Salman Rushdie

[Xamonas Chegwe]

How many people have read Salman Rushdie? And what do you think of him? Genius? Overrated? Is there anything behind the controversy? Which is your favourite book?

Personally, I think that he is one of the greatest living novellists and high among my own personal favourites. I have already tried to talk the management into letting him have his own forum but apparently, he needs to die first!

His ability to set extraordinary, supernatural events in an everyday setting with consummate ease is incredible. He makes the impossible seem everyday and vice versa, showing the surreal nature of things we take for granted while making us accept the most outrageous statements without a murmur of complaint.

His books are full of amazing wordplay and jump from subject to subject; from high-brow to pop culture; from poetry to pun; from historical accuracy to purest fantasy; from language to language; from past to present to future; from India to London to other worlds and all in the space of a single paragraph, without the reader noticing the joins.

Rushdie's actual writing has been overshadowed by the notoriety of "The Satanic Verses" and the religious Fatwah declared against him. I don't think it's possible to imagine any more how his career might have progressed without this or to say whether it has ultimately been hurt or helped by it. I know people that bought TSV because of all the fuss and never read it. I know others that refused to buy it for the same reasons. I know of many that think my championing of his writing is based purely on all the hype surrounding it (not true - but then I would say that, wouldn't I?)

I would appreciate hearing other opinions - preferably from people that have read his books, not just read about them.

By the way, my favourite book by Salman Rushdie is "Midnight's Children" but with his first novel, "Grimus" coming a close second - I admit to not having read his latest, "Shalimar the Clown" yet, so that may change.

[RobinHood3000]

I liked reading "Haroun and the Sea of Stories," and I think that Rushdie is definitely talented. It's a pity and a shame that there's a multi-million dollar bounty on his head.

[Pensive]

I have only read "Midnight Children" and I found it quite good but it depressed me a lot.

[Xamonas Chegwe]

I have only read "Midnight Children" and I found it quite good but it depressed me a lot.

Really? Why is that? I never really found it depressing personally. Very sad, but not depressing. There is far too much humour in it for that, in my opinion. But I'm not vain enough to think that my opinion is the only valid one (or even valid at all!) so I'd be interested to hear your take on it.

And Robin,

I liked Haroun too. An excellent allegorical tale about censorship, wrapped up as a children's book. You should tackle some of Rushdie's more adult works though, they are a very rewarding read, although a littler heavier going than Michael Crichton. I'd suggest starting with Midnight's Children - but try not to get depressed.

[Pensive]

Xamonous, I mean that it was a sad novel, so it depressed me. The events which took place in the book made me sad and on the verge of tears mainly because they were so close to the truth and had great cultural relevence.

[Xamonas Chegwe]

If it doesn't sound too awful, I'm glad that it moved you to tears. That's exactly why I like the book too. The reality of Indian independance and the events following, combined so beautifully with the supernatural tale of Saleem and his amazing nose. The effortless blurring of the lines between fact and fiction. I often find myself laughing out loud and crying at the situations in Rushdie's books, he draws you in and ties your emotions to the fate of his characters so cleverly.

Please read more of his novels. Just keep the Prozac handy! ;)

[Matilda]

I started to read Midnight's Children a couple of years ago, but I found it a bit too heavy, and I regret to say that I never finished it. Mind you, I was only twelve at the time.

However, I found the first part really funny, and I have been planning to read it again. Actually I think I will.

I'll tell you what I think about it as soon as i've finished :)

[Xamonas Chegwe]

I'll tell you what I think about it as soon as i've finished :)

Thanks, I'd love to hear what you think.

[genoveva]

I haven't read any of his stuff, but now I do want to because I have heard his writing compared to Magical Realism- I believe it was the "Haroun" book that was recommended to me. I'd love to hear more reviews of his writing...

[Schokokeks]

We (final years in German high-school) read a short-story of his in English class a few months ago. It was very well-liked and warmly welcomed as a modern author by those who couldn't stand Shakespeare's language...

[Xamonas Chegwe]

We (final years in German high-school) read a short-story of his in English class a few months ago. It was very well-liked and warmly welcomed as a modern author by those who couldn't stand Shakespeare's language...

Which story did you read Schokokeks?

[Schokokeks]

We read "Good Advice Is Rarer than Rubies" (from his book "East West"), which is about an Indian girl escaping marriage with some unknown stranger in England. Very recommandable!

[Xamonas Chegwe]

Do you know, I had a feeling it might be that one. A lovely reversal of expectations at the end, don't you think? You should tackle some of his longer works, "Midnight's children" or "The Moor's last sigh" are both wonderful books.

[Unspar]

I love Midnight's Children. The very beginning is fantastic with the grandfather injuring himself in prayer--it's epic simplicity. Have you heard Rushdie's frequently tried to get it filmed? It seems absurd to me; unless it spanned three movies or something, the book probably can't be filmed. I remember hearing he adapted it to the theater (or maybe this was a screenplay he was working on) that focused on Saleem telling someone the story with flashbacks. If I remember right about it being on stage, then I remember hearing it was a failure--the vision just didn't translate.

I just got Fury, Grimus, and The Satanic Verses for my birthday. Which do you suggest I read first and why?

[Xamonas Chegwe]

I absolutely love Grimus, but it's very different to the rest of his works - more sci-fi/fantasy. Watch out for two-time and the donkey!

Of the other two, Satanic Verses is definitely the best, but probably the heaviest going - worth sticking at though. I know a lot of people that couldn't get past chapter 1 - which is very confusing - most of it only makes sense after you've read the rest of the book. It does get easier though - I promise.

Fury is third place out of those but still streets ahead of most fiction being written today. In fact, it's probably my least favourite Rushdie novel (but that's like saying, "least favourite kind of chocolate" - an oxymoron of sorts.) It lacks a lot of the magic of his other writings in my opinion and is too anchored in the real world.

I hope you enjoy them all though.

[beer good]

"The Satanic Verses" was the first Rushdie I read, for the obvious reason - any book that debated has to be worth reading, if only to find out what all the hubbub is about. I fell in love with it within 50 pages. I remember going back and rereading entire chapters because I couldn't believe anyone could actually write like this... which I guess is ironic, considering the story...

No one's mentioned "Ground Beneath Her Feet" yet? I liked that one a lot too, though in retrospect it's probably not quite as good as "Midnight's Children" and TSV. But as a sucker for rock music, it was an interesting perspective...

I'm currently debating whether to read "Shalimar The Clown" or reread TSV, since it seems eerily up-to-date these days... I wasn't very impressed by "Fury", so I'm really hoping he's picked himself up since them.

[Xamonas Chegwe]

I'm waiting for Shalimar in paperback - I've got such a backlog of books at the moment, that I can easily wait that long. I hope it's better than Fury too - the reviews seem quite promising.

[Schokokeks]

Do you know, I had a feeling it might be that one. A lovely reversal of expectations at the end, don't you think?

That was really the best part of it, especially when you read it being a European having this "poor Indian girl desperately trying to emigrate"-image in your head and then this wonderful end with a triumph of hers!
I went to the library yesterday to stock up on books again and among others I bought Midnight's Children. I'm really curious to read a novel by Rushdie, having heard so many praises on him...

[Virgil]

Wow. You guys (especially Xamonas) are great advocates for Rushdie. I've never had the opportunity to read him, but after this I must try to find the time. Thanks all.

BTW, I admire him for what he's had to go through.

[malwethien]

I have Midnight's Children, The Ground Beneath Her Feet and Satanic Verses at home. I read Satanic Verses halfway but stopped because I got distracted. The part that I read so far was really good though.

[hera-on-earth]

I haven't read any of his stuff, but now I do want to because I have heard his writing compared to Magical Realism- I believe it was the "Haroun" book that was recommended to me. I'd love to hear more reviews of his writing...
i agree tht this is the one and only book tht i have read off the Salman Rushdie book shelf, and i fell in love with the originality of style! its a beautifully written book...seems like a children's storybook but deals with wider and more relevant topics. should be read by all!!!

[devdatta]

I like the way of Rushdian writing, The waves-on-waves style, the ever overwhelming passages after passages,the story taking you through various dimensions till you feel demented and rather intoxicated (or can you say addicted ?) with it. But I read Mr.Girish Karnad in one of his interview publish in some daily saying Rushdie writes trash !!! what does he mean by it ? How far such a statement bear any validity ?? Could anybody of you explain ??

[blp]

But I read Mr.Girish Karnad in one of his interview publish in some daily saying Rushdie writes trash !!! what does he mean by it ? How far such a statement bear any validity ?? Could anybody of you explain ??

I'm not sure I can explain since I don't know Karnad's reasons for saying this, but I tend to agree with his basic point. I read Midnight's Children a long time ago and managed to get through it, but always felt it was second-rate at best compared to what seemed to be its main influences, Grass' The Tin Drum and Marquez's Hundred Years of Solitude. Later, I tried, at a friend's urging, to read The Ground Beneath her Feet and had to stop after a chapter.

There's something about Rushdie's style that irritates me to distraction, something florid, sentimental and infantile. What's good about Marquez and Grass is that they downplay everything, describing fantastical situations with deadpan sobriety. Rushdie feels like he's trying too hard to enjoy himself - and, like some berk on e in a club wanting to know if you're having a good time or a highbrow David Brent - trying to force you to have one too. Everything strains towards intoxication. Its meretricious.

[Anna Seis]

[ I tried, at a friend's urging, to read The Ground Beneath her Feet and had to stop after a chapter.

I agree with you, blp, I think that there was confusing, just like a huge adornment's proliferation and can't go on reading it. I also started The moor's last sight and find it more interesting. He has beautiful paragraphs, but I still can't judge the whole. I must dedicate more time to Rushdie. But The ground beneath her feet, no more.

[Xamonas Chegwe]

blp & Anna,

I must disagree (I'm sure you wouldn't expect anything else). Rushdie is first and foremost a consummate story teller. He wraps his stories up in clever words admittedly but is he to be criticised for that? He wouldn't be the only one guilty of such a crime. He wanders off on tangents the whole time, blending historical fact, mythology and pure invention with beautifully described characterisation, twisting his plot-threads almost to breaking point before bringing them to final resolution.

He's inferior to Gabriel Garcia Marquez? Perhaps. But who isn't? 100 Years of Solitude is an outstanding work that quite rightly won it's author the nobel prize. But Rushdie has his own voice, in my opinion, every bit as worthy as GGM. Perhaps he is more knowing than Marquez sometimes; more calculating (or perhaps he just hides his calculation less ably). If this annoys you, fair enough, but it doesn't make his work 'trash'. I will admit that he is a bit of an acquired taste as well, perhaps as a result of his Indianness; but like Indian food, once you get the taste, you wonder how you ever put up with anything else.

Try reading his shorter fiction: "Haroun and the Sea of Stories" and "East West". These display his gift for story-telling without the embellishments and winks to the reader that you seem to find so offensive.

In my opinion, he belongs on the top table of modern authors, along with the likes of Marquez, Fowles, Bellow, Golding and Nabokov. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion too, it just happens that I disagree with it. No offence.

[Theshizznigg]

Hmm Funny, I own a first edition of the Satanic Verses, I only have ever perused the first chapter though, still I liked the idea.
My hats of to Rushdie however, considering what his life has been like, he's been able to continue his great writings of books.

[earthboar]

I had a tough time with Satanic Verses. I read it because of the hype. But as a novelist, I believe he gets better with each novel. I recently read Shalimar The Clown, and thought it was wonderful. His illumination of the Kashmir, its people, scenery, traditions and political manipulation was powerful, and the characters Ophuls, Boonyi and Shalimar were richly embellished. The climax really had me on the edge of my seat. Still, it's harder to follow Rushdie than it is, say, Zadie Smith. He is circumlocutive and difficult.

In September, 2004, I believe it was, or maybe 2003, I took myself to Cape Cod, Massachusetts on a fishing trip. One Saturday I decided to go on a whale watch, the boat was the Dolphin II. I was standing on the bow of the boat, and apparently it made the skipper nervous, so they asked me to sit on a bench. I went inside the cabin, and I kept looking at this Indian looking gentleman, with a (caucasian) woman of early middle-age. I could have sworn I recognized him, and it came to me that I had seen him only about two months before, giving a lecture at Syracuse University's Goldstein Auditorium. It had been years since the infamous fatwa, and I suppose he'd had enough of the reclusive life. Rushdie looked a little green, I didn't know if it was sea sickness, or whatever.

Later, we were seated on a bench, aft, staring out at the sea, Stillwagon's Bank, Cape Cod harbor. Rushdie and the woman were seated next to me. I was watching keenly for whales (I am, after all, descended from Joseph Starbuck, founder of Nantucket Colony, and also famous as Herman Melville's inspiration for Firstmate Starbuck in Moby Dick). A whale breached the water, just behind the boat, and rolled under again. I had just enough time to point to it, and shouted, "there!".

Rushdie snapped out of his funk, and said, "Really? Can it be so?" Well, I think he missed it, but later there were plenty of whales to be seen. I actually had my camera with me, but I failed to take a photo of Rushdie. some journalist I am! Anyway, that whale watch must have refreshed him, because I notice his novels have improved since. More daring and adventurous. :)

[Hyacinth Girl]

I agree that Rushdie is a consumate author. . I have read many of his works, including those most frequently mentioned here: Satanic Verses, Moor's Last Sigh, Ground Beneath Her Feet (my fav), Grimus, East/West, Haroun . . . also Shame. I'm curious to know, however, if anyone has read The Jaguar Smile and what they thought of it.

[superunknown]

Haven't got around to Rushdie yet. Too many books to read, I'm afraid.

[fati]

i have read The Ground Beneath Her Feet. after i finished it, i took the decision never to read any other book of Rushdie's. in the meantime, someone told me that Midnight Children is a lot better, so i guess i would give it a try.

I did not like The Ground Beneath Her Feet because i found that the story was artificially getting longer. i think 300 pages would have been enough for Rushdie to make his point (my book had around 600 pages). i think the author also sensed that the story was diluted in the end, because in the last 50 pages there were a lot of new opportunities for the story to go on. but he refrained from seizing them.

what i liked what his style of telling the story, the freedom of a wandering imagination he indulges himself into, and the subtle irony. i also appreciated the mixture of culture, and i guess one of his ideas is that rigidly sticking to a cultural background is artificial to a certain extent. but that was not sufficient to make it a very good book for me.

[Sanja]

I am devoted Rushdie fan and I think that he really is one of the greatest authors.

My favourite book is "The Moor`s last sigh", but I love "Satanic Verses" and "Midnight`s children" too. My problem is that publishers in my country, Serbia, do not keep the pace with publishers in the West, they don`t translate and publish Rushdie`s work quickly enough.

I had a special opportunity to visit USA and I bought "East&West" (which was not translated in serbian at all), but I didn`t know for the latest book at the time...

[Syme]

I have yet to try anything of his, but after reading James Wood's review of Fury I'm not in much of a rush.

[Sanja]

Try "Haroun and the Sea of Stories" or "The Moorş last sigh"... you`ll see...

[genoveva]

Where is Rushdie from?

[Pensive]

Where is Rushdie from?
Born in India and currently living in England, I think. Anyway, you can search at wikipedia, that's what it's for! :D

[Sanja]

He lives in New York now.

[vheissu]

Has anyone read his last book "Shalimar the clown"? I've seen it's out on paperback....but I'm hoping someone will give it to a charity shop or the uni's library will get round to stock up on copies! I tend to spend quite a lot on books, so always try to get them cheaper if I can....
I recently found a collection of essays and criticisms written by Rushdie, which explains a lot on how he writes, what inspires him and his views on other authors and forms of literature as well. It was very interesting, especially on the historic facts of India, which I know close to nothing :( .
The one bit I didn't like was when Rushdie critisized Umberto Eco's work. I don't have the book with me so I can't say for sure what he wrote, but I remember that passage being quite negative; it was as if Rushdie regarded Eco as not being an author worth taking into account and especially critisized his book "Foucault's pendulum".
Anyway, apart from that small chapter, the rest is definetely worth reading. The book is: Imaginary homelands: essays and criticism, 1981-1991.
Wonder if he'll write a similar one soon, since it's over a decade old...

[La Amistad]

I've read Shalimar the clown.