NOBODY'S BUSINESS (5 of 8)

Author: Jhumpa Lahiri

Genre: Short Story Collection

Published: Unaccustomed Earth, 2008

Personal Rating: 3.5/5 (good)

(ss) Yearly Count: 10

A graduate student has a budding crush on his female housemate, but she already has a boyfriend.

I figured out why I'm not giving these stories spectacular ratings, even though I love her writing - the endings don't make me pause. They all have conclusions, but they are subtle or maybe even a little bland.

The well-developed characters remind me of Ron Rash's fabulous talent, but Ron's characters are based on those from the South (USA) and Jhumpa's are from India. However, Ron provides endings with a punch, which is my personal preference. That's what I've been anticipating, but it never materializes.

So far, it is a great collection, and I understand why it was The New York Times "Best Book of the Year."