Quarantine: Stories [Paperback]

Rahul Mehta (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 31, 2011

“Thestories in Rahul Mehta's Quarantineamplify a surprising new voice: gentle, even tender, but powerful." —Pankaj Mishra, author of Butter Chicken inLudhiana

Reminiscentof Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreterof Maladies and the work of Michael Cunningham, Rahul Mehta’s debut shortstory collection is an emotionally arresting exploration of the lives ofIndian-American gay men and their families. Manil Suri, the New YorkTimes bestselling author of The Death of Vishnu and The Age ofShiva calls Quarantine “an insightful andcompellingly readable collection of stories in which Rahul Mehta masterfullyexplores the emotions, the conflicts, the complex accommodations of being gayand Indian American."

Editorial Reviews

Review

“There are great realistic relationship stories [in Quarantine], of meetings, breakups, and the times in between...patrons will read it because of the promise evidenced by this young writer.” (Booklist )

“Because Rahul Mehta’s characters are so richly and deeply rendered, because action and situation are so closely observed, these stories transcend all the categories that they are also determined to cut across. Quarantine is the best first collection I have read in over twenty years.”l (Madison Smartt Bell )

“Quarantine is an insightful and compellingly readable collection of stories in which Rahul Mehta masterfully explores the emotions, the conflicts, the complex accommodations of being gay and Indian American.” (Manil Suri, bestselling author of The Death of Vishnu and The Age of Shiva )

“Mehta’s voice is smart, intimate without being over-the-shoulder, tells secrets from the armchair, and always gestures toward something inexplicable and heretofore unknown in the next room. The stories in this collection make me want to burn money, to have more courage and to fall in love.” (Rebecca Curtis, author of Twenty Grand and Others Tales of Love & Money )

“The stories in Rahul Mehta’s Quarantine amplify a surprising new voice: gentle, even tender, but powerful.” (Pankaj Mishra, author of Butter Chicken in Ludhiana )

“A rich study of family ties, romantic failings and cultural disconnection told in crisp, clean prose” (Kirkus )

“QUARANTINE is an extraordinary book that transcends gender and race and culture and sexual identity to speak to our universal humanity and the quest we all share for a self.” (Robert Olen Butler )

“Traversing queer love, sex and the myths of cultural conservatism, this young writer…challenges the legitimacy of the American Dream.” (Lambda Literary )

From the Back Cover

With buoyant humor and incisive, cunning prose, Rahul Mehta sets off into uncharted literary territory. The characters in Quarantine—openly gay Indian-American men—are Westernized in some ways, with cosmopolitan views on friendship and sex, while struggling to maintain relationships with their families and cultural traditions. Grappling with the issues that concern all gay men—social acceptance, the right to pursue happiness, and the heavy toll of listening to their hearts and bodies—they confront an elder generation's attachment to old-country ways. Estranged from their cultural in-group and still set apart from larger society, the young men in these lyrical, provocative, emotionally wrenching, yet frequently funny stories find themselves quarantined.

Already a runaway success in India, Quarantine marks the debut of a unique literary talent.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; Original edition (May 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062020455
• ISBN-13: 978-0062020451
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #271,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the most enjoyable collections I've read in a while. June 17, 2011

By The Feminist Texican [Reads]

Format:Paperback

Quarantine is Rahul Mehta's debut short story collection. Nearly all of the nine stories in it center around gay Indian-American male protagonists who are trying to navigate the murky overlap between sexuality and cultural heritage. With the exception of "Citizen," all of the stories feature second- or third-generation young men whose beliefs and lifestyles are often at odds with those of their close relatives. Mehta masterfully uses restraint, honesty, and humor throughout his stories, producing an insightful and memorable collection.

There is much to love in this book: the writing, the sorrow, the humor, the characters, their unique observations of human nature. Personally, I loved the characters' struggles with balancing their own experiences while trying to comprehend (or at least acknowledge) other members of their family who don't approve, a fact that is often exacerbated by cultural values.

The characters in Quarantine are all imperfect; several end up doing or saying things that will likely end up haunting them. But though some of the stories could have easily crossed the line into cheesy melodrama, Mehta reins his characters in carefully and deliberately, often ratcheting up the tension in quiet increments. This is one of the most enjoyable short story collections I've read in a while.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories that spoke directly to my heart June 8, 2012

By Amsalan

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

It is such a blessing to be taken on a journey full of beautifully woven stories and deeply moving characters - Rahul's effortless style of writing and turn of phrase definitely helps the stories sink in on a much deeper level.

There is something achingly beautiful, familiar and so soulful present in all his stories, and I sincerely hope to see more writing from him in the future.

A truly gifted storyteller - thank you again for this amazing journey through Quarantine.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fresh Look at Indian American Relations May 10, 2013

By Grady Harp HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Rahul Mehta makes an impressive debut with QUARANTINE, a series of short stories that have in common openly gay Indian-American men, Westernized in some ways, with cosmopolitan views on friendship and sex, while struggling to maintain relationships with their families and cultural traditions. Instead of sweeping the reader into the angst of the agonies of interracial love affairs gone sour, Mehta instead keeps his stories rich in humor without avoiding the struggles these young handsome Indian American men face - their disappointments and betrayals, and the hard-earned personal connections they come to cherish. In an intimate, confessional style, Mehta's characters dwell on botched relationships, on their romantic, familial, and cultural failures, and on the difficulty of sharing space with another person. Most of the stories focus on Western-born children and young adults bored by Indian social and religious traditions--rich lads, steeped in pop culture, who have trouble connecting with those around them, whatever their ethnicity. Rahul Mehta is a technician of the first order: he may not have the grace of a deep wordsmith that leaves the reader floating on memorable phrases or pages of eloquent writing, but his storytelling is superb. The style will likely develop.

Mehta's book caused quite a stir in India upon release (the depictions of sexual scenes are graphic enough to raise eyebrows in certain circles) but his abilities as a storyteller are widely accepted as those of one born to write. One critic has summed it up well: `The author has a real gift for lifting the reader out of the clichés he's apparently aware of creating, and time will tell if his `going meta' elevates from gimmick to signature.... Despite this and some occasionally lazy lighting, (when Mehta doesn't want to work too hard to set mood, he drops in a musical reference to do the work for him; it seems beneath his ability) Rahul Mehta has crafted a solid series of planks that seems intended to help him, as well as the reader, bridge divides of age, culture and sexuality. It is difficult to come away from the author's clean, simple language without the sense that progressing generations from every corner are marching toward a homogenous center. Admirably, Mehta leaves the reader to decide whether that destination is rapture or ravine.' For those with fascination for the disparities and similarities between Indian culture and the manner in which the American culture adapts then this is a fine introduction. Grady Harp, May 13 Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars One Note September 12, 2012

By Writer By Trade

Format:Paperback

I first discovered Mehta through a back-page feature in the New York Times Magazine. The story he related there was a very poignant slice-of-life that prompted me to get this book of short stories. Alas, they do not measure up.

Virtually every one features a slacker-ish young Indian American with boyfriend and family issues. Far too repetitious, and the characters seem more like caricatures. Even in such an insular gay Indian world, why not branch out to explore different lives? Perhaps a young gay Indian struggling with coming out, an Indian lesbian, or any gay Indian over the age of 30?

A logical next step would be for Mehta to write a novel. It's a given that the protagonist will be a slacker-ish young Indian American with boyfriend and family issues. I only hope he can imbue that story with more life and depth.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and intriguing February 1, 2012

By As life has it

Format:Paperback

In its handling the cultural and sexuality issues, the book is both fun and serious at times. Its well written, with enough sprinkling of humor to make it believable and enjoyable. My gripe is that somehow homosexuality has been portrayed too much from the angle of SEX alone....the book makes it appear as though homosexuals are always superly conscious of the act of sex and about getting it and about conveying it. I doubt if it is true of all homosexuals. Second, the author has in no story dealt with the trials and travails of coming out in an Indian family. He makes it seem too simplistic that homosexuality has been so well accepted. I doubt this too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars entertaining insightful anthology May 31, 2011

By Harriet Klausner #1 HALL OF FAME

Format:Paperback

This is an entertaining insightful nine story anthology that focuses on gay second or third generation Indian-Americans coping with being a sexual preference minority that is amplified by their respective family's elders clinging to the old country's culture. Each entry is well written and as a collection thought provoking but few attain profundity in part due to the format. In "Quarantine", a grandson takes his male lover to meet the family patriarch though he fears the older man will not accept his being gay as his parents are at best tepid towards his significant other. The lovers travel to India where they hide their hurt from a general disdain towards gay lovers as being an inane westernization. An octogenarian grandma wants to become an American "Citizen"; so her grandson trains her for the test, but she fails anyway. His parents consider his brother "The Better Person" because he married; while he is in a gay relationship in which his family refuses to recognize his significant other whether it is the sibling wedding or a trip to India. The remaining five entries also explore family acceptance or rejection of an offspring's gay relationship.

Harriet Klausner