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laura_trap's review against another edition
4.0
I have mixed feelings on this particular novel. It blends in the intricacies of good historical fiction and then the surreal quality of magical realism. We travel from Florence and the power of the Medicis into the Mogul East, it flowers with the exoticism of history and its players, from Akbar to Niccol Machiavelli, it's positively brilliant. Absolutely fascinating. At some of the descriptions of Sikri, I could smell the jasmine and the curry and feel the heat of the Middle East, feel the silk and gauze of their veils. I felt the burning and hedonism of Renaissance Florence under the thumb of papal and Medici power. But then towards the end it waned, the grasp of the book faded a bit and it spiraled into some odd philosophical, opium daydream, and the story dissipated. I love the dreaminess of magical realism, it blends the world of the book into something not quite tangible, weaves in the impossible, the fanciful, the magical. And here it became a waking dream that had no story, but the characters seemed to fall apart at the seams and I didn't quite enjoy that as much. Then we end with Qara Koz takes the hand of Akbar and we are shown the cyclical but impermanence of things. Salman Rushdie has a way with words and he gives us a miracle of a book, that traverses time and geography, lineages and religion and gods. At times absolutely beautiful, then sometimes haunting and sad, it's well worth the read even the push to reach the end. Akbar although told to us to be a god, an emperor, beyond the human and bordering on the divine is truly the most human in the entire book, we know the most about him and follow him as he has Niccole Vespucci unfold his story, we learn as he does. This is equally a story about three friends and a story of a Mogul emperor. Very good.
saipradhanreads's review against another edition
3.0
i love mughal history so of course i was looking forward to reading this one. typical rushdie in terms of style with the emphasis on sex and the aura of mystery, all a little contrived- the plot weaves in and out connecting fragments of the characters' lives. one way or the other rushdie always writes about identity, and i like the way he addresses how fluid, contrived or multifaceted identities were in the days of conquests and empires (and what has changed?)--of course the mughals are the perfect case in point.
i felt as if i could see rushdie's thought processes and interests wax and wane through this book - his exploration of linguistic roots (italian, persian, urdu), odd little details of old practices (memory palaces! i've always been intrigued!), etc. interesting, on the whole.
put me in the mood to revisit fatehpur sikri sometime soon.
i felt as if i could see rushdie's thought processes and interests wax and wane through this book - his exploration of linguistic roots (italian, persian, urdu), odd little details of old practices (memory palaces! i've always been intrigued!), etc. interesting, on the whole.
put me in the mood to revisit fatehpur sikri sometime soon.
drifterontherun's review against another edition
5.0
After reading so many mixed reviews of this book, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved it! Not just loved it, I actually think that this may one-up 'Midnight's Children' for me. While that "Booker of Bookers" winner is certainly a more complex, somewhat more frustrating read, I was absolutely captivated by the ease in which 'The Enchantress of Florence' caught me in her magical web. This book is Rushdie through and through, which is to say that it's magical realism meets historical fiction with a bit of philosophy thrown in. To put it into terms of classic works of literature, it's '1001 Nights' meets 'Invisible Cities'.
Like all of Rushdie's novels, I get a bit lost somewhere not far after beginning, the multiple characters and unveiling plot lines serving to sweep me off my feet and leave me unconsciously reading for 50 pages or so, only to find my way into a richly decorated labyrinth somewhere not long after. Rushdie, like Umberto Eco, requires his readers' patience before the spell can be cast, and I do hope that you stick with this book until it sucks you in as well!
I won't bother summarizing the action, you can read the summary for that, but I will say that if you like Rushdie's other novels, or the works of Italo Calvino and the aforementioned Eco, you will certainly enjoy this. Why it doesn't enthrall the other posters here as it did me, I am without a clue. But truly, this is a book that speaks to you and continues to do so long after it's been shut, when night has fallen and your dreams are awash with thoughts of Rushdie's 'Enchantress'.
Like all of Rushdie's novels, I get a bit lost somewhere not far after beginning, the multiple characters and unveiling plot lines serving to sweep me off my feet and leave me unconsciously reading for 50 pages or so, only to find my way into a richly decorated labyrinth somewhere not long after. Rushdie, like Umberto Eco, requires his readers' patience before the spell can be cast, and I do hope that you stick with this book until it sucks you in as well!
I won't bother summarizing the action, you can read the summary for that, but I will say that if you like Rushdie's other novels, or the works of Italo Calvino and the aforementioned Eco, you will certainly enjoy this. Why it doesn't enthrall the other posters here as it did me, I am without a clue. But truly, this is a book that speaks to you and continues to do so long after it's been shut, when night has fallen and your dreams are awash with thoughts of Rushdie's 'Enchantress'.
shanacorrin's review against another edition
5.0
I have to say that I am a bit of a sucker for Salman Rushdie, though I'm fully aware that he isn't for everyone. I first became aware of this novel when an excerpt was published in The New Yorker. I was so taken with the excerpt that I pre-ordered the novel from Barnes & Noble (a big mistake, but that's another matter). Oddly, when the novel finally arrived, I let it sit on my shelves for a time before I finally picked it up. It was part delayed gratification, part not wanting to carry around a hardcover book, and part fear of being disappointed.
I'm happy to report that disappointment was never a factor. The characters and stories are fascinating, and the fact that some are drawn from history adds to the fascination. The writing is rich and evocative. I cannot count how many gorgeous turns of phrase I underlined in my copy. Best of all, for me anyway, were the ruminations about the creative power of the artist and how like it is to being god. There are beautifully written explorations of the power of the creator and it can limited by the power of the created thing to live it's own life. At the heart of all these musings is a recognition of the power and beauty and even the necessity of stories, and this is something Rushdie does, to my mind, in a way that too few others can.
I'm happy to report that disappointment was never a factor. The characters and stories are fascinating, and the fact that some are drawn from history adds to the fascination. The writing is rich and evocative. I cannot count how many gorgeous turns of phrase I underlined in my copy. Best of all, for me anyway, were the ruminations about the creative power of the artist and how like it is to being god. There are beautifully written explorations of the power of the creator and it can limited by the power of the created thing to live it's own life. At the heart of all these musings is a recognition of the power and beauty and even the necessity of stories, and this is something Rushdie does, to my mind, in a way that too few others can.
melanie_reads's review against another edition
2.0
I think the word for this book is empty. So beautifully written with so little substance. It could easily be a trashy romance novel if you threw in some better sex scenes. I also disliked the anti-climactic ending immensely.
fallingstar924's review against another edition
3.0
This book felt like it took me a long time to read. It had a lot of words, but it seemed like not much happened throughout the entire book. There were times when it was hard to keep some of the story lines straight, but all in all, it was an interesting story.
sreepurna's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars, rather. Just not quite 5. But a glorious book all the same. Colourful, magical and quite, quite genius. Personally, I was more interested in the Mughal aspect of the story before starting the book, but it ended up being quite a global tale (in all ways), and I couldn't put the book down even though I wanted to read it slowly.
priyastoric's review against another edition
3.0
Salman Rushdie is a master writer, and while I understood much of what he wrote in Midnight's Children, this one felt at times like a cleverly organized convoluted mess. Nicknames, given names, assumed names, assumed identities all served to confuse me as I went through the book.
At the same time the way he connected Jodha/Akbar and their famous love story to renaissance Italy intrigued me and kept me reading. So--its a worth a try, but be warned its a challenge to get through.
At the same time the way he connected Jodha/Akbar and their famous love story to renaissance Italy intrigued me and kept me reading. So--its a worth a try, but be warned its a challenge to get through.
dangerouslyalice's review against another edition
3.0
I love Rushdie's prose, but this really isn't him at his best. I liked the frame story rather than the one at the center of the book, which unfortunately went on for at least 300 pages.
iniyan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.25