You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Ugh. I hated this. Crass, ugly, absurd and way too dang long. Listened to the first third as an audiobook, then split the difference reading and listening intermittently.
Having read some other reviews, I have to consider if listening to the audiobook wholly decreased my perception of this book. What I would have preferred not to read in excruciating detail, I could have skimmed, which is more difficult to accomplish with an audiobook. By the time I got the paper copy and began reading, I had certain images fixed in my mind.
Having read some other reviews, I have to consider if listening to the audiobook wholly decreased my perception of this book. What I would have preferred not to read in excruciating detail, I could have skimmed, which is more difficult to accomplish with an audiobook. By the time I got the paper copy and began reading, I had certain images fixed in my mind.
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
This is a truly masterful book. Salman Rushdie is of course an amazing writer, and while this is a very long read and not an easy one, the conclusion is worth it if you can stick with it. There is one thing keeping me from rating it 5 stars, but first you need to know it is written from the perspective of the main character writing the novel, in first person. While the character does many objectively bad things he touches on or explains or admits they were wrong. That is except for in one case (minor spoiler) where he his in his early 20s having sex with someone he describes as "no older than 14). This incident is described with no remorse or admittance of wrong doing and maybe it's just me but it was something I couldn't get past, and soured the rest of the book for me. I'm not saying the character is made out to be a hero by any means but this flippant section seemed to me unnecessary, and the book would have had the same effect had her age been older. I still recommend the book but with a warning it could definitely be triggering to victims of sexual assault or violence.
I'M FINALLY DONE WITH THIS BOOK.
This took me ages. I can see why people would like this book, but it just doesn't work for me. I thought it was extremely slow and it used unneccesarily rich language. But the most annoying thing was how literary it was. I know that sounds weird and please understand: I like a book that knows how to be literary. I like solving the puzzles of the symbolism. But apparentely Salman Rushdie doesn't think I can handle a bit of symbolism, so he takes you be the hand and explains everything! I even came across a fragment where he continues to explain the title of the chapter for three paragraphs long! Stop it, that's mý puzzle. It just made the book boring for me because it prevented me from having to work to get to the deeper meaning. I guess this does make this book very suitable for high schools: I know of a lot of people who had trouble recognising that kind of literaryness in high school and this book may be a solution for them. But to me, it just took all the fun out of it.
This took me ages. I can see why people would like this book, but it just doesn't work for me. I thought it was extremely slow and it used unneccesarily rich language. But the most annoying thing was how literary it was. I know that sounds weird and please understand: I like a book that knows how to be literary. I like solving the puzzles of the symbolism. But apparentely Salman Rushdie doesn't think I can handle a bit of symbolism, so he takes you be the hand and explains everything! I even came across a fragment where he continues to explain the title of the chapter for three paragraphs long! Stop it, that's mý puzzle. It just made the book boring for me because it prevented me from having to work to get to the deeper meaning. I guess this does make this book very suitable for high schools: I know of a lot of people who had trouble recognising that kind of literaryness in high school and this book may be a solution for them. But to me, it just took all the fun out of it.
challenging
funny
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Книга вызывает полную гамму чувств в ходе чтения: от симпатии до отвращения. Симпатию у меня вызвала манера преподнесения фактов, изложения. К ней было немного сложно привыкнуть по началу, ибо это эдакий поток сознания. Изложение, надо заметить, на любителя. Отвращение же могут вызвать различные очень честные и прямолинейные детали, которые иной автор скорее всего попытался бы завуалировать. Индия - страна, "где царствуют сонмы запахов и звуков", и такая честная детализация всего и вся позволяет читателю создавать очень живые образы в своем воображении. Однако, я бы не рекомендовал Детей Полуночи чересчур впечатлительным (или... "нежным"?) людям с богатым воображением, но хрупкой психикой - что-то может пошатнуться от порой описываемой в книге грязи.
Читается легко, с интересом, скучно не было. Захочу ли я эту книгу когда-нибудь перечитать? Вряд ли. Буду ли я её периодически вспоминать? Весьма вероятно.
Читается легко, с интересом, скучно не было. Захочу ли я эту книгу когда-нибудь перечитать? Вряд ли. Буду ли я её периодически вспоминать? Весьма вероятно.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
took me WAY too long to finish, but in the end it was worth it. rushdie is a madman.