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aphraclare's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Antisemitism, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Colonisation, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, War, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Violence, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Torture, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
jammasterjamie's review
4.0
3.5 stars, rounded up to four - I really enjoyed this novel and the incredibly strong character studies it provided, although I have to say that even for a Rushdie novel there was an excessive amount of meandering around moving the plot forward, but his prose and wit are so good that even though the story suffered a little for it this time around, it was still thoroughly enjoyable to read and to get at least a passing education on the strife in Kashmir that us Westerners don't ever really get to hear (or care) about - There were some devastating passages of loss in this novel, and it's a better book for it.
dave37's review
5.0
I've had mixed results with Rushdie's novels. Some I love (Midnight's Children), some I admire (Satanic Verses), and some just don't connect for me (The Moor's Last Sigh). This one was right up there with Midnight's Children.
Complex, compelling characters, a storyline that sees them destined to intertwine without being apparent how it will turn out, all built on the foundation of telling the tale of a place, here Kashmir. I savored this one.
Complex, compelling characters, a storyline that sees them destined to intertwine without being apparent how it will turn out, all built on the foundation of telling the tale of a place, here Kashmir. I savored this one.
menfrommarrs's review against another edition
4.0
I had not read [a:Salman Rushdie|3299|Salman Rushdie|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1345771006p2/3299.jpg] before. When I started the book I couldn't believe that I had deprived myself of such a wonderful writer for so long. I was headed for five stars..but the book got tedious after a while. It reminded me of [b:One Hundred Years of Solitude|320|One Hundred Years of Solitude|Gabriel García Márquez|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327881361s/320.jpg|3295655] set in India.
thwak's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
claudia_is_reading's review against another edition
4.25
This book begins with the consequences, and only then does it take us to the past so we can understand who these people are and why this has happened.
This is a complex story about love and lust, about war and atrocities, about responsibilities and consequences, told with Rushdie's incomparable, poetic prose.
By moments irreverently funny, by moments darkly tragic this is an epic, magnificent tale that held me enthralled for its whole length, always wondering what would happen next.
I may have come to love magical realism with Gabriel García Márquez, but Salman Rushdie has kept this love alive and growing.
This is a complex story about love and lust, about war and atrocities, about responsibilities and consequences, told with Rushdie's incomparable, poetic prose.
By moments irreverently funny, by moments darkly tragic this is an epic, magnificent tale that held me enthralled for its whole length, always wondering what would happen next.
I may have come to love magical realism with Gabriel García Márquez, but Salman Rushdie has kept this love alive and growing.
meganaj's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kittenscribble's review
4.0
This is a revenge story nestled in the sad fate of Kashmir, and how the bonds of friendship and love can break down with terrifying results. The book jumps back and forth between two generations, the previous one being much more interesting than the current one. Parts of it are almost too slow, but Rushdie shows himself capable of picking up the prose when the plot demands it.
Also lots of interesting details about the Hindu-Muslim conflict in Kashmir, and how India and Pakistan fought each other over Kashmir until there was basically nothing left. The prose is lush but not without meat, funny and heartbreaking by turns. Parts of this book haunted me for weeks. I'd definitely recommend it.
Also lots of interesting details about the Hindu-Muslim conflict in Kashmir, and how India and Pakistan fought each other over Kashmir until there was basically nothing left. The prose is lush but not without meat, funny and heartbreaking by turns. Parts of this book haunted me for weeks. I'd definitely recommend it.
alenavee's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
bibliophilelinda's review
5.0
Incredible! This is a superbly magnificent novel. Rushdie's prose is expressive, haunting and as melodic as a symphony. What is even more amazing is how he takes a fairly simple plot and transforms it into a sweeping saga of love, betrayal, hatred, revenge and justice. The backstories of the central characters are framed by multiple historical time periods including WWI, the 60's, and the Muslim/Hindu conflicts that plague the Kashmir region. Breathtaking! I couldn't read it fast enough and yet wanted to savor the story.