I remember not liking Lahiri's [b:The Namesake|33917|The Namesake|Jhumpa Lahiri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480106986l/33917._SY75_.jpg|16171] when I had to read it for high school English (though I know now that I was extremely lucky to go to a school where diverse books were included in our curriculum), and I often don't get on very well with short-story collections.

So maybe it's a sign of my maturing taste in books that I actually quite liked Interpreter of Maladies. I don't totally agree with the foreword that gushes about the beautiful writing — I was honestly bored with all the long, detailed character descriptions and I thought there were too many commas — but the characters, plot, and themes are fantastic. They're subtle enough that the reader can draw their own conclusions to some extent, but without losing any vivid detail or (figurative) color. The stories are deceptively simple too, slice-of-life that takes on new significance with Lahiri's purposeful framing.

And, of course, the first- and second-generation Bengali immigrant rep is thorough: it addresses the big and little struggles, from language barriers to the availability of certain favorite snacks. I can't personally speak to whether it's truly representative of the Desi-American experience, but it spoke to me (being East Asian-American).

content warnings:

Spoiler

stillbirth, death of a child, death of (elderly) minor character, infidelity, ableism, microaggressions

rep:

Spoiler

first- & second-generation immigrant Bengali-American MCs, chronically-ill (possibly epileptic) MC

-----------
CONVERSION: 11.4 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: N/A