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marystevens's review
2.0
Too much of a head game, not convincing as stories, doesn't add to my understanding of the human experience.
fransjevo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? No
3.0
mashedpotatoandsaladcream's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
juliette_b's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
sarahpisa's review
2.0
Let's start by saying that short stories are not my cup of tea. It took me more than a year to finish this book. I can still remember the first three stories vividly and joyfully, but all the others... even the one I just finished 5 minutes ago, were utterly insipid. I couldn't even tell you what they were about... people?
krisz's review against another edition
3.0
A kötet harmadik részét szokás a legértékesebbnek tekinteni, és míg ezek valóban jó novellák, addig nekem az első blokk darabjai tetszettek igazán, különösen Az ingyenrádió. A Rubinnál ritkább a jó tanács volt a második kedvencem – ha Bodor Ádám Indiába született volna, szerintem ezt ő írta volna meg.
apurvanagpal's review against another edition
3.0
3.5⭐️
A short story collection by Salman Rushdie and you expect nothing short of an eclectic mix of cultures.
The book is divided into three parts - East, West and East West; each section rich in its respective narrative with a wonderful twist.
In the first section East, the stories reflect the Indian life, be it playing with characters and their traits or the outcomes of a political event.
West was a blend of stories with multiple references ranging from Hamlet’s retelling from Yorick’s POV to an absurd account of Christopher Columbus as an immigrant.
And East West was a glorious amalgamation of the two, bringing out the best and the worse of both.
I had one standout story from each section and absolutely loved how Rushdie mixed his magical realism moments with the narrative, sometimes introducing them with a subtle touch or just glorifying them because, why not!
My favourites from the collection were The Courter and The Free Radio. But like any other story collection, I found a couple hard to understand or get into
A short story collection by Salman Rushdie and you expect nothing short of an eclectic mix of cultures.
The book is divided into three parts - East, West and East West; each section rich in its respective narrative with a wonderful twist.
In the first section East, the stories reflect the Indian life, be it playing with characters and their traits or the outcomes of a political event.
West was a blend of stories with multiple references ranging from Hamlet’s retelling from Yorick’s POV to an absurd account of Christopher Columbus as an immigrant.
And East West was a glorious amalgamation of the two, bringing out the best and the worse of both.
I had one standout story from each section and absolutely loved how Rushdie mixed his magical realism moments with the narrative, sometimes introducing them with a subtle touch or just glorifying them because, why not!
My favourites from the collection were The Courter and The Free Radio. But like any other story collection, I found a couple hard to understand or get into
swhuber's review against another edition
3.0
This was my first time ever reading anything by Salman Rushdie. It was a collection of nine stories focussing on the East, the West, and bridging the gap between the two. The first three stories covering the East were set in India and offered more "slice of life" accounts with slight amounts of magical realism in "The Prophet's Hair". The West section of stories offered more post-modern readings that were thematically based instead of plot and character driven. To an extent, some of these stories felt overworked and disconnected while portraying the West and colonialism as corrupt and materialistic.
The final section "East, West" provided the most complex stories with the most complex characters who wrestled with their identity as both Indian and a British citizen. Rushdie turns the common ideas of Orientalism on its head in the story "Harmony of Spheres" when he juxtaposes an Indian man with British manners to a schizophrenic Welsh man who practices occultism and the magic normally associated with the East.
It was a fully interesting read, but I feel that Rushdie's work was more compelling when he was writing simple, slice of life accounts.
The final section "East, West" provided the most complex stories with the most complex characters who wrestled with their identity as both Indian and a British citizen. Rushdie turns the common ideas of Orientalism on its head in the story "Harmony of Spheres" when he juxtaposes an Indian man with British manners to a schizophrenic Welsh man who practices occultism and the magic normally associated with the East.
It was a fully interesting read, but I feel that Rushdie's work was more compelling when he was writing simple, slice of life accounts.
analyticali's review
3.0
While I normally think of Rushdie as writing really vivid settings, these were much more situational. I could have skipped most of the "West" section (aside from the Columbus story), but East and East West were well-crafted and thought-provoking.
sarahatheart's review
2.0
While it's well-written and I understand the overall premise, I didn't feel like all the stories together made a cohesive whole. Some of the more allegorical tales were just too odd for me. Not my cup of tea.