kayode's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
skylar2's review against another edition
3.0
The writing in this book is brilliant, but it can be slow going in some parts and none of the characters are particularly likable. It took me a while to get through it; some days I could breeze through a hundred pages without noticing it, other days I could make 10 pages before I became exhausted.
henryorhank's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
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
3.75
harrydichmont's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing book - funny, amazing writing, intriguing, shocking, magical, epic. Basically a cross between a Hundred Years of Solitude and Forrest Gump
dllh's review against another edition
3.0
When I started the book, I almost immediately thought "Oh, it's Tristram Shandy in 20th-century India," and then I remembered what a labor Sterne's book had been to get through. Still, I read the first 100 or so pages of Midnight's Children with delight. Nearly 600 pages of it proved a bit much for me, though, and though I was glad to read more about the history, and though any given shorter stretch of the book was pleasant to read, the whole big thing was a bit of a labor for me. It's a good, important book, but the return on investment for me wasn't as big as I like for a book of this size.
sarapalooza's review against another edition
5.0
Midnight’s Children
Salman Rushdie
I purchased this book about five years ago, but only got a third of the way into it because a) life and b) dang it’s a rewarding... but challenging read!
Finally, this month, I started over from the beginning and WOW was I impressed! Rushdie’s writing in this novel is incredible. It calls to mind “One Hundred Years of Solitude” in grandeur and scope, but it is very different of course in theme and character.
A story of country, family, pickles, noses, magic, history, mythology, and 1001 other things. Such brilliant use of language, wow! It’s lovely to see English used in such a descriptive, emotional, creative way.
Definitely recommend, although with the caveat that the reader needs to be in a certain place to fully experience it. I was not ready five years ago, but so enjoyed it now.
Salman Rushdie
I purchased this book about five years ago, but only got a third of the way into it because a) life and b) dang it’s a rewarding... but challenging read!
Finally, this month, I started over from the beginning and WOW was I impressed! Rushdie’s writing in this novel is incredible. It calls to mind “One Hundred Years of Solitude” in grandeur and scope, but it is very different of course in theme and character.
A story of country, family, pickles, noses, magic, history, mythology, and 1001 other things. Such brilliant use of language, wow! It’s lovely to see English used in such a descriptive, emotional, creative way.
Definitely recommend, although with the caveat that the reader needs to be in a certain place to fully experience it. I was not ready five years ago, but so enjoyed it now.
hannahlegerton's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
jmckendry's review against another edition
I don't think I could've listened to more of this book without bashing my head against a wall. I'm 43% done and I'm SO BORED. Salman Rushdie's writing is beautiful, don't get me wrong. He just focuses on so many details that feel unnecessary to me, and he drags the story out so long. I didn't need to know about the main character's "nose juice" all the time. This book could have been so much shorter. It started off interesting, but for the first quarter of the book the main character hadn't even been born yet. And even though I often enjoy a long, detailed backstory, I like it to be revealed throughout the course of the novel, not all at once without the main character there.
To be fair, it could have turned around and been very interesting in the second half, but I didn't stick around to find out. I rarely do not finish books, but this was just too much for me. The entire time, I was hoping the author would just get on with it.
I've seen other people's raving reviews of this work, and I REALLY WANTED to enjoy this. Even after I realized I wasn't enjoying it, I really wanted to finish it. So many people have said to have patience with this work, and maybe one day I'll have enough to give this book another shot. Until then, sorry Rushdie. Not a fan.
To be fair, it could have turned around and been very interesting in the second half, but I didn't stick around to find out. I rarely do not finish books, but this was just too much for me. The entire time, I was hoping the author would just get on with it.
I've seen other people's raving reviews of this work, and I REALLY WANTED to enjoy this. Even after I realized I wasn't enjoying it, I really wanted to finish it. So many people have said to have patience with this work, and maybe one day I'll have enough to give this book another shot. Until then, sorry Rushdie. Not a fan.
lizawood's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5