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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Definitely worth it. The beginning and ending 30 pages are probably the best of any book I’ve ever read. However the “Ayesha” sections feel much less necessary even with objectively amazing writing.
I tried my damnedest to read this and it started off well, but the magical realism was too much to endure. Maybe if I knew more about Muslim beliefs, I might be able to understand the offensiveness, but after reading 20%, I gave up.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t think I will finish. For the first section, I was enthralled—great writing, filled with beauty and insight. I thought, “this is a magical realism farce about race and culture and just trying to be human in this cluttered crazy world. Huzzah!” And I also thought, “why did he get death threats for this? It’s disrespectful and wicked? Okay, but that’s lots of books.
Then I got to the satanic verses part. (Google the title and read up on the concept before you read.) This section of the novel is…. problematic. A satire, maybe? An “Islam’s true origin story” satire, where he’s criticizing and poking fun and writing impossibly offensive things. Okay, okay… the problem is—it isn’t very insightful, and the satire and commentary that is there comes off as… racist? I think? Maybe not racist. But—
I am not good at this sort of analysis.
SR is very clever and skilled—his whirlwind writing is a joy. But I understand why this made people angry.
After getting through that section, there’s a section where the writing didn’t work as well for me, and I just sort of drifted. I may return—I do think there’s a genius here. I just hope he ends up using his powers for good.
Then I got to the satanic verses part. (Google the title and read up on the concept before you read.) This section of the novel is…. problematic. A satire, maybe? An “Islam’s true origin story” satire, where he’s criticizing and poking fun and writing impossibly offensive things. Okay, okay… the problem is—it isn’t very insightful, and the satire and commentary that is there comes off as… racist? I think? Maybe not racist. But—
I am not good at this sort of analysis.
SR is very clever and skilled—his whirlwind writing is a joy. But I understand why this made people angry.
After getting through that section, there’s a section where the writing didn’t work as well for me, and I just sort of drifted. I may return—I do think there’s a genius here. I just hope he ends up using his powers for good.
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t have time to finish before I had to return it to the library
Rushdie is dense; and, I discovered, if you don't know enough about South Indian culture (traditional and pop), he can be impossibly obtuse.
Thankfully, I read Satanic Verses after binging on Amitabh Bachchan movies; so Gibreel Farishta, apparently modeled on early 80s Bachchan, was immediately familiar. The Hindi puns; the digs at Indira Gandhi; etc. - all became clear(er, at least).
Anyway: this is one of those Big Famous magic(al) realist novels, and rightly so. Vast, richly imagined and, best of all, funny. My favorite Rushdie.
Thankfully, I read Satanic Verses after binging on Amitabh Bachchan movies; so Gibreel Farishta, apparently modeled on early 80s Bachchan, was immediately familiar. The Hindi puns; the digs at Indira Gandhi; etc. - all became clear(er, at least).
Anyway: this is one of those Big Famous magic(al) realist novels, and rightly so. Vast, richly imagined and, best of all, funny. My favorite Rushdie.