Book 22: March 2008
For this month's selection, I turned to my friend Jessy (a.k.a. Jessica, Jesse, Jess, She-Who-Can-Lift-A-Golf-Cart). She gave me a few choices, all of which sounded good. But the one that immediately caught my interest was the one that she said was one of her favorites. Please join Jessy and me in reading Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri.
It was a year ago this month that I was first introduced to the work of Jhumpa Lahiri when we read The Namesake. I thoroughly enjoyed the writer's style, felt a connection to the characters, and enjoyed being immersed in an experience that was not like my own - yet felt familiar. This collection of short stories won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The characters in the stories are described as "navigating between the Indian traditions they've inherited and the baffling new world" they find themselves inhabiting.
A review from someone we don't know:
"I picked up Interpreter of Maladies after having fallen in love with Lahiri's writing style in The Namesake . I normally am not a fan of the short story, as it usually lacks the depth that comes with getting to know characters over the course of a longer novel. However, I must say Lahiri manages to capture her readers' feelings and captivates their senses through her short stories in very much the same way she does in The Namesake. Her short stories may give those of us who aren't fans of this style of writing a new appreciation of the art that of luring & engaging readers over the course of only a few pages. This marvelous collection of short stories makes you forget this is Lahiri's very first work!" - Souraya Tabbara
For this month's pairing, I also turned to Jessy who gives us a recipe for Ginger Fruit Punch. When I first read the recipe, I got to the last bit about garnishing, and thought "Huh, I know you're a chef and all but I think that last part about adding a whole can must be an error." It reminded me of the first time I did a sudoku puzzle and got to the last square and when the number didn't fit I thought, "Well, would you look at that! My first time doing a puzzle and I found an error!" Of course, I didn't. And of course, I didn't find an error in the recipe either, it was just a joke. ON ME. And she got me, that clever girl.
Back to the punch. I tried it and it was fantastic. Delicious and sugary and a bit spicy and not too sour. I imagined that it was a healing elixir, soothing my sore throat and giving me energy. Martin tried and it and thought it was delicious. I put some in the fridge for Marty to have, but then drank it before he even knew it was there. That means I drank all but about 1/2 cup of the whole recipe. In short, it was a tasty treat - perfect for sipping while reading a good book or drinking in secret while making your family pancakes. Which is not something I would normally say about our drink pairings.
It was a year ago this month that I was first introduced to the work of Jhumpa Lahiri when we read The Namesake. I thoroughly enjoyed the writer's style, felt a connection to the characters, and enjoyed being immersed in an experience that was not like my own - yet felt familiar. This collection of short stories won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The characters in the stories are described as "navigating between the Indian traditions they've inherited and the baffling new world" they find themselves inhabiting.
A review from someone we don't know:
"I picked up Interpreter of Maladies after having fallen in love with Lahiri's writing style in The Namesake . I normally am not a fan of the short story, as it usually lacks the depth that comes with getting to know characters over the course of a longer novel. However, I must say Lahiri manages to capture her readers' feelings and captivates their senses through her short stories in very much the same way she does in The Namesake. Her short stories may give those of us who aren't fans of this style of writing a new appreciation of the art that of luring & engaging readers over the course of only a few pages. This marvelous collection of short stories makes you forget this is Lahiri's very first work!" - Souraya Tabbara
For this month's pairing, I also turned to Jessy who gives us a recipe for Ginger Fruit Punch. When I first read the recipe, I got to the last bit about garnishing, and thought "Huh, I know you're a chef and all but I think that last part about adding a whole can must be an error." It reminded me of the first time I did a sudoku puzzle and got to the last square and when the number didn't fit I thought, "Well, would you look at that! My first time doing a puzzle and I found an error!" Of course, I didn't. And of course, I didn't find an error in the recipe either, it was just a joke. ON ME. And she got me, that clever girl.
Back to the punch. I tried it and it was fantastic. Delicious and sugary and a bit spicy and not too sour. I imagined that it was a healing elixir, soothing my sore throat and giving me energy. Martin tried and it and thought it was delicious. I put some in the fridge for Marty to have, but then drank it before he even knew it was there. That means I drank all but about 1/2 cup of the whole recipe. In short, it was a tasty treat - perfect for sipping while reading a good book or drinking in secret while making your family pancakes. Which is not something I would normally say about our drink pairings.
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