Should I read Rushdie's other books?

Discussion in 'Bibliophile's Corner' started by Abu Fadl, Aug 7, 2008.

Draft saved Draft deleted
  1. Abu Fadl

    Abu Fadl Banned

    astaghfirullah, i would never even think of buying any of his books, in fact i would never even ask the question!
     
  2. faqir

    faqir Veteran

  3. Kashf al-Hijab

    Kashf al-Hijab New Member

    Most people fall into 2 categories about Salman Rushdie's books, either they're unreadable drivel written to be admired as literature rather that enjoyed as a novel or there the greatest thing since sliced bread. You wont find many people who simply think there "not bad" or "OK". It took me about 8 months to get halfway through "Midnight's Children" and then I gave up, as I was past caring. So, if the first chapter doesn't enthrall you then don't waste your time with it.
     
  4. so to cut to the chase--it will NOT be haram to read his other books (whatever their literary merit)?

    thanks. :)

    as for Amis he is an idiot and the only good book he ever wrote was The Rachel Papers.
     
  5. abu Hasan

    abu Hasan Administrator

    that is the view of a few people. frankly, i find his prose jarring - midnight's children will make you giddy and leave you frustrated like composer who cannot find the low notes after having hit a series of high notes. i could not complete midnight's children - even though i attempted to read this prior to his satanic book and even though i can patiently sit through pages and pages describing the paris catacombs in hugo's masterpiece: les miserables.

    ---
    so also martin amis - but mainly for his islamophobic garbage. one critic calls him out:
    Accusing Amis of Islamophobia for suggesting a clampdown on Muslims, he attacked the novelist’s late father Kingsley as “a racist, antisemitic boor, a drink-sodden, self-hating reviler of women, gays and liberals”. Amis fils, he sneered, “clearly learnt more from him than how to turn a shapely phrase”.
    just like dennis ritchie remarked, though in a different context, in the anti-foreword of the unix-haters handbook:
    Here is my metaphor: your book is a pudding stuffed with apposite observations, many well-conceived. Like excrement, it contains enough undigested nuggets of nutrition to sustain life for some. But it is not a tasty pie: it reeks too much of contempt and of envy.

    Bon appetit!
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2008
  6. :s1:

    Obviously, Satanic Verses is out of bounds and I have no wish to read that blasphemous work; my question is that if I read Rushdie's other books --especially his Midnight's Children-- will it be permissible per Shariah? Why do you want to read him? someone may ask. Because he is considered one of the best writers in the English language currently alive and he is a desi.
     

Share This Page