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A review by lsparrow
Joseph Anton: A Memoir by Salman Rushdie
1.0
I slogged through this one determined to get through it all.
Although I think that Salman has important things to say, and issues that I think are important and may even agree with - however his way of writing is so off putting that I found it difficult not to be irritated. He seem so concerned with people not seeing him as arrogant - he wrote the book in third person however the way it is written it feels like the first draft was first person and on a subsequent edit he changed all the pronouns and such so it was written third person to try to seem less self absorbed. It is a memoir which by nature are self absorbed. I felt that there were a lot of details that did not add to the story or the theme and then he did not explore issues or situation which I felt had a lot to say.
I also think that his dislike of Pakistan biased me against him - how could he hate the land that I love so much.
I also felt it difficult to sympathize when he seemed to not understand that freedom of speech does not mean that everyone is obliged to like what you say/write or even to like you. In fact often we censor ourselves in a society particularly for this reason. also there is no obligation for publishers to publish - that is not included in freedom of speech. I agree with many of his points on freedom of speech and it's importance and do admire his commitment to it.
I also found although he did not appear to have much insight he experienced what often happens to some who lives in constant danger which is were it becomes so normalized that you no longer have this huge fear and are irritated by the safety mechanism that others enforce, which is understandable if you have been though something of this nature but is otherwise seems like either he was not in danger or he didn't appreciate the support.
I found Salman's blatent classism and elitism difficult to tolerate.
Although I think that Salman has important things to say, and issues that I think are important and may even agree with - however his way of writing is so off putting that I found it difficult not to be irritated. He seem so concerned with people not seeing him as arrogant - he wrote the book in third person however the way it is written it feels like the first draft was first person and on a subsequent edit he changed all the pronouns and such so it was written third person to try to seem less self absorbed. It is a memoir which by nature are self absorbed. I felt that there were a lot of details that did not add to the story or the theme and then he did not explore issues or situation which I felt had a lot to say.
I also think that his dislike of Pakistan biased me against him - how could he hate the land that I love so much.
I also felt it difficult to sympathize when he seemed to not understand that freedom of speech does not mean that everyone is obliged to like what you say/write or even to like you. In fact often we censor ourselves in a society particularly for this reason. also there is no obligation for publishers to publish - that is not included in freedom of speech. I agree with many of his points on freedom of speech and it's importance and do admire his commitment to it.
I also found although he did not appear to have much insight he experienced what often happens to some who lives in constant danger which is were it becomes so normalized that you no longer have this huge fear and are irritated by the safety mechanism that others enforce, which is understandable if you have been though something of this nature but is otherwise seems like either he was not in danger or he didn't appreciate the support.
I found Salman's blatent classism and elitism difficult to tolerate.