'The Satanic Verses' by Salman Rushdie is a complex and thought-provoking novel that delves into themes of immigration, empire, morality, identity, and the story of the satanic verses themselves. The book follows the lives of Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha, who are transformed into representations of good and evil after a terrorist attack. Rushdie's writing style is often described as surreal and hallucinogenic, with elements of magical realism and stream of consciousness narrative. The novel weaves together multiple storylines, dream sequences, and historical parables, creating a rich and intricate narrative that explores religion, individuality, and the boundaries of reality and belief.

Characters:

The characters experience transformative journeys that reflect the broader themes of identity, faith, and modern cultural conflicts.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is rich and poetic, filled with metaphor and complexity, blending magical realism and stream-of-consciousness techniques.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot intricately weaves the stories of two protagonists transformed by a traumatic event, exploring themes of faith, identity, and cultural conflict through various narratives.

Setting:

Set mainly in London with flashbacks to India, the story portrays a multicultural landscape that explores themes of identity and belonging.

Pacing:

The pacing varies greatly, with moments of intense engagement countered by slower, more convoluted passages that require patient reading.

Satan, being thus confined to a vagabond, wandering, unsettled condition, is without any certain abode; for though he has, in consequence of his angelic nature, a kind of empire in the liquid waste or...

Notes:

The Satanic Verses was published in 1988 and sparked a global controversy leading to a fatwa against Salman Rushdie.

The story begins with two Indian men, Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha, who survive a plane bombing and undergo mystical transformations.

Gibreel is transformed into an archangel, while Saladin takes on the characteristics of a devil.

The title refers to a controversial incident in Islamic tradition where verses supposedly sent by Satan were recanted by the Prophet Muhammad.

Rushdie uses magical realism to weave multiple narratives that explore themes of religion, identity, and cultural conflict.

The book critically examines the nature of religious fanaticism and its distortion of faith.

Several translators and publishers associated with the book faced violent attacks due to its content, leading to several deaths.

Despite its mixed reviews, The Satanic Verses remains a significant work in discussions about freedom of expression and the limits of artistic license.

Upon its release, The Satanic Verses won the Whitbread Award and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Many readers found the writing style complex and dense, which contributed to varied reception and interpretation of the text.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include depictions of violence, religious extremism, and mental health issues.

Has Romance?

Romantic elements appear throughout the narrative but are not the central focus.

From The Publisher:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"[A] torrent of endlessly inventive prose, by turns comic and enraged, embracing life in all its contradictions. In this spectacular novel, verbal pyrotechnics barely outshine its psychological truths."-Newsday

Winner of the Whitbread Prize

One of the most controversial and acclaimed novels ever written, The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdie's best-known and most galvanizing book. Set in a modern world filled with both mayhem and miracles, the story begins with a bang: the terrorist bombing of a London-bound jet in midflight. Two Indian actors of opposing sensibilities fall to earth, transformed into living symbols of what is angelic and evil. This is just the initial act in a magnificent odyssey that seamlessly merges the actual with the imagined. A book whose importance is eclipsed only by its quality, The Satanic Verses is a key work of our times.

Praise for The Satanic Verses

"Rushdie is a storyteller of prodigious powers, able to conjure up whole geographies, causalities, climates, creatures, customs, out of thin air."-The New York Times Book Review

"Exhilarating, populous, loquacious, sometimes hilarious, extraordinary . . . a roller-coaster ride over a vast landscape of the imagination."-The Guardian (London)

"A novel of metamorphoses, hauntings, memories, hallucinations, revelations, advertising jingles, and jokes. Rushdie has the power of description, and we succumb."-The Times (London)

Ratings (28)

Incredible (5)
Loved It (7)
Liked It (7)
It Was OK (3)
Did Not Like (4)
Hated It (2)

Reader Stats (94):

Read It (25)
Want To Read (54)
Did Not Finish (5)
Not Interested (10)

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About the Author:

Salman Rushdie is the author of fourteen novels-including Luka and the Fire of Life; Grimus; Midnight's Children (for which he won the Booker Prize and the Best of the Booker); Shame; The Satanic Verses; Haroun and the Sea of Stories; The Moor's Last Sigh; The Ground Beneath…

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The Satanic Verses

Salman Rushdie