Midnight's Children (1981)

It was fine. I don't love Rushdie's writing style but I didn't hate it. I don't know. It was fine. I can see this being the kind of thing I re-read in 10 years and LOVE. ( )

Ah, Booker of the Bookers. Twice!

Bottom line: If you want to write a really good novel, you should read Midnight's Children and takes some notes from Rushdie. This book is masterfully written and perfectly executed in every sense of the word.

This was probably one of the most difficult novels I've ever read, if not the most difficult. We owe the difficulty to Saleem Sinai's frustrating narration. Saleem narrates the story in a "jumpy" stream-of-consciousness style without much regard to grammar and punctuation. I think Rushdie perfects this style with experimental, risk-taking, care-free sentences that just flow smoothly. It's not that you won't make sense of things, because you definitely will; it's just that it might take you 50 or so pages to get used to it.

In addition, Saleem is a narcissistic character who constructs his own version of reality/events through his narration. He explicitly lies, forgets, leaves things out, includes things that didn't really happen, jumps around in time, etc., making this quite an interesting yet arduous ride.

What I liked most about Midnight's Children is Rushdie's mastery over his own work. Here's a guy who was dedicated enough to perfect and chisel his novel to the very last detail, and I cannot say enough about this. His work shines on multiple levels. It feels so coherent and connected. Almost nothing is wasted (despite the book's length). And everything came together beautifully in the end. The dots just connect with Rushdie. It's exactly everything you would expect from a great novel. Masterful.

It's an engrossing, extremely rich, and dense work. But somehow, I do feel this novel is missing a certain "timelessness" quality. Sure, it has withstood the test of time this long, but it also seems confined to what India/Pakistan/Bangladesh was and is now. I also think the book doesn't lend itself well to a new interpretation upon re-reading, which is why I feel hesitant to give this novel a 5-star rating. ( )

This winner of the "Booker of Bookers" is a difficult book to read, and a far more difficult one to rate. It frustrated me to no end with the meandering narrative that required me to re-re-read several paragraphs quite frequently and an unusual literary style that challenged my comprehension. The only motivation for me to persevere with it was the magic Mr. Rushdie has made with the words; almost every sentence from this book is eminently quotable!
It certainly demands another reading, which I hope to give it, in the not-far-away future. ( )

I am trying to record my reaction to 'Midnight's Children' by Salman Rushdie. I don't know what the "X5...Guide Exp" is up there for.

At any rate, this book made me want to keep reading it forever. It quickened my heartrate and made me glad to be alive. It has everything and the kitchen sink thrown into the narrative. I know so little about the history and politics of India and Pakistan that parts of the book were mostly incomprehensible but I let those parts slide by and enjoyed the amazing panorama. Very human. ( )

A reviewer for [b:A Tale of Love and Darkness|27574|A Tale of Love and Darkness|Amos Oz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1429313277l/27574._SY75_.jpg|28189] recommends reading Midnight's Children.