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notthatcosta's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I kinda went all over the place with this one - I was dreading starting it because it's so damn long (the longest book I've read, in fact) and to be honest I remain unconvinced that this book (or any book for that matter) has any right being over 600 pages.
I tend to struggle with first person narration at the best of times, but when it's this indulgent, tangiential and scattered as this it became a slog to try and follow the plot. With a story as expansive, there were also a lot of characters (many having multiple names) which also made it hard to know which threads to pay attention to. Even our narrator often switched how he referred to himself...
While I would say Gabriel García Márquez's 100 Years of Solitude is a far better execution of a similar story (and even provided a graphic to help you follow the family tree), I really enjoyed book 2 because of its focus on the family and its dysfunction, which is always a winner for me in a novel. When it was meandering preamble about ancestors who you don't get much time with or our antihero being kind of awful, I was less invested.
On the positive side, it has a great premise and most of the plot is pretty riveting despite the execution being spotty. I can see why it's so beloved, because it's a remarkable work of fiction despite my critiques.
I tend to struggle with first person narration at the best of times, but when it's this indulgent, tangiential and scattered as this it became a slog to try and follow the plot. With a story as expansive, there were also a lot of characters (many having multiple names) which also made it hard to know which threads to pay attention to. Even our narrator often switched how he referred to himself...
While I would say Gabriel García Márquez's 100 Years of Solitude is a far better execution of a similar story (and even provided a graphic to help you follow the family tree), I really enjoyed book 2 because of its focus on the family and its dysfunction, which is always a winner for me in a novel. When it was meandering preamble about ancestors who you don't get much time with or our antihero being kind of awful, I was less invested.
On the positive side, it has a great premise and most of the plot is pretty riveting despite the execution being spotty. I can see why it's so beloved, because it's a remarkable work of fiction despite my critiques.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Murder, Animal cruelty, Religious bigotry, Classism, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Incest, Islamophobia, Physical abuse, Body horror, Pregnancy, Racism, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
goldripred's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Surprisingly good as everything wraps up at the end. I find this a characteristic charm of Rushdie where you find yourself longing for the end where he ties up all the characters, all of the disparate ends of history into an arc you can trace. I really enjoyed parts of this novel and found it informative in understanding the history. It had significant gravitas towards some of the most heart-breaking segments such as the Bangladeshi genocide. I felt exhausted and appalled after reading that segment which was the purpose of narrating that storyline. It was a book that aimed to explain ALL of India’s history 30 years after independence even through the tracks of Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was hopeful towards the beginning and slowly lost its optimism until the reader feels the legacy of being an Indian as Rushdie describes it: constantly trampled under the weight of history. Overall, an enlightening experience. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Torture, War, and Rape
cazastrophe's review against another edition
2.0
It felt like it went on forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Kidnapping, Violence, War, Racial slurs, Self harm, Pregnancy, and Police brutality
coinmanatee's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Somewhere in these 600+ pages is a good book. Unfortunately its covered in the rest of it.
Saleem is thoroughly unlikable as a narrator. Half the time I was disgusted with him, and the other half I was rolling my eyes at his sheer egotistical garbage.
The foreshadowing is overwrought and the book refuses to let you work things out for yourself. It must point things out and go "look!!!" "See!! I'm being clever!" Some of its unfortunately necessary because the book is just so terribly long but most of the time it's just annoying.
None of the women are allowed to not be either a sexual object and/or a mother.
Theres a preoccupation with genitalia that I really could have done without too.
When the prose is beautiful it's beautiful, but most of the time it just isnt worth it.
Saleem is thoroughly unlikable as a narrator. Half the time I was disgusted with him, and the other half I was rolling my eyes at his sheer egotistical garbage.
The foreshadowing is overwrought and the book refuses to let you work things out for yourself. It must point things out and go "look!!!" "See!! I'm being clever!" Some of its unfortunately necessary because the book is just so terribly long but most of the time it's just annoying.
None of the women are allowed to not be either a sexual object and/or a mother.
Theres a preoccupation with genitalia that I really could have done without too.
When the prose is beautiful it's beautiful, but most of the time it just isnt worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Pedophilia
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