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A review by branch_c
Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie
2.0
I had yet to try something by Rushdie and this one sounded interesting so I gave it a shot. Well, I don't suppose this will be a popular opinion... I've read worse, but I'm glad I got it from the library.
Okay, so it's literary fiction. Does that mean that as long as your writing is oh so erudite, filled with clever puns and knowing references to varied literature and pop culture, then the actual content can just be whatever meandering musings that come to mind? Because that's how this reads.
I think one problem I see with postmodern writing like this is that it's impossible to have any kind of suspension of disbelief. With the author constantly winking at the reader, reminding us how smart we are to have picked up on that allusion, it's quite clear at all times just how artificial this absurd world is.
My recommendation for readers looking for a fantastical story involving jinnis and magical forces in conflict down through human history, try Wecker's The Golem and the Jinni. That book takes the concept and immerses you in a world where you can easily imagine such things happening, whereas this one refuses to take seriously that there's an interesting story to be told.
I should also mention that I absolutely applaud Rushdie for his defiance of Islam. That's a job that needs to be done, and to that end if nothing else, I'm glad his books have a supportive audience, even if I personally am unlikely to track down and read more of his work.
Okay, so it's literary fiction. Does that mean that as long as your writing is oh so erudite, filled with clever puns and knowing references to varied literature and pop culture, then the actual content can just be whatever meandering musings that come to mind? Because that's how this reads.
I think one problem I see with postmodern writing like this is that it's impossible to have any kind of suspension of disbelief. With the author constantly winking at the reader, reminding us how smart we are to have picked up on that allusion, it's quite clear at all times just how artificial this absurd world is.
My recommendation for readers looking for a fantastical story involving jinnis and magical forces in conflict down through human history, try Wecker's The Golem and the Jinni. That book takes the concept and immerses you in a world where you can easily imagine such things happening, whereas this one refuses to take seriously that there's an interesting story to be told.
I should also mention that I absolutely applaud Rushdie for his defiance of Islam. That's a job that needs to be done, and to that end if nothing else, I'm glad his books have a supportive audience, even if I personally am unlikely to track down and read more of his work.