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fishky's review against another edition
4.0
*notes are generally for myself*
very surprisingly funny.... nonstop dry, dark humor. like gulliver's travels, it is witty and relatable without context (who doesn't know the unstoppable mulishness of genuinely stupid men?) but gets better the more you know about the relevant historical and cultural references and what it is satirizing. from the start of the book, where the three sisters muse that a naked man might have two cavities in his chest for breasts to fit into for reproductive purposes, to the slow reveal of sufiua zinoba's true...angelically yellow self, the tone and pacing steadily escalates without losing a stride.
very surprisingly funny.... nonstop dry, dark humor. like gulliver's travels, it is witty and relatable without context (who doesn't know the unstoppable mulishness of genuinely stupid men?) but gets better the more you know about the relevant historical and cultural references and what it is satirizing. from the start of the book, where the three sisters muse that a naked man might have two cavities in his chest for breasts to fit into for reproductive purposes, to the slow reveal of sufiua zinoba's true...angelically yellow self, the tone and pacing steadily escalates without losing a stride.
sara_shocks's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 rounded up; I did not realize how ambitious the scope of this novel was when I picked it up--and how well it executed on the premise.
bpicillo's review against another edition
4.0
I probably missed a lot of the allegory, but enjoyed the journey nonetheless. It had been a while since reading another Rushdie; pretty in awe of the structure, changes in narrative voice, and overall writing in this.
erhwang's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
saumaykapoor's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
timahoi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
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
3.75
donnaadouglas's review against another edition
1.0
I'm so disappointed with this novel as the last Rushdie novel I read, Midnight's Children, I thoroughly enjoyed. Shame, to me, was long-winded and anti-climactic. Fair enough that Rushdie was trying to make a point about the political system in Pakistan, but it took so long to get anywhere I had completely lost interest by the time it came along.
This one got lost on me, sorry Mr Rushdie! I won't give up on you though, I just hope there's another Midnight's Children amongst your work.
This one got lost on me, sorry Mr Rushdie! I won't give up on you though, I just hope there's another Midnight's Children amongst your work.
femoid's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
victoriathuyvi's review against another edition
Need to reread. I think most of it went over my head, but I know it holds important messages. Plus, the writing is beautiful and fun.
expatally's review against another edition
5.0
Salman Rushdie writes like no other, pointedly reminding the reader about how the consequences of our actions will come back to us.