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Reviews tagging 'Violence'
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
59 reviews
jcstokes95's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.25
One of my most anticipated released of 2024, but one that delivered something different than expected. My overall sense of this is that Rushdie felt he needed to write this to move through the trauma of being attacked. You get the sense that he is just saying what he needs to say so he can finally be free of talking about this. Luckily, Rushdie is a very smart man and there are some sections that are really evocative. But as a whole, nothing quite comes together as a clear message of the piece. But, in a way, that’s how it’s sold, as “meditations” on the attack.
It feels very much like reading a journal, he talks about the day of the attack and the medically traumatic aftermath. But woven in are his thoughts about aging, second chances, his own reputation, his family and the loving support of his friends. It feels very immediate, by which I mean, I often wondered if this would be a different book had he waited five years to write it. There is also a chapter solely focused on what he’d say if he could have a conversation with his attacker, which felt like the weakest part of the book to me; particularly since the other portions are absent references to him. I wonder if Rushdie felt a pressure to process this publicly. I just feel like the parts around protecting speech were far stronger than the actual conversation.
Most compelling quote from this whole piece:
“These sessions were where I learned the first lesson of free expression- that you must take it for granted. If you are afraid of the consequences of what you say, then you are not free.”
I loved this sentiment, especially in an era where so many are censoring themselves in advance of political sea changes. Rushdie counts it for the cowardice it is. It reminds me of a thing Ta-Nahesi Coates said when I went to see him speak about The Message. When deciding if he should pursue the project with his wife, he talked about what he might lose things by writing on such controversial subjects. And his wife told him if they lost things for speaking truth to power, then it was “never really theirs”.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Medical content
elleemcee's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Religious bigotry
stephaniekrebs's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Islamophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer and Stalking
madhu_n's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder
oz2021's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Religious bigotry and Stalking
abby0elizabeth's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Murder
m_lena's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book is remarkable. As someone who is around PTSD day in and out- I found this book honest, haunting and incredibly hopeful. Rushdie is again the master he always has been.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Violence
Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma
katydidnot's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
This was a fascinating reflection by Salman Rushdie of the attempt made on his life in 2022, more than 30 years after the fatwa that was placed on him for his book The Satanic Verses. It seems in parts to be an emotional writing exercise for himself more than his audience. Some parts are very thought-provoking while others seem necessarily self-serving.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
camilleberedjick's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Would have been 5 stars, but I wish there was any discussion of what an abolitionist approach to dealing with religious radicalization could be. Nonetheless, excellent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma
Moderate: Violence and Religious bigotry
fanchera's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.25
I struggled to get through this book. While I am very sympathetic to what the author experienced, no one should ever have to face a brutal attack, have to fight for their life and be left permanently disfigured. It’s very sad that he became a victim of a horrendous attack. My issue with this book was the author’s attitude. It’s quite evident that he grew up affluent and privileged. That is neither here nor there. It was his narcissistic attitude about life in general and also how it all relates to the care he received. His expectations were quite over the top. I did not enjoy his pretentious writing and it’s obvious that he put many middle class citizens far below where he sees himself. It’s his story to tell. I just didn’t enjoy the attitude in which he spoke or how he put others so far beneath himself.
An example of something that rubbed me the wrong way. When his assailant is arrested and they are preparing for trial, he decides that he’s fine with his assailant taking a plea deal and getting out of prison after serving 30 years because, since he would be 116 years old, he would never have to worry about his assailant hunting him down again in his lifetime. But his assailant would be 54 when he would come up for parole. Which, to me, is still young enough to commit another crime, to attack another innocent civilian whose beliefs don’t align with his. To me, that’s a very selfish attitude to have, let alone admit to openly.
I am a pretty sympathetic person but as his story goes on I felt less and less toward him because he comes across as such an unlikable person. By the end I was void of much emotion at all. And for me that is very difficult to digest. How can I feel that way about someone who has been stabbed by a complete stranger 15 times?! I was more sympathetic to him as a complete stranger and less sympathetic now that I’ve had a glimpse of his thoughts and how he would see him as a lowly nurse.
An example of something that rubbed me the wrong way. When his assailant is arrested and they are preparing for trial, he decides that he’s fine with his assailant taking a plea deal and getting out of prison after serving 30 years because, since he would be 116 years old, he would never have to worry about his assailant hunting him down again in his lifetime. But his assailant would be 54 when he would come up for parole. Which, to me, is still young enough to commit another crime, to attack another innocent civilian whose beliefs don’t align with his. To me, that’s a very selfish attitude to have, let alone admit to openly.
I am a pretty sympathetic person but as his story goes on I felt less and less toward him because he comes across as such an unlikable person. By the end I was void of much emotion at all. And for me that is very difficult to digest. How can I feel that way about someone who has been stabbed by a complete stranger 15 times?! I was more sympathetic to him as a complete stranger and less sympathetic now that I’ve had a glimpse of his thoughts and how he would see him as a lowly nurse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Religious bigotry