Comments on: Salman Rushdie knighted, Iran insulted

By: shirah

shirah — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 04:27:53 +0000

I tried to read it. Couldn’t get past the first few chapters.

By: Laura SF

Laura SF — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 03:47:25 +0000

I read it, because someone bought it for me during the original controversy. It took a bit of work to chew through, but in the end, I thought it was worthwhile. Definitely a different sort of flavor than the usual American or British modern literary fiction. Rather dreamlike in structure, not the “fable”-like magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (or Alice Hoffman). Meanwhile, I suspect someone with the same ethnic background as Rushdie would get more out of it than I did….

By: Michael Lonie

Michael Lonie — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:32:50 +0000

Never read any of his stuff. Magical Realism does not sound like the sort of thing I’d be interested in. I’m like Tolkien, I prefer history, real or feigned.

From what I understand Rushdie wasn’t too thrilled with Western Civilization before Khomenei’s fatwa, except the freedom of speech part his income depended on. A run-of-the-mill leftie I heard. I thought the attacks on Rushdie by Westerners (including the Chief Rabbi of Britain I am sorry to say) were inexcusable. The West should have defended him better, on general principles.

Does anybody know what order of knighthood he’s getting?

Possibly the Pharaohs of Teheran will use this as an excuse for another attack on Britain, kidnapping some more sailors or something, or a suicide bombing in London. If so I think they ought to do, and I encourage the Brits to do, something very drastic in retaliation to the next atrocity from Iran. We should back them strongly.

By: Sarah G.

Sarah G. — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:32:27 +0000

I read it and at best it was okay.

By: CGHill

CGHill — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:40:05 +0000

I’ve read it, and I took a stab (as it were) at East, West but never managed to finish it.

By: Eli

Eli — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:38:11 +0000

I have. Dull book. A lot like Master and Margarita.

By: Harry

Harry — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 17:39:43 +0000

I’ze red it and i is enjineering gradjuate.
I have read most of his other books and his children’s tales are a delight. The fatwas will probably produce a run on his books.