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steveatwaywords's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-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
4.75
Those familiar with and fond of Rushdie's elliptical storytelling will only find this work an enormous pay-off. The events of narrator Saleem's life--magical or no--mythical or no--sprawl across this book in peculiarly narrow (a childhood painting) and grand (political rebellions) lines, and yet these cohere only through the compulsion of our bizarre narrator's juxtaposition, and on their own form no truly satisfying "story."
And yet somehow (as Rushdie always seems to), in the connotations of each event, in the constructions of their relations, pre-birth to post-adventure escapades become the incarnation of Rushdie's India, not quite paralleling history personal to politic but drawing lines between attitudes, motivations, and therefore significances.
I completed the novel not understanding all of the tricks Rushdie pulls (perhaps like Picture Singh's snake charming in the magician's ghett0), but realizing that he is always in command of the charming.
And yet somehow (as Rushdie always seems to), in the connotations of each event, in the constructions of their relations, pre-birth to post-adventure escapades become the incarnation of Rushdie's India, not quite paralleling history personal to politic but drawing lines between attitudes, motivations, and therefore significances.
I completed the novel not understanding all of the tricks Rushdie pulls (perhaps like Picture Singh's snake charming in the magician's ghett0), but realizing that he is always in command of the charming.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Violence
starvidushi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
vibartolomei's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, and War