melanie_page's reviews
1469 reviews

The character descriptions were fantastic, their interactions realistic, hilarious, depressing. The more I read about George Bush, though, the less I liked the book. I feel like the author might have used any president Americans frequently mock. Rosemary could have been obsessed with anyone, anything, and I would have still like her and her relationships with Russki, Apache, and the ex-cons the best.

After watching the movie, I wanted to read the book. I really enjoyed the film and would like to watch it again soon. The book has one great difference that I found stimulating: we get a much more in-depth view of what Eddie does on MDT when he is alone. Watching the movie alone, I didn't realize that he wasn't sleeping or eating. He's up all night reading and watching news, gathering information. The whole thing seems much more frantic that the film depicts. Also, there is no girlfriend, which I thought felt unnecessary in the movie anyway. It felt like the director wanted me to worry about how this woman Eddie cares about would be affected, but I didn't really care. Also, if you are interested, the endings are quite different, not only in plot, but in what they are trying to say about the cultural context of the book as a whole.

Some passages, especially those that have a closer link to the letters written about Wendy's, were memorable, charming, and funny. Others, that get more philosophical or nonsensical, could have been fodder for another collection.

These stories had amazing imaginative qualities, yet many of them ended as if the author ran out of steam. These short stories easily could have been made into several novellas, and I really wanted them to be. The title story, "Magic for Beginners," was incredible. I wanted to know if Fox died, who was in the phone in the inherited phone booth, why the father wrote the story of his son dying as a result of a tumor, what the secret books were for; however, none of these questions come even close to answered or implied answers. So, while the book is amazing, expect to be left feeling a bit empty after sampling some flavorful cuisine, wondering why you couldn't order the full dinner.

I really enjoyed this work as a break from all the experimental stuff I read. Lahiri captures the Indian culture in a way that is accessible to people who long for culture but don't really have a sense of it (like me, who has never been on a plane). The relationships between women and men (arranged marriages usually) were interesting; men who put up with flighty women, women who fall in love with married men, couples married after a few days together who aren't sure if they'll like each other but learn to fall in love. I was really excited about this book because my new friend is a progressive woman from India (funny enough, she's married to a man from Tennessee) and I wanted more insight into the culture. Lahiri provides that in a way that digs into another's life rather than pouring in as many facts in a conspicuous fashion.