Printable View
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pensive
I ignore them I thought I might be missing something plot driven, but maybe I'm missing something more poetic, which would be the reason I don't find the prose original. Am I missing something Pensive?
70 pages! You got through in a night, what I've been working on for two weeks. I did take breaks for two other books and now hooked on the noble knight of La Mancha.:(
Nah, I don't think you are missing something very important or related to the plot. But if you feel curious about any word or expression, you can always discuss it here. I would like to be of some sort of help. :) And there are always free Urdu-English electronic translators too (though I think they are very hard to find)!Quote:
Originally Posted by NickAdams
I can also understand what would make you feel this way that the prose is not orginal. The manner of speech is according to an Indian's style. Even when translated, author has to show the dialogues according to the style of the place he is writing about, and Indian style I think is quite different from West. For example, I remember Naseem using 'whatsitsname' as her leitmotif and this leitmotif is quite common amongst where I live (I am myself used to saying it, oh in Urdu though). I have never come across such a pet-phrase in any English novel or have never heard/read it spoken/written by a foreigner! Or even if it has come somewhere before, I am quite sure this wouldn't be much included in the daily conversation. And I can understand if this looks a bit weird to people from other culture.
It's really difficult to write in Urdu style an English book and portray India's culture through the dialogues translated in English. Seeing that, it seems as if Rushdie has done an awesome job!
Oh I think it depends on how much you 'get into' the book. My will was to read To The Lighthouse but I couldn't bring myself into it, and after completing about half of it (and I did force that completed half on me), I could not bring myself to read more of it.Quote:
70 pages! You got through in a night, what I've been working on for two weeks. I did take breaks for two other books and now hooked on the noble knight of La Mancha.:(
I hope you get into it after some period. In the start anyway, I don't think Tai's character is very interesting but after estimatedly ten to fifteen pages, things get far more interesting!
I've been ignoring them also, but only because every time I've come across them I've been in places where I can't get to the internet/dictionary.Quote:
Originally Posted by NickAdams
I usually ignore such words as well and most of the time they are used in a manner that it is possible to guess the meaning from the text. It is my belief that no author would use such words/references without leaving clues about their meanings (they wouldn't like to alienate the readers after all).
I don't think they are any more important than an unfamiliar English word one comes across, anyway.
I haven't read much yet but so far, I have been enjoying it.
Nick> I am very reminded of HYOS as well (though Marquez' prose is superior to Rushdie's, I think).
I've only used it when I couldn't remember the name of the thing I was refering to: "I used a whatsitname for the-"Quote:
Originally Posted by Pensive
I agree. Rushdie does use some fine metaphors though. I enjoyed the assassination and the moon and cresent knives bit. The rubies and diamonds bit in the beginning I didn't care for though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scheherazade
I'm not sure if I'll be able to join this time or not. I checked the library and all three copies are checked out:bawling: I put it on hold, but it might be a couple of months before I ever get it.
Whenever you get it whatsitname, I'll be here to discuss it.;)Quote:
Originally Posted by mkhockenberry
Did you call me whatsitname????:lol::lol::lol: Meg works just fine:D I've been meaning to see if there is a way to change my user name without opening an entirely new account, but I haven't gotten to asking yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by NickAdams
Haven't tried Marquez yet but found in the back cover some part of a review from The Times:Quote:
Originally Posted by Scher
'I haven't been so continuously surprised by a novel since I read 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'.
Yeah, interesting metaphors but sometimes get confusing. I have completed a few more pages and what have impressed me the most are the dialogues! Quite informal and lively. Description is good too. Characters also interesting. In fact, I am liking everything in the story yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick
Isn't anyone on this thread concerned about the fatwah factor?
I think that was mainly because of The Satanic Verses, wasn't it? *confused*Quote:
Originally Posted by quasimodo1
Could you be more specific please, Quasimodo?Quote:
Originally Posted by quasimodo1
I have completed about forty more pages. Would have to say the book looks fantastic. What I like is that Rushdie, during the Independence time, has seemed to make it clear that from both sides there were extremists. Ravanas as well as Muslim extremists. The whole description of what was happening around in 1947 seems very realistic, very much like the tales I have been hearing from my grandfather and reading in digests.
I liked it when Mumtaz (now Amina) saved a Hindu's life. The meticulous and assiduous Amina is my favourite character yet! How interesting to read!The whole situation of her going to the fortune-teller was simply interesting. Would have to say once again the metaphors used in this book are also amazing, very different from those used in most of the books I read.
Noticed one thing in these later pages, the whole sentences which are in Urdu are later translated too, fully in English. :)
Now I am wondering what will happen next.
First two hundred pages are done! Veeery veeeeery interesting. How could have I missed so much when the last time I read it! Oh well, perhaps I have forgotten a lot of it.
Brass Monkey is very interesting! Like Padma, Saleem being not his parents' child (though he would deny it and perhaps I shouldn't say that!) hit me, hadn't expected it.
*edit to add*
By the way, can anyone yet understand what exactly Padma is when it comes to her relation with Saleem Sinai? She seems to be either his wife/girlfriend to me?
I say lover. Fiance?Quote:
Originally Posted by Pensive