by Salman Rushdie
F/RUSHDIE
CD SHALIMAR THE CLOWN
Reviewed by Galia O. for Between the Covers Adult Summer Reading Program: When I first started listening to it I thought the sentences were interesting but it was a bit difficult to understand who is who. After a short time (really short, like ten minutes of listening to the audio CD), things clarified and the incredible story began to grow.
I loved three things in particular about the book:
1. The story of Shalimar, which is really the story of the other characters that inhabit his life: his gorgeous naive wife; her Americanized daughter, looking for her way in life, losing too much; and most of all, the daughter's father--the intellectual yet effective, mythical in abilities and accomplishment ambassador. I wanted to know more about them all!
2. The breadth: The story finishes in today's America, but inhabits many of the most important events of the twentieth century, especially in Europe and Asia. Fun and interesting how the author weaves these together.
3. I loved his sentences. There were some that were just gems--multi-faceted, complex, shiny, and I wanted to read them again . . . not because I didn't understand them but because they were wonderful, poetic in the way Rushdie put them together.
Strongly recommended! 5 out of 5 stars
