrote: "Out of curiosity, what is your favorite Lahiri story?"

Trevor, thanks for asking! I don't normally get a chance to talk about it, but I will never stop singing the praises of "This Blessed House," which is the second of two disintegrating marriage stories
(the other of course being "A Temporary Matter") in Interpreter of Maladies. It rarely gets any attention, maybe because of its forgettable placement in the collection, but I think that more than being underrated it really is just my favorite. There's a kind of crushing optimism that lingers after the final paragraph. It's at once comforting and sentencing.

I also find that it outshines "A Temporary Matter" to the extent that they're both stories about sharing a home with someone; I would say that "This Blessed House" is more nuanced in its treatment of that sub-topic. "A Temporary Matter" does certain other things better, of course, or else I wouldn't have voted for it here!

I don't remember it, I'm afraid! I read the whole collection, yikes, something like seventeen years ago??! And that would be the only time I read it. I've reread "A Temporary Matter" several times since it was my favorite at the time, but I will give "This Blessed House" another go!