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purple_nep_shooter's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-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
3.75
christar_123's review against another edition
5.0
After not really enjoying Two Years, Seven Months and Sixteen Days, I was wondering if Rushdie's work just wasn't for me anymore. And then, I almost didn't continue past the beginning of this one - it's tedious, the narrator keeps on talking about future events and I was kind of feeling like, "OK, just do something!" and I had heard that this novel was about the Trump presidency, so I mistakenly thought that Nero Golden was supposed to be the stand-in for Trump. It certainly fit - inflated ego, his name is closely associated with Trump's gaudy style, vastly younger second wife, weird adult children - but I thought Nero was too smart! He can speak multiple languages! So I was kind of angry with Rushdie for giving Trump more intellectual credit than he's due - and more ability to plan, think, strategize....and then I convinced myself to keep on listening (Audiobook) and I learned the truth!
Trump as the Joker was excellent, and amazingly timely. Rushdie's depiction of American society, as a place where knowledge and thought are beginning to be pushed under strange, non-nonsensical nationalism felt spot on.
I read a lot of reviews where readers criticize Rushdie's almost continual use of references, whether to history, pop culture, mythology, literature .... the list goes on and on. But I really love it. Sometimes reading feels like a scavenger hunt, or like Easter eggs spread throughout the prose when I know the reference. It adds depth to the words, making what I'm reading feel like it's part of the larger web of all these mixed up pieces.
Trump as the Joker was excellent, and amazingly timely. Rushdie's depiction of American society, as a place where knowledge and thought are beginning to be pushed under strange, non-nonsensical nationalism felt spot on.
Spoiler
Even the fall of the Golden family, and the ways that each of the son's demises presented a current, crucial issue spot on: gender identity, mental illness/ our relationship with technology and society, feelings of nationalism/country/finding one's rootsI read a lot of reviews where readers criticize Rushdie's almost continual use of references, whether to history, pop culture, mythology, literature .... the list goes on and on. But I really love it. Sometimes reading feels like a scavenger hunt, or like Easter eggs spread throughout the prose when I know the reference. It adds depth to the words, making what I'm reading feel like it's part of the larger web of all these mixed up pieces.
nerdyrev's review against another edition
4.0
There are certain books that are read where the feeling is- I am reading a grown up book right now. This is one of those books. This is a true literary fiction book and one that needs to have time taken with it.
Set in the backdrop of the election of President Obama, the story is of the Golden family. They arrive on America's shores just as he is being elected.
The Golden Family has a particular way of looking at the world and feel they are royalty. They have named themselves after gods to reflect their personality. There is no mother figure until a Russian ex pat walks into the figure to become the matriarch of the family.
A film is being made of the family as we get a peek into their lives. It is filled with a bit of criminal activity, some family difficulty, and it is the life of the golden spoon, so to speak.
As stated, this is a grown up book. Rushdie is right on his game with this one. I have only read one other of his books because one has to be in a certain mood for it. I was so excited for this one not only because of Rushdie's style within realism, but he was touching upon current politics. It is so good.
I gave this one 4 stars!
*Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review*
Set in the backdrop of the election of President Obama, the story is of the Golden family. They arrive on America's shores just as he is being elected.
The Golden Family has a particular way of looking at the world and feel they are royalty. They have named themselves after gods to reflect their personality. There is no mother figure until a Russian ex pat walks into the figure to become the matriarch of the family.
A film is being made of the family as we get a peek into their lives. It is filled with a bit of criminal activity, some family difficulty, and it is the life of the golden spoon, so to speak.
As stated, this is a grown up book. Rushdie is right on his game with this one. I have only read one other of his books because one has to be in a certain mood for it. I was so excited for this one not only because of Rushdie's style within realism, but he was touching upon current politics. It is so good.
I gave this one 4 stars!
*Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review*
ileniazodiaco's review
5.0
Con il solito tono favolistico e al contempo dissacrante, il pifferaio magico – Rushdie – narra delle fortune immense accumulate dalla famiglia Golden, originaria di Bombay e sbarcata a New York con un’identità nuova di zecca, come la patina d’oro che riveste il loro nome. Decidono di incarnare il mito statunitense del “diventa chi vuoi”, quella magica intraprendenza che fa avverare i sogni. Riprendendo alla lettera il motto “fake it until you make it”, il magnate Nero Golden e la sua progenie, si ammanta di nomi provenienti dalla storia dell’Impero Romano e colonizza il Lower East Side con il suo carisma e il suo danaro.
Toni shakespeariani per raccontare tragedie private, scandali pubblici e la contemporaneità, così intrisa di una complessa teatralità in cui verità, menzogna e post verità diventano un’unica matassa da sbrogliare.
Toni shakespeariani per raccontare tragedie private, scandali pubblici e la contemporaneità, così intrisa di una complessa teatralità in cui verità, menzogna e post verità diventano un’unica matassa da sbrogliare.
diggitalot's review against another edition
4.0
Fritt citat. ”Knowledge is not Power, knowledge is Beauty”.
amlagunas's review against another edition
3.0
Throughout this read, I really didn't know how I felt about it. I really liked how that idea itself (judging within gray areas) was a key theme of the book. However, I found the narrator too melodramatic (which seems intentional, but still wasn't an enjoyable trait).
mulperipuu's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
colourmeread's review against another edition
2.0
I don’t read a lot of realistic fiction but when a book is set around the time the 45th president of the United States is elected, you get a little curious.
What I loved most about this book was the underlying tones of Rushdie’s wry social commentary. There’s an obvious parallel between the rise and fall of the Goldens and the state of America leading up to the election of the current president (referred to as The Joker). It’s a satirical novel that picks apart societal issues with hard-hitting passages, this one being my favourite:
Unfortunately, my love for this book ends there. First, The Golden House was quite hard to get into because nothing happens through the first third of the book. I also didn’t particularly care about the characters so when the book played out like a tragic family drama, I couldn’t care less. The last section of the book was my favourite, mainly because Rushdie starts questioning politics, gender, race, etc.
In a nutshell, the book was a long-winded story that had brilliant moments in the midst of family drama. Personally, I feel like it tried to achieve too much and I would have preferred reading an essay of Rushdie’s opinions on current society and “The Joker” instead.
What I loved most about this book was the underlying tones of Rushdie’s wry social commentary. There’s an obvious parallel between the rise and fall of the Goldens and the state of America leading up to the election of the current president (referred to as The Joker). It’s a satirical novel that picks apart societal issues with hard-hitting passages, this one being my favourite:
"In that bubble, razor-tipped playing cards were funny, and lapel flowers that sprayed acid into people's faces were funny, and wishing you could have sex with your daughter was funny, and sarcasm was funny even when what was called sarcasm was not sarcastic, and lying was funny, and hatred was funny, and bigotry was funny, and bullying was funny, and the date was, or almost was, or might soon be, if the jokes worked out as they should, nineteen eighty-four."
Unfortunately, my love for this book ends there. First, The Golden House was quite hard to get into because nothing happens through the first third of the book. I also didn’t particularly care about the characters so when the book played out like a tragic family drama, I couldn’t care less. The last section of the book was my favourite, mainly because Rushdie starts questioning politics, gender, race, etc.
In a nutshell, the book was a long-winded story that had brilliant moments in the midst of family drama. Personally, I feel like it tried to achieve too much and I would have preferred reading an essay of Rushdie’s opinions on current society and “The Joker” instead.