Tragic, but with a somewhat happy ending. I was drawn to the tale the moment I read the first line, and it did not disappoint. I felt the power of each word and each sentence from the beginning to the end. And for some reason, I also felt like I knew the unfortunate Bibi. Jhumpa Lahiri, you are a captivating author!
A story culturally consistent with the early writing that brought this fine author so much praise. Experiencing Bibi's tragic life through the lens of a different value system than our own forces the reader to work through their own complicated feelings about her treatment and her fate.
Although it was terribly sad, the potpourri of exotic detail, something Lahiri does so well, filled my senses and kept me reading.
Something about this story seemed reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez--a trace of magical realism with a more modern voice.
Her fate--though sad--was tangible and real. Poetic justice served by the narrators and community wasn't overdone. So much, true to reality. The magic? It's in the mystery of love--whether we are conscious of it or not.
What a wry and marvellous story told with admirable brevity and yet packed sardine-tight with happenstance. How much of our daily cultural rationale is so sorely mistaken? I laughed and smiled for a day after this story.
The sad thing about Bibi's life is that she has nothing to give her a sense of her own value in society. She lacks beauty, has no housewife skills, isn't trained to do any profession, has a low level of education and virtually no knowledge about the world. It's tragically ironic that the thing she most longs for is a marriage, since everything she lacks gets in the way of finding a man who will have her.
The big surprise at the end of this story is when Bibi and the townspeople discover that what she needs to cure her condition isn't society's esteem (which is what the desired marriage represents). It becomes clear that the cure isn't a husband, or a fancy wedding ceremony, or dinners with servants to boss around, or trips to the Chinese beauty parlor. Indeed, the cure is simply personal freedom--freedom from a daily routine that is entirely controlled by relatives, doctors, or neighbors. After Haldar leaves and the townspeople allow her some privacy, she gains so much freedom, and this freedom leads her to discover that she is capable of supporting herself financially, maintaining a home, and caring for another. What a wonderfully happy yet realistic ending.
In beautifully descriptive language, the story describes the travails of Bibi, who has epilepsy, but lives in a society where no one understands the nature of her illness. Well intentioned friends and neighbors try to help, but end up making her situation even worse. At the end, her isolation and unintended pregnancy lead to a kind of miracle "cure." She has learned something new to share with the world around her, that despite her condition, she can survive, she can work, and she can love.
Victoria Baldassano (not verified) on Thu, 09/17/2009 - 17:40.
I love Lahiri. I have all of her books and quickly fell in love with her writing style, particularly the sense of authenticity she brings to all of them. This story, like the rest, did not disappoint.
A very good story, and the ending is a real surprise.
Tragic, but with a somewhat happy ending. I was drawn to the tale the moment I read the first line, and it did not disappoint. I felt the power of each word and each sentence from the beginning to the end. And for some reason, I also felt like I knew the unfortunate Bibi. Jhumpa Lahiri, you are a captivating author!
A wonderful story. Funny, sad, and engaging.
A story culturally consistent with the early writing that brought this fine author so much praise. Experiencing Bibi's tragic life through the lens of a different value system than our own forces the reader to work through their own complicated feelings about her treatment and her fate.
Although it was terribly sad, the potpourri of exotic detail, something Lahiri does so well, filled my senses and kept me reading.
This is a story of triumph. About knowing what we want, and more -- what will cure us. Sometimes the connection we need to heal comes from within us.
Something about this story seemed reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez--a trace of magical realism with a more modern voice.
Her fate--though sad--was tangible and real. Poetic justice served by the narrators and community wasn't overdone. So much, true to reality. The magic? It's in the mystery of love--whether we are conscious of it or not.
What a wry and marvellous story told with admirable brevity and yet packed sardine-tight with happenstance. How much of our daily cultural rationale is so sorely mistaken? I laughed and smiled for a day after this story.
The sad thing about Bibi's life is that she has nothing to give her a sense of her own value in society. She lacks beauty, has no housewife skills, isn't trained to do any profession, has a low level of education and virtually no knowledge about the world. It's tragically ironic that the thing she most longs for is a marriage, since everything she lacks gets in the way of finding a man who will have her.
The big surprise at the end of this story is when Bibi and the townspeople discover that what she needs to cure her condition isn't society's esteem (which is what the desired marriage represents). It becomes clear that the cure isn't a husband, or a fancy wedding ceremony, or dinners with servants to boss around, or trips to the Chinese beauty parlor. Indeed, the cure is simply personal freedom--freedom from a daily routine that is entirely controlled by relatives, doctors, or neighbors. After Haldar leaves and the townspeople allow her some privacy, she gains so much freedom, and this freedom leads her to discover that she is capable of supporting herself financially, maintaining a home, and caring for another. What a wonderfully happy yet realistic ending.
In beautifully descriptive language, the story describes the travails of Bibi, who has epilepsy, but lives in a society where no one understands the nature of her illness. Well intentioned friends and neighbors try to help, but end up making her situation even worse. At the end, her isolation and unintended pregnancy lead to a kind of miracle "cure." She has learned something new to share with the world around her, that despite her condition, she can survive, she can work, and she can love.
I love Lahiri. I have all of her books and quickly fell in love with her writing style, particularly the sense of authenticity she brings to all of them. This story, like the rest, did not disappoint.