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ginnykaczmarek's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a Rushdie fan, but this book didn't speak to me as his others have. To be fair, I'm not crazy about the Great Gatsby, either, to which this novel is continually compared. Philosophical droning from pretentious rich boys about the damaged ultra-rich in their midst doesn't resonate with me, even as I recognize moments of brilliance.
In this book, I felt there was just too much of the philosophizing, too much (dare I say it) whining over the narrator's poor decisions. I found the narrator unlikable, and though I understand that unlikability in a main character is often the intent, in this case, I felt annoyed rather than enlightened by the flaws of a fellow human being.
Rushdie is, of course, a master storyteller, so there was enough mystery and intrigue (not to mention hilarious moments imagining Trump as the Joker) to keep me reading. But the final third of the book, in which All Is Revealed, felt like a giant information dump, with so much detail about shady business practices in Bombay that I was, well, bored. Even though it was about mobsters and murder.
Maybe if I hadn't had such high hopes, I would've enjoyed this novel more, but I was disappointed rather than transported.
In this book, I felt there was just too much of the philosophizing, too much (dare I say it) whining over the narrator's poor decisions. I found the narrator unlikable, and though I understand that unlikability in a main character is often the intent, in this case, I felt annoyed rather than enlightened by the flaws of a fellow human being.
Rushdie is, of course, a master storyteller, so there was enough mystery and intrigue (not to mention hilarious moments imagining Trump as the Joker) to keep me reading. But the final third of the book, in which All Is Revealed, felt like a giant information dump, with so much detail about shady business practices in Bombay that I was, well, bored. Even though it was about mobsters and murder.
Maybe if I hadn't had such high hopes, I would've enjoyed this novel more, but I was disappointed rather than transported.
bangkok67's review against another edition
4.0
http://cavebookreviews.blogspot.com
Salman Rushdie's new novel, The Golden House is a story about family, culture, and love. A wealthy man from Mumbai suddenly leaves India with his three sons and settles into an enclave of townhouses in Greenwich Village, NY. Nero Golden has adopted a new name for himself and his family, hoping, it seems, to escape his past in Mumbai. The townhouses where the Goldens live open to a beautiful communal garden shared with the residences of the quadrangle on Sullivan and Houston.
Rene, the son of a couple who lives in the townhouses, narrates the story. Rene's parents are both professors and Rene has only known the gardens, living there all his life. Rene is a film student and aspiring film maker, a believer in the auteur theory of cinema. He becomes friends with the sons of Nero Golden and tells their story and ours too. The time is 2008, and everyone in Rene's world is happy with Barack Obama, the new president. Hope is in the air. It seems that the Goldens are safe in their new home. Rene is innocent as are the three Golden boys. The story will unravel all hope and happiness for many.
To fully appreciate SR's novel, it will be helpful to know the great filmmakers. Much attention centers on the meaning of famous films and the connection with mythology. The 'Joker' (cue DJ Trump, Jr.) enters the picture on the periphery early, and we have him with us throughout the saga of the Goldens and Rene. Rushdie encapsulates absolutely everything happening in the USA from the beginning of the signs that Trump would run for president and even manages to include white supremacy, a foreshadowing of all we are living with now. No one can deny SR's genius and innate ability to gauge the temperature of civilization, either in the USA or India. It is a heartbreaking story from all sides, but we are given some small glimpses of hope from the author and must go on living our lives, as they are today.
Thank you to NetGalley, Salman Rushdie, and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Salman Rushdie's new novel, The Golden House is a story about family, culture, and love. A wealthy man from Mumbai suddenly leaves India with his three sons and settles into an enclave of townhouses in Greenwich Village, NY. Nero Golden has adopted a new name for himself and his family, hoping, it seems, to escape his past in Mumbai. The townhouses where the Goldens live open to a beautiful communal garden shared with the residences of the quadrangle on Sullivan and Houston.
Rene, the son of a couple who lives in the townhouses, narrates the story. Rene's parents are both professors and Rene has only known the gardens, living there all his life. Rene is a film student and aspiring film maker, a believer in the auteur theory of cinema. He becomes friends with the sons of Nero Golden and tells their story and ours too. The time is 2008, and everyone in Rene's world is happy with Barack Obama, the new president. Hope is in the air. It seems that the Goldens are safe in their new home. Rene is innocent as are the three Golden boys. The story will unravel all hope and happiness for many.
To fully appreciate SR's novel, it will be helpful to know the great filmmakers. Much attention centers on the meaning of famous films and the connection with mythology. The 'Joker' (cue DJ Trump, Jr.) enters the picture on the periphery early, and we have him with us throughout the saga of the Goldens and Rene. Rushdie encapsulates absolutely everything happening in the USA from the beginning of the signs that Trump would run for president and even manages to include white supremacy, a foreshadowing of all we are living with now. No one can deny SR's genius and innate ability to gauge the temperature of civilization, either in the USA or India. It is a heartbreaking story from all sides, but we are given some small glimpses of hope from the author and must go on living our lives, as they are today.
Thank you to NetGalley, Salman Rushdie, and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC.
cambrio3's review against another edition
3.0
Another sprawling magical-realism book by Rushdie - sign me up!
The Golden House recounts ~10 years of a transplanted Indian family in contemporaneous New York City; mostly sandwiched between 2008-2018. Rene, a neighbor, friend, and almost member of the family narrates the story as he films the 'Goldens.'
As in all of Rushdie's books, East and West are mixed into an exotic combination. There are classical (Latin) themes mingled with South-Asian Islam. There are Russian folk characters beside hipster New Yorkers. There's religious extremism, the lingering effects of colonialism, exploration of sexual identity, corruption, violence, and of course Bollywood.
The early book describes each member of the family; Nero, Petya, Apu, D, and later Vasilia. Honestly, exploring the personality quirks of each character was my favorite part.
Later on, Nero's back story is filled in and many of the hints and foreshadowing from earlier in the book are fleshed out.
My thoughts:
The Golden House didn't disappoint, but then again I had no idea where it was going. But plot isn't ever the reason to read Rushdie, the recounting is the pleasure. I love Rushdie's drawing fantasy, history, and myth into his stories. Also how he contrasts and pits characters against each other.
Who would ever see the names Nero and Rene as near reflections of each other until it is described that way? And the possible implications of that...
Rushdie weaves important information with the banal in a way that somehow well represents reality. Or, at least in a way that makes you laugh and realize how petty people really are.
I like his mixing contemporary themes like terrorism and the vileness of Trump with timeless ones like family, love, aging, and legacy.
In sum, it's an entertaining book. A good piece of fiction; one that will stay with me for a while. It is not the genre of book that changes lives, but that's not what I was looking for.
The Golden House recounts ~10 years of a transplanted Indian family in contemporaneous New York City; mostly sandwiched between 2008-2018. Rene, a neighbor, friend, and almost member of the family narrates the story as he films the 'Goldens.'
As in all of Rushdie's books, East and West are mixed into an exotic combination. There are classical (Latin) themes mingled with South-Asian Islam. There are Russian folk characters beside hipster New Yorkers. There's religious extremism, the lingering effects of colonialism, exploration of sexual identity, corruption, violence, and of course Bollywood.
The early book describes each member of the family; Nero, Petya, Apu, D, and later Vasilia. Honestly, exploring the personality quirks of each character was my favorite part.
Later on, Nero's back story is filled in and many of the hints and foreshadowing from earlier in the book are fleshed out.
My thoughts:
The Golden House didn't disappoint, but then again I had no idea where it was going. But plot isn't ever the reason to read Rushdie, the recounting is the pleasure. I love Rushdie's drawing fantasy, history, and myth into his stories. Also how he contrasts and pits characters against each other.
Who would ever see the names Nero and Rene as near reflections of each other until it is described that way? And the possible implications of that...
Rushdie weaves important information with the banal in a way that somehow well represents reality. Or, at least in a way that makes you laugh and realize how petty people really are.
I like his mixing contemporary themes like terrorism and the vileness of Trump with timeless ones like family, love, aging, and legacy.
In sum, it's an entertaining book. A good piece of fiction; one that will stay with me for a while. It is not the genre of book that changes lives, but that's not what I was looking for.
buzzroz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
itzel_sainz's review against another edition
4.0
Disfruté mucho todo su desarrollo aunque hubo algunas cuestiones al final que me parecieron ya un poco apresuradas.
amyreadsgoodbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Before The Golden House, I'm not sure I knew what magical realism was. Maybe I'm still not quite sure, yet after getting into the rhythm of the book, I loved the manner within which Salman Rushdie wrote this tale of our times. As the novel progresses the writing gets looser, possibly more relaxed, as the reader no longer is a stranger to the characters. They are now friends and comfortable with each other's presence, allowing the pace of the story to accelerate and deepen, ultimately changing into a screenplay type of description. This allows the reader to feel the emotion of the scene and visualize the truth and consequences of the characters actions. The tragedy that unfolds in the personal lives of the Golden house are intertwined with the tragedies of life in the world from 1993 to present day. The Joker is the stand in for President Trump and posturing of hope defeated after the Obama Administration is a carried personal theme. A key character is a homeless man referred to as a "tramp", who interjects himself into the story, reminding the readers that personal choice is only part of the formula of life and it's death. Accolades are due to the author for seamlessly rolling into this story current issues and the real truth they represent. Guns, immigration, wealth, gender identity, autism, mental health, procreation, terrorism, even fire. It's all there for the reader to chew on and consider. This will undoubtedly be one of my favorite books because of the depth of the material presented. As a reader, I was challenged with all of the movie, literary and fine art references as well as the tight style of writing within which the story starts out. I admit, I had to reread several sections as skimming through is not permitted for full understanding. By the end of the story though, I am not ready to let go of what have become my characters. The closing scene is not lost on the reader and leaves one wondering, is this an ending of hope? Or is it simply a restart of all that began.
amyredgreen's review against another edition
3.0
Kind of a generous three stars, because this was a pain in the neck to read. I was totally invested in the story, but the writing style was so annoying and overblown. I had a hard time with the ending, because I was not on board with the narrator's take on things at all. I guess if you like ornate writing and don't care about female characters and are into male entitlement, you will like this a lot more than I did.
lexiekuhnemann's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 if possible. It was engaging on and off throughout the chapters. The twists are what held me in though - fantastic
abbyl_2008's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to like this more. There were a few times I almost DNF. I persisted because the family’s story drew me in. Rushdie has a way of waxing poetic on human psyche. There are a lot of intellectually packed one liners on how “we thought we were superheroes only to remove the mask and find out we were the super villain.”
As all his books, he writes on reality but often masked as fiction.
Overall I’m glad I read it.
As all his books, he writes on reality but often masked as fiction.
Overall I’m glad I read it.
denisemar76's review against another edition
5.0
Rushdie’s commentary on our recent political history is bitingly funny and brilliant. The ascendancy of the “green haired” Joker to the presidency is the backdrop to a Gatsby-like story of new beginnings, fabulous wealth, corruption, love, jealousy, fate, art, and all those big ideas typical of a Rushdie novel. Although the plot dragged a bit at the beginning, by the end, I was completely riveted to the story of the Golden family.