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sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
3.0
"This is a work of fiction. A few liberties has been taken with the historical records in the interests of truth"
With the above warning starts the most researched of all Salman Rushdie's books. Akbar, his court as well as some other members of royal family are brought to life. Same can be said about European figures of time including Machiavelli, Amerigo, Columbus as well as Vlad III the dracula king.
Magical realism has been used to explain true actions of historical figures which can not be explained otherwise - being very opposite to their character including turn around of Salim's character and the mystery around very existence of Jodha Bai. People are created out of sheer will; ghosts come to life; artists lose their own existence to be a part of their creation and much above all a character created by author himself affects lives of characters all over the globe. Than, there are mandrakes, occult and witch magic; the selection of period too is important because as the author says it was the time when real and unreal were not yet confined to their limits.
It is only Rushdie's genius which makes you digest it all - and if you are not exhausted yet to see its beauty. There are a lot of orgies but they too are a part of general poetry which the story brings out.
Salman rushdie cooks his dish with a lot of orgy and magical realism and either of them give you indigestion,don't be misled by my rating. Another warning would be that to completely appreciate Rushdie's work or to even make a proper sense of it; you will have to sit it through. A rushdi book half read may mean nothing and a Rushdie book fully read is better than ten books.
The way the life of the yellow haired man who will tell Akbar the story of occult queen depends on how well he narrates it reminds you about Arabian nights. It is this very culture- of telling stories which the book celebrates.
With the above warning starts the most researched of all Salman Rushdie's books. Akbar, his court as well as some other members of royal family are brought to life. Same can be said about European figures of time including Machiavelli, Amerigo, Columbus as well as Vlad III the dracula king.
Magical realism has been used to explain true actions of historical figures which can not be explained otherwise - being very opposite to their character including turn around of Salim's character and the mystery around very existence of Jodha Bai. People are created out of sheer will; ghosts come to life; artists lose their own existence to be a part of their creation and much above all a character created by author himself affects lives of characters all over the globe. Than, there are mandrakes, occult and witch magic; the selection of period too is important because as the author says it was the time when real and unreal were not yet confined to their limits.
It is only Rushdie's genius which makes you digest it all - and if you are not exhausted yet to see its beauty. There are a lot of orgies but they too are a part of general poetry which the story brings out.
Salman rushdie cooks his dish with a lot of orgy and magical realism and either of them give you indigestion,don't be misled by my rating. Another warning would be that to completely appreciate Rushdie's work or to even make a proper sense of it; you will have to sit it through. A rushdi book half read may mean nothing and a Rushdie book fully read is better than ten books.
The way the life of the yellow haired man who will tell Akbar the story of occult queen depends on how well he narrates it reminds you about Arabian nights. It is this very culture- of telling stories which the book celebrates.
bjmcinnarney's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
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
3.0
kathydavie's review against another edition
2.0
Beautiful writing but tedious to read and the story was rather pointless although I enjoyed the Renaissance references
zareenj's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ruthie_wk's review against another edition
2.5
Well written, but that’s about it.
Didn’t like the portrayal of women, and the sequence of events just made no sense and most of the characters had no impact.
Didn’t like the portrayal of women, and the sequence of events just made no sense and most of the characters had no impact.
warrenl's review against another edition
5.0
Extraordinary. Just extraordinary. Take the historical settings of Renaissance Florence and the court of the Grand Mughal Emperor Akbar, a good number of historical persons, and tie them together by an extraordinary flight of imagination. Spellbinding. Not all of Rushdie's novels have managed to grip me, but this one was enchanting.
jemerevoltedoncnoussommes's review against another edition
4.0
Love casts its shadow
As you conquer the unknown
Time flies, lust decays
As you conquer the unknown
Time flies, lust decays
apleiades17's review against another edition
5.0
"Because names were things of power, and when they did not fit the thing named they acquired a malign force."
"By then, however, the knowledge was of no use to him, except to remind him of what he should never have forgotten, that witchcraft requires no potions, familiar spirits or magic wands. Language upon a silvered tongue affords enchantment enough."
"By then, however, the knowledge was of no use to him, except to remind him of what he should never have forgotten, that witchcraft requires no potions, familiar spirits or magic wands. Language upon a silvered tongue affords enchantment enough."