A review by frostatmidnite
The Golden House by Salman Rushdie

5.0

The Golden House is about a man, Nero Golden, and his three sons – Petya, Apu, and D. Men who just leave their home and lives in an unnamed city in a far away, unnamed country. Nero and his motherless sons sprout up in the New York of the rich on a historic day – on the day of Obama’s inauguration. Nero reigns over everything in his life including his children. Perhaps that is his way of taking care of his troubled children. Forty something Petya, his oldest, is afraid of open spaces, autistic but a genius nevertheless. Apu (again in his forties) is the most normal one, an artist who has the clearest insight into his father’s life. D, eighteen years younger than his half brothers and not comfortable with his existence as defined by conventional terms. Oh, and Nero golden marries again. The new Mrs Golden, a Russian gymnast, is our fifth golden in the story.

The story of the Goldens is about their past, present and their troubles. It also is about what went down in the past, which gave birth to a seventy something Nero Golden. The story is narrated by Rene, the Goldens’ neighbour and an aspiring film maker. And in the Goldens, Rene finds his muse. He observes them, becomes their confidant and in a way their victim as well. Will the past catch up with them, will there be repercussions... these are questions that form in the reader’s mind as they slowly read through. And what a pleasure it was to read.

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