Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of nine short stories, all of which are centered around the themes of communication, love, culture, and immigrInterpreter of Maladies is a collection of nine short stories, all of which are centered around the themes of communication, love, culture, and immigration. The author does a wonderful job of illustrating the story plot and giving depth to each character within the mere span of a few pages. It explores the complexity of human relationships as well as the difficulties and hardships of moving west from India. The book is beautifully crafted, letting the reader thoroughly experience and undergo the same situations as the characters.
To be completely honest, the story I enjoyed most is not the one that the title is named after but rather, 'When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine', as I think it's themes are much more universal and overall, I felt a much stronger bond to the characters.
“It was only then, raising my water glass in his name, that I knew what it meant to miss someone who was so many miles and hours away, just as he had missed his wife and daughters for so many months.”
Overall, this book was definitely worth reading and I would recommend it to anyone interested....more
The Midnight Library isn't quite so much of a thriller or an action-packed book. There are no overturning plot twists or moments that make your heart The Midnight Library isn't quite so much of a thriller or an action-packed book. There are no overturning plot twists or moments that make your heart squeeze. However, there is a mechanism that keeps readers turning the pages of the book, anxiously awaiting the ending.
Midnight Library follows the life of Nora Seed who perceives herself as a living failure. We see that there are countless things Nora has given up on and abandoned. However, when Nora tries to take her own life, she finds herself in a library filled with stories of her own life. Each one a possible life she could have lead.
The book is a clear indication to pursue the opportunities we have when we have them so that we don't leave our lives feeling regretful about the things we didn't do. It's about all the what ifs we ever had, the mistakes we made, love and passion for the things we do, and realizing that we can be so much more than what we often think we are.
'Fun' may not be the most accurate word to describe the book but it is meaningful and worth reading. ...more
I thought that this book was beautifully written and carefully crafted in order to extract certain reactions and emotions from the reader especially iI thought that this book was beautifully written and carefully crafted in order to extract certain reactions and emotions from the reader especially in terms of connecting with each of the characters. I think that by alternating between the different perspectives of Soo-yang, Gui-young, Eum-chun and Mi-Na, it gives so much more depth to the story. Each character holds their own burdens and internal struggles as they try to uphold cultural traditions. I think it is admirable how the author refuses to take out or white wash any of the content and overall, it's brutally honest and accurate on every event that occurred.
As a Korean-American growing up surrounded by western culture, concepts like boy-preference or historical events like the Korean War are things that are rather unfamiliar and untouched. But I think that after reading this book, I felt like I was starting to understand the pains and hardships of my parents, my grandparents, and the people who have come before me. I think especially with Mi-Na's story, even though her struggles are not one that I have directly dealt with, the pressure to fulfill a parent's expectations and be "good enough" is something that I can sympathize with and is something that is still so common regardless of how much our society has modernized and how much situations have changed. Even though we're no longer in a war and many of us no longer have to worry about lack of food, we can still see the same themes in our society. I love how this book urges readers to make that connection between the problems in the book and the problems in the world of the readers.
I think that this book is a must-read for anyone regardless of their age or gender and I really enjoyed reading it. ...more
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