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jalaldous 's review for:
Midnight's Children
by Salman Rushdie
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I find it hard to review a classic because they're classics for a reason. Who am I gonna turn round and go you know what, 3 stars?
I really enjoyed this book. Took me forever to read but that wasn't the books fault so much as travelling when I was reading it. I loved reading the book having been to India. Rushdie paints such a vivid picture of the country but having been there gave it that extra dimension. When you're familiar with the energy of a place it allows you to picture it so mich better. I was very excited by the locations I'd been to: Red Fort in Delhi- check. Train from Varanasi to Delhi- check (though not clinging to the outside thank god), Agra- check. Makes me want to go to Mumbai now!
Rushdie used magical realism to perfection in this book. So perfect to capture the essence of India. There is so much gorgeous symbolism in this book, both on the nose and subtle. Far too much to list but the two most striking examples for me were the people getting shut out of the trains just as people were being shut out of the country. Then also the image of the red and black ants fighting over the body of a cockroach, like the Indians and Pakistanis were fighting over the ruins of Bangladesh.
For such a massive cast of characters I was impressed that they were all so interesting and complex. Some I loved, some I hated. Young Jamila(Brass Monkey) was an icon. I was a bit gob smacked when Rushdie kills of pretty much Saleem's entire family at the end of book 2. All these characters we've grown to care about (or hate), just gone. Brutal.
I would compare this book to The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida both because of magical realism in South Asian countries but also in how profound they could be. I learnt so much about Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi history from this book, in the way Seven Moons taught me about Sri Lankan history. Midnight's Children wasn't quite as dark as Seven Moons but god did it have it's moments. Especially the (then) West Pakistani attack on (then) East Pakistan. Absolutely devastating to read and I was horrified I'd literally never heard if it before.
I will say for all that I loved in this book, I really, really could not stand Saleem. I wasn't sure to what extent we're supposed to be disgusted by him and to what extend he's supposed to be sympathetic. I certainly think you're meant to be disgusted byhis creepy little incestuous crush . But even before then his tone is always so self important and self pitying. Think "mad aunt Sonia" puts it best: "Saleem, is it? Yes, I remember you. Nasty little brat you were. Always thought you were growing up to be God or what."
I can't get past his bare faced hypocrisy and misogyny. Over and over he blames the women in his life for wronging him. The thing that really turned me against him washis revenge on his mum for her secret meetings with her ex, like his dad wasn't mucking about with his secretaries infront of everyone . Once you notice his misogyny it's hard to stop noticing it. The absolute worst was when he talks about Jamila's "vengeful abandonment" of him, oh please. Have some fucking self awareness. Also naming his son Jarnila , really? Saleem has ISSUES.
He is so self centred. I know he is special but there's a time and a place. He witnesses some of the worst atrocities humans are capable of, on a mass scale, and is crying for how unfair his life is, cos he's been rejected by women. Bro. I wrote down lots of examples of his misogyny in an angry rant but no one wants to read that and I did really enjoy the book so don't want to dwell too much.
I really enjoyed this book. Took me forever to read but that wasn't the books fault so much as travelling when I was reading it. I loved reading the book having been to India. Rushdie paints such a vivid picture of the country but having been there gave it that extra dimension. When you're familiar with the energy of a place it allows you to picture it so mich better. I was very excited by the locations I'd been to: Red Fort in Delhi- check. Train from Varanasi to Delhi- check (though not clinging to the outside thank god), Agra- check. Makes me want to go to Mumbai now!
Rushdie used magical realism to perfection in this book. So perfect to capture the essence of India. There is so much gorgeous symbolism in this book, both on the nose and subtle. Far too much to list but the two most striking examples for me were the people getting shut out of the trains just as people were being shut out of the country. Then also the image of the red and black ants fighting over the body of a cockroach, like the Indians and Pakistanis were fighting over the ruins of Bangladesh.
For such a massive cast of characters I was impressed that they were all so interesting and complex. Some I loved, some I hated. Young Jamila
I would compare this book to The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida both because of magical realism in South Asian countries but also in how profound they could be. I learnt so much about Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi history from this book, in the way Seven Moons taught me about Sri Lankan history. Midnight's Children wasn't quite as dark as Seven Moons but god did it have it's moments. Especially the (then) West Pakistani attack on (then) East Pakistan. Absolutely devastating to read and I was horrified I'd literally never heard if it before.
I will say for all that I loved in this book, I really, really could not stand Saleem. I wasn't sure to what extent we're supposed to be disgusted by him and to what extend he's supposed to be sympathetic. I certainly think you're meant to be disgusted by
I can't get past his bare faced hypocrisy and misogyny. Over and over he blames the women in his life for wronging him. The thing that really turned me against him was
He is so self centred. I know he is special but there's a time and a place. He witnesses some of the worst atrocities humans are capable of, on a mass scale, and is crying for how unfair his life is, cos he's been rejected by women. Bro. I wrote down lots of examples of his misogyny in an angry rant but no one wants to read that and I did really enjoy the book so don't want to dwell too much.