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nathaliaborghi's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
deea_bks's review against another edition
3.0
This is an average book: some of the stories are boring, but to the subject, others are written in an interesting way, but they lack something...I couldn't put my finger on this "something" and identify it. I expected this volume to be something else, but it wasn't. In fact, I think that the intention of the author was to create 3 kinds of stories: the ones specific to the East, the ones specific to the West and the ones specific to the Indians that are living abroad, but miss their customs and country. He managed to write some boring stories about the East, some far-fetched ones about the West...and only the ones from the third cathegory are a bit better.
I liked "At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers" and "The Harmony of the Spheres", but I found the others to lack the literary genius that Rushdie has proved to have in his books I have read before.
I liked "At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers" and "The Harmony of the Spheres", but I found the others to lack the literary genius that Rushdie has proved to have in his books I have read before.
par2021's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
sullivanc's review against another edition
3.0
I only read one of the stories ("Good Advice is Rarer Than Rubies") in this collection, but I'm adding it to my 2020 reading challenge anyway because it's something I've read, LOL.
kareimer's review against another edition
3.0
Given to me by a good friend or else I doubt I would have picked it up as I'm not usually into short stories. I was impressed with how quickly Rushdie brought readers into the settings. His characters were well developed and interesting also. My critique is the usual with short stories. I feel like not enough space to really expand on characters and settle into the story before it's done. I found some of the metaphors and language a little tough to grasp after one read.
aneides's review
3.0
Enjoyed "East", not so much "West" (too... conceptual?), mixed opinions of "East, West".
ksilvery's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The first East was great, the West was weird, the second East was weirder lol
maybe I just don't know how to read short stories
maybe I just don't know how to read short stories
avicosmos's review against another edition
4.0
There's a growing complexity in this collection. Divided into three parts with three stories in each part. The 'East' section serves the simple stories of Indian life tinged with some fantastical elements here and there. The 'West' section offers stories of westerly grandeur, plunging into history and conjuring up a stories from there. Here magical realism, his signature, comes into play. There's an adjustment period that is needed, coming off of the simplicity of Indian stories, but the reader gets acquainted soon enough. The prose has a flow to it that makes it easy to read; like the stories are tightly stitched. Then the final section: 'East, West' blends people from East and the people from West and so through this diversity, the stories have more grandeur than ever. The meaning being that the marriage of these worlds will make wonders. This is a very tight and precise story collection.