The Hindu calls Shalimar the Clown as Salman Rusdhie’s comeback book. Even as longtime favorite John Updike didn’t nod his head too well in his review, I kept fingers crossed. Though one can’t sure if thats true, until he reads the book for himself, its the kind of conscious bias towards Salman Rushdie that makes me think Updike was miserably wrong.
It seems to be a fad to build a story about intertwined lives. Rusdhie puts it as “everyone’s story slipping into everyone else’s story”. Its on a long waiting queue at the library and until I could read, I’m fantasizing with these reviews.
From the The Hindu review –
Shalimar is vintage Rushdie, whose characters, even in their most absurd or dark moments, remain human.
Their behaviour may be cruel, condemnable and seemingly inexplicable but seldom beyond understanding. It is through their motivations that Rushdie explores what he described, in an interview, as the idea of the “worlds in collision” — the clash of “two alternative realities competing for the same time and space”. Presumably, these alternative realities are love, tolerance, freedom and debate on the one hand, and hate, anger, intolerance, extremism and violence on the other.
kirukkal.com 
5 responses to “Vintage Salman”
LG, while u’re waiting for this(as I am), do chk if the queue for ‘the kite runner’ is any shorter. Its a wonderful book and i’m on a personal mission to get as many people as possible to savor the pleasure of reading it 🙂
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LG, is this Rushdie’s newest…have been seriously guilty of avoiding contemporary literature…hope to break the spell soon…
bbthots, who’s the author of ‘kite runner’..?
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Ajay, this is bbthots. ‘kite runner’ is the debut of khaled hosseini. Its supposedly the 1st originally english novel to come out of afghanistan.
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Ok, I have read “Kite Runner”. It is a good book, give a glimpse of Afghan. I would personally recommend it. You can also check out “Reading Lolita in Teheran”, which talks about like in Teheran.
Couple of weeks back, I attended the Salman Rushdie book reading of “Shalimar The Clown”. Check out my post : http://venkatkrish.blogspot.com/2005/09/evening-with-salman-rushdie.html
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BB, Thanks for your suggestion. Will try to read Kite Runner.
Ajay, Its Rushdie’s newest and as they say one of his recent best. Rush for Rushdie 🙂
Venky, I envy you. I’ve upset that I missed attending one the meeting in which he was present.
I would only hope there is one interview or one book reading where they would talk about the fatwa stuff. I am sure its irritating to him by now.
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