DID NOT FINISH: 44%

Someone recommended this book to me as good first Rushdie, but maybe I should've just gone with the popular options. 
I really liked the writing, so I'll certainly read more from him, but the book just had a lot of aspects that don't work for me. I wasn't aware this involves real life philosophers and I'm not big on alternate history, for example. The story is very fairy-tale/mythic like, with the usual character distance this brings with it, which I can like, but is also not my favorite thing. But mostly, I just reached 44% and the plot wasn't progressing, which I can be okay with if there is stronger character presence, but alas.