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deeb_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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
3.5
A man who sets out to make himself up is taking on the Creator's role, according to one way of seeing things; he's unnatural, a blasphemer, an abomination of abominations. From another angle, you could see pathos in him, heroism in his struggle, in his willingness to risk: not all mutants survive. Or, consider him sociopolitically: most migrants learn, and can become disguises. (49)
The Satanic Verses is about a lot of things: migration, the social and psychological effects that come with it, love, politics, and religion. Rushdie is a lyrical and at times darkly humorous writer, and he tackles the complex themes of the book with cleverness and empathy. The book features an entire ensemble cast of complex characters whose lives and stories intersect in an increasingly tangled web. And that's not even to mention the dream sequences that weave in and out of the main storyline.
The main London storyline (of Saladin, Gibreel, and their associated friends and acquaintances) was the most interesting to me. While a nonlinear story structure can be confusing in other works, I found it to be well done and helpful in fleshing out the characters. I was less fond of the nonlinear storytelling when it came to the dream sequences, which sometimes seemed to pop up without super clear parallels or relevance to the main storyline. Even relatively minor characters feel fleshed out and even their most absurd decisions natural and in character. Also, the themes I personally found the most interesting (love, migration, assimilation, politics) featured the most prominently in this storyline.
I did not find the other storylines as interesting, perhaps because they were more religiously themed I am personally not well acquainted with Islamic history and religious beliefs. They were still well written, but I preferred the main storyline and found it a little easier to understand than the more fantastical elements of the other dream sequence stories.
I also really enjoyed the magical realist aspects of the novel. The fantasy elements don't take away from how grounded the story is and actually serve to emphasize the characters' struggles and conflicts. Additionally, the magical elements are not always clear allegories for things, making the story feel more complex and up to the reader's interpretation. And perhaps not all of the fantastical choices have to be symbolic-- sometimes they may just be whimsical or unsettling, and that's totally fine.
Despite the great literary quality of the book, I didn't rate it higher because I personally didn't find it as gripping or entertaining as other things I've read of similar thematic richness and writing quality. It felt a bit like a book I would enjoy reading for school and would make a strong source text for an essay, but pacing wise it seemed to drag and meander a bit. There would be times where sticking with the book felt a little like a chore because of its length and slower pacing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
needlebrook's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The book only clicked for me about 200 pages in- which took me the first 28 days of July. the opening of the book is confusingly strange and I struggled to understand the scenes.
But after the 28 days, I finished the whole book in 2 days. I enjoyed the three main plot lines unraveling with gibreel farishta at the center, eventually driving him insane. The stuff that occurs are batshit insane- and I understand how this might not be everyone's cup of coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book after I really got into the groove.
But after the 28 days, I finished the whole book in 2 days. I enjoyed the three main plot lines unraveling with gibreel farishta at the center, eventually driving him insane. The stuff that occurs are batshit insane- and I understand how this might not be everyone's cup of coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book after I really got into the groove.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Islamophobia
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Sexism, Violence, and Police brutality
pavonini's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Deportation
Minor: Suicide
greenrequiem's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content
kimschouwenaar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
holy crap, this was wild — an absolute “roller coaster ride” of a book (thank you angela carter).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
steveatwaywords's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-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
4.25
Grateful to have finally made the time to read this infamous work.
Like so much of Rushdie's writing, Satanic Verses moves so quickly and ambiguously between its symbols, motifs, and semi-dream states of magical realism, that one has barely an opportunity to take a breath, let alone pause to reflect upon all the connections made.
Most of these connections are themselves left as more complex questions, of course. Anyone hoping to have a neat and tidy closure to any of the multiple storylines will be disappointed. Instead, we are left with questions of faith and believability, of immigrant identity, of the supernatural, of madness both personal and societal. We are not a clean or easy-to-solve people; our histories and complexes of meaning-making crowd together into mashes of chaos and regret. We are not angels or devils, entirely, but people making our choices and haphazardly meeting our consequences.
The controversy roused by this book is obvious enough from its content: it is something the book itself addresses and anticipates. But at the same time, those who might condemn the work wholly or simply likely fail to see the larger mash-ups of human experience I just mentioned.
Enter the water as so many for centuries have before you and will afterwards; how we emerge on the other side is entirely out choice.
Like so much of Rushdie's writing, Satanic Verses moves so quickly and ambiguously between its symbols, motifs, and semi-dream states of magical realism, that one has barely an opportunity to take a breath, let alone pause to reflect upon all the connections made.
Most of these connections are themselves left as more complex questions, of course. Anyone hoping to have a neat and tidy closure to any of the multiple storylines will be disappointed. Instead, we are left with questions of faith and believability, of immigrant identity, of the supernatural, of madness both personal and societal. We are not a clean or easy-to-solve people; our histories and complexes of meaning-making crowd together into mashes of chaos and regret. We are not angels or devils, entirely, but people making our choices and haphazardly meeting our consequences.
The controversy roused by this book is obvious enough from its content: it is something the book itself addresses and anticipates. But at the same time, those who might condemn the work wholly or simply likely fail to see the larger mash-ups of human experience I just mentioned.
Enter the water as so many for centuries have before you and will afterwards; how we emerge on the other side is entirely out choice.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Dysphoria
lanid's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
hazelgirl21's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Suicide
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