Scan barcode
tara_pikachu's review
3.0
First Salman Rushdie book I read. Not as dense as his other books...light, smooth prose.
slichto3's review
4.0
The Ground Beneath Her Feet is a serious investment of attention and time. I started it by not really feeling that I would be into that. It's a methodical, meandering book, without a strong focus on plot. But damn, it really won me over! The feel and the world of the book got into my head, and it ended up being a compelling, enveloping, puzzling, thought-provoking, and altogether lovely story.
Because there's not a strong focus on plot, it's somewhat difficult to describe a lot of what happens in the book. It's told through the eyes of Rai Merchant. Rai grew up in Bombay, India (which because of this book I now know is called Mumbai!) with two close friends who ended up becoming gigantic rock stars: Vina Apsara and Ormus Cama. Rai tells the story starting from when they are children up until they're all into late middle age. Actually, the story kind of starts even before they are children, because it spends a lot of time diving in to the lives of the parents of our three main protagonists.
That's where I'd give a warning about this book: it meanders. You start off thinking: this is a story about rock stars! It's going to be a dramatic rise and fall of big celebrities! But then the book spends a long time talking about how Rai's parents met, how Rai's parents met Ormus's parents, how Rai first met Vina as a kid. And the book really does spend a lot of time on these other characters. So be prepared for the book to drift and seem to lack a bit of a focus.
At first, that haziness grated on me. By the end, though, I think it was absolutely beautiful and striking and more like real life than any other book I've read. Late in the book, when earlier elements of the story occur, I really felt that same sense of nostalgia and same echo of emotions that I've experienced when something in my own past pops up again. It's really extraordinary. And the meandering of the plot, upon reflection, feels so much like the meandering of the plots of real humans as well. Do you have a cohesive, straight-line narrative of your life? If you're being honest, of course not! We change course, we change focus, just like The Ground Beneath Her Feet.
Ok, maybe you're still not really sold, because it's not so attractive to know that a book doesn't have a classic flow of a story. But there are other standout qualities to the book as well. First, despite getting off track a bit, the focus of the book is almost always surprising and quirky. It feels fun going down the different rabbit holes of the various characters. And the author's writing reminds me of a gem - it is so multifaceted and shining and enjoyable to experience. I realize those aren't really descriptive words when you're describing writing, but, to me, the style felt unique - in a very good way. It bounces and has energy, it gets into history and drama while maintaining a sense of humor and flow. I wish I could learn how to write like Salman Rushdie.
To me, it did get dull at times. I got lost in certain passages, and there was a little bit too much diving into certain aspects or philosophizing/metaphorizing in others. And I do still find myself yearning for a more conventional rise of action / climax / fall of action structure to the book. Some of the references did lose me at times, too - it feels like a smart book that flew over my head at times.
On that topic, there's one thing I've been confused about when reading other reviews: why do people describe this as a retelling of the myth of Orpheus? I know that Orpheus/Eurydice are mentioned a bit, and that there are some parallels, but to me, this does not at all feel like that, and I think it is misleading for readers who haven't picked up the book yet. There's just so much more here - there's no way to boil it down to "modern Orpheus." That threw me when I started: I was expecting something more straightforward based on that description, then got stuck when I realized that we were going to see the whole history of parents before even getting to "the legend of Orpheus."
Another element to be ready for: the book starts out by feeling so grounded, but it does eventually start touching on the supernatural. I've now read two Rushdie books - the other is Midnight's Children - and they both do the same thing. We have real life and real places, and then there's supernatural powers or visions. It's cool, but it feels out of place and surprising. There's also not really a definitive conclusion about what anything means, or even about what exactly happened in certain cases. There are puzzles here.
I'd recommend The Ground Beneath Her Feet. You have to be along for the ride, but if you let yourself be taken by the current of the book, I think you'll ultimately enjoy it. And let me know if you figure out more how it connects to the story of Orpheus!
Because there's not a strong focus on plot, it's somewhat difficult to describe a lot of what happens in the book. It's told through the eyes of Rai Merchant. Rai grew up in Bombay, India (which because of this book I now know is called Mumbai!) with two close friends who ended up becoming gigantic rock stars: Vina Apsara and Ormus Cama. Rai tells the story starting from when they are children up until they're all into late middle age. Actually, the story kind of starts even before they are children, because it spends a lot of time diving in to the lives of the parents of our three main protagonists.
That's where I'd give a warning about this book: it meanders. You start off thinking: this is a story about rock stars! It's going to be a dramatic rise and fall of big celebrities! But then the book spends a long time talking about how Rai's parents met, how Rai's parents met Ormus's parents, how Rai first met Vina as a kid. And the book really does spend a lot of time on these other characters. So be prepared for the book to drift and seem to lack a bit of a focus.
At first, that haziness grated on me. By the end, though, I think it was absolutely beautiful and striking and more like real life than any other book I've read. Late in the book, when earlier elements of the story occur, I really felt that same sense of nostalgia and same echo of emotions that I've experienced when something in my own past pops up again. It's really extraordinary. And the meandering of the plot, upon reflection, feels so much like the meandering of the plots of real humans as well. Do you have a cohesive, straight-line narrative of your life? If you're being honest, of course not! We change course, we change focus, just like The Ground Beneath Her Feet.
Ok, maybe you're still not really sold, because it's not so attractive to know that a book doesn't have a classic flow of a story. But there are other standout qualities to the book as well. First, despite getting off track a bit, the focus of the book is almost always surprising and quirky. It feels fun going down the different rabbit holes of the various characters. And the author's writing reminds me of a gem - it is so multifaceted and shining and enjoyable to experience. I realize those aren't really descriptive words when you're describing writing, but, to me, the style felt unique - in a very good way. It bounces and has energy, it gets into history and drama while maintaining a sense of humor and flow. I wish I could learn how to write like Salman Rushdie.
To me, it did get dull at times. I got lost in certain passages, and there was a little bit too much diving into certain aspects or philosophizing/metaphorizing in others. And I do still find myself yearning for a more conventional rise of action / climax / fall of action structure to the book. Some of the references did lose me at times, too - it feels like a smart book that flew over my head at times.
On that topic, there's one thing I've been confused about when reading other reviews: why do people describe this as a retelling of the myth of Orpheus? I know that Orpheus/Eurydice are mentioned a bit, and that there are some parallels, but to me, this does not at all feel like that, and I think it is misleading for readers who haven't picked up the book yet. There's just so much more here - there's no way to boil it down to "modern Orpheus." That threw me when I started: I was expecting something more straightforward based on that description, then got stuck when I realized that we were going to see the whole history of parents before even getting to "the legend of Orpheus."
Another element to be ready for: the book starts out by feeling so grounded, but it does eventually start touching on the supernatural. I've now read two Rushdie books - the other is Midnight's Children - and they both do the same thing. We have real life and real places, and then there's supernatural powers or visions. It's cool, but it feels out of place and surprising. There's also not really a definitive conclusion about what anything means, or even about what exactly happened in certain cases. There are puzzles here.
I'd recommend The Ground Beneath Her Feet. You have to be along for the ride, but if you let yourself be taken by the current of the book, I think you'll ultimately enjoy it. And let me know if you figure out more how it connects to the story of Orpheus!
eskimonika's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bokorjudit's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
clemmyrose's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
hank's review
4.0
Our world is apparently the imaginary one, Greek myths, India as always and the girl/woman who everyone wants to be or be with.
Lets get the Greek myths out of the way first, I see the parts and how Rushdie wanted them bring the Ormus and Vina love affair into a higher realm but it felt like a minor piece. Vina and Ormus' relationship was always set apart by their actions both chaste and promiscuous. I think Rushdie came up with the mythology part just to name the final farewell tour the Underworld Tour.
In all of Rushdie's novels (ok the only two I have read) everything starts with India. There is a sense of roots and belonging along with loss and change. Rushdie, through his writing, struggles with the massive changes India has gone through since the 40's. Most of it good, some of it bad but like all of us he has a fondness for what was and what was familiar. The characters in The Ground Beneath Her Feet go through the same pain. Bombay is a familiar home yet with so many changes it drives most of them out.
Vina is a woman who floats through the world with man like privileges. Rushdie published this in 2000 so the me too era had certainly not taken root, but Vina feels like a woman who has been granted all of the advantages men get just by being men. She reacts to her early childhood abuse with physical abuse of her abusers and comes out better for it, she sleeps with whoever she wants with impunity, she has two long term lovers who simply just deal with the situation. Rai in fact points this out late in the novel when he compares himself to the mistress that never gets as much as she wants from her man and Ormus to the tolerant wife who looks past her husband's indiscretions.
Finally we have the imaginary world part, which is where I got the most satisfaction from the novel. According to the characters our (yours and mine) world is imaginary, only realized by Ormus and very late Rai. Many of the events in TGBHF are fiction yet based on possible events in our world. There was one visitor/lover that continually materialized from ours to visit Ormus. My theory throughout the book was that Vina herself was a visitor from our world but didn't know it. She was there to show Rushdie's world the beauty and power that could exist. Rushdie used his imaginary alternate world to make several commentaries about fractured states, the value of music and art and the ground always shifting away from us.
His pop culture references from Star Trek, to Steven Segal were always well done, flavors to the story not pretentious name dropping. It can be hard to keep up with all that he is saying but if you just take what you notice it can be very satisfying. I enjoyed this much more than Midnight's Children and will probably seek out another Rushdie book before too long.
Lets get the Greek myths out of the way first, I see the parts and how Rushdie wanted them bring the Ormus and Vina love affair into a higher realm but it felt like a minor piece. Vina and Ormus' relationship was always set apart by their actions both chaste and promiscuous. I think Rushdie came up with the mythology part just to name the final farewell tour the Underworld Tour.
In all of Rushdie's novels (ok the only two I have read) everything starts with India. There is a sense of roots and belonging along with loss and change. Rushdie, through his writing, struggles with the massive changes India has gone through since the 40's. Most of it good, some of it bad but like all of us he has a fondness for what was and what was familiar. The characters in The Ground Beneath Her Feet go through the same pain. Bombay is a familiar home yet with so many changes it drives most of them out.
Vina is a woman who floats through the world with man like privileges. Rushdie published this in 2000 so the me too era had certainly not taken root, but Vina feels like a woman who has been granted all of the advantages men get just by being men. She reacts to her early childhood abuse with physical abuse of her abusers and comes out better for it, she sleeps with whoever she wants with impunity, she has two long term lovers who simply just deal with the situation. Rai in fact points this out late in the novel when he compares himself to the mistress that never gets as much as she wants from her man and Ormus to the tolerant wife who looks past her husband's indiscretions.
Finally we have the imaginary world part, which is where I got the most satisfaction from the novel. According to the characters our (yours and mine) world is imaginary, only realized by Ormus and very late Rai. Many of the events in TGBHF are fiction yet based on possible events in our world. There was one visitor/lover that continually materialized from ours to visit Ormus. My theory throughout the book was that Vina herself was a visitor from our world but didn't know it. She was there to show Rushdie's world the beauty and power that could exist. Rushdie used his imaginary alternate world to make several commentaries about fractured states, the value of music and art and the ground always shifting away from us.
His pop culture references from Star Trek, to Steven Segal were always well done, flavors to the story not pretentious name dropping. It can be hard to keep up with all that he is saying but if you just take what you notice it can be very satisfying. I enjoyed this much more than Midnight's Children and will probably seek out another Rushdie book before too long.
sfstagewalker's review
2.0
I've been wanting to read some of Rushdie's work for a very long time, but just never got around to it. I'm not even entirely sure how this used copy got on my shelves, but I was pleased to finally dig into it.
Unfortunately, I found it ... well ... boring. I find that I have little patience for overly florid prose, and Rushdie is clearly a big fan of long, discursive lists and clever turns of phrase. I found myself skimming paragraphs, and then forcing myself to go back to see if I had missed anything (which I hadn't).
I'll probably try Rushdie again, but this book isn't for me, I think. Other reviews here indicate that the part of the book that I got through (the first third) was the good part, and that the book only goes downhill from there... and I didn't like the "good" part. The sad thing is that this is the second novel in a row that I've picked up from my "to read" pile that I've been so disenchanted by that I've left them unfinished.
Unfortunately, I found it ... well ... boring. I find that I have little patience for overly florid prose, and Rushdie is clearly a big fan of long, discursive lists and clever turns of phrase. I found myself skimming paragraphs, and then forcing myself to go back to see if I had missed anything (which I hadn't).
I'll probably try Rushdie again, but this book isn't for me, I think. Other reviews here indicate that the part of the book that I got through (the first third) was the good part, and that the book only goes downhill from there... and I didn't like the "good" part. The sad thing is that this is the second novel in a row that I've picked up from my "to read" pile that I've been so disenchanted by that I've left them unfinished.
mldias's review against another edition
5.0
This was my third foray into Salman Rushdie (the first two being "The Satanic Verses" and "The Enchantress of Florence"). What made this reading experience so pleasurable, beyond the exquisite and sometimes raw prose, was being familiar enough with Rushdie's work now to recognize a few universal themes. Perhaps most notable are the following three:
1) Estrangement from India. India itself is alternately protagonist and antagonistic, sometimes driving away the main characters, but also sometimes reeling them back in. Wherever they flee, she is a reality they will never escape. In this novel, Rushdie examines in some depth the concept of detachment from the East (i.e., "disorientation").
2) The "goddess vs. property" conceptualization of women (p. 486). In Rushdie's novels, particularly this one, women harness remarkable power. Reminiscent of Kawabata's "The House of Sleeping Beauties", the woman becomes "an empty receptacle, an arena of discourse, and we can invent her in our own image, as once we invented god" (p. 485). The male characters pour their entire selves into women like Vina or the Florentine enchantress, women whom they idolize. In this case, Vina becomes that "empty receptacle" for Ormus' and Rai's hopes, failures, desires, passions, expectations, shortcomings, disappointments, neuroses, etc., just as the sleeping beauties do for the old men in Kawabata's story. In fact, it is not just Ormus and Rai who use Vina this way--the entire world, captivated by her singing and atypical candor in the press, makes Vina its "empty receptacle". Even in death, she continues to function as the tabula rasa for various therapists, religious gurus, theorists, philosophers, and pundits--all of whom seek both to derive greater meaning and profit from her untimely death.
3) Doubles, twins, doppelgangers, and mirror images. The end chapters of this book are densely populated with Vina lookalikes and impostors. Ormus is haunted by his dead twin brother, Gayomart, who offers him visions of songs yet to be written and glimpses into alternate realities that torment him to no end, ultimately driving him mad. Mirror imagery throughout the story reinforces these dualistic themes.
Ultimately, this is the story of a very flawed, human love, something the narrative tells us explicitly. Ormus and Vina hurt many people throughout the course of their stormy on-again-off-again courtship--perhaps themselves most of all. Rai is the only character who escapes the destructive triangle, emerging not only with life and limb, but with a tamer, more humane version of Vina (Mira Celano). He achieves happiness with Mira that he could not with Vina--while Vina shunned the notions of fidelity and marriage, Mira craves them. And, perhaps most importantly, he does not have to share her body and soul with Ormus Cama.
1) Estrangement from India. India itself is alternately protagonist and antagonistic, sometimes driving away the main characters, but also sometimes reeling them back in. Wherever they flee, she is a reality they will never escape. In this novel, Rushdie examines in some depth the concept of detachment from the East (i.e., "disorientation").
2) The "goddess vs. property" conceptualization of women (p. 486). In Rushdie's novels, particularly this one, women harness remarkable power. Reminiscent of Kawabata's "The House of Sleeping Beauties", the woman becomes "an empty receptacle, an arena of discourse, and we can invent her in our own image, as once we invented god" (p. 485). The male characters pour their entire selves into women like Vina or the Florentine enchantress, women whom they idolize. In this case, Vina becomes that "empty receptacle" for Ormus' and Rai's hopes, failures, desires, passions, expectations, shortcomings, disappointments, neuroses, etc., just as the sleeping beauties do for the old men in Kawabata's story. In fact, it is not just Ormus and Rai who use Vina this way--the entire world, captivated by her singing and atypical candor in the press, makes Vina its "empty receptacle". Even in death, she continues to function as the tabula rasa for various therapists, religious gurus, theorists, philosophers, and pundits--all of whom seek both to derive greater meaning and profit from her untimely death.
3) Doubles, twins, doppelgangers, and mirror images. The end chapters of this book are densely populated with Vina lookalikes and impostors. Ormus is haunted by his dead twin brother, Gayomart, who offers him visions of songs yet to be written and glimpses into alternate realities that torment him to no end, ultimately driving him mad. Mirror imagery throughout the story reinforces these dualistic themes.
Ultimately, this is the story of a very flawed, human love, something the narrative tells us explicitly. Ormus and Vina hurt many people throughout the course of their stormy on-again-off-again courtship--perhaps themselves most of all. Rai is the only character who escapes the destructive triangle, emerging not only with life and limb, but with a tamer, more humane version of Vina (Mira Celano). He achieves happiness with Mira that he could not with Vina--while Vina shunned the notions of fidelity and marriage, Mira craves them. And, perhaps most importantly, he does not have to share her body and soul with Ormus Cama.
colorfulleo92's review
1.0
I usually like Salman Rushdies books but I just couldn't get invested into the story, nothing held my attention, just wanted it to be over