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29th out of 195 books
—
894 voters
Haroun And The Sea Of Stories
Immediately forget any preconceptions you may have about Salman Rushdie and the controversy that has swirled around his million-dollar head. You should instead know that he is one of the best contemporary writers of fables and parables, from any culture. Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a delightful tale about a storyteller who loses his skill and a struggle against myster...more
224 pages
Published
by Viking Children's Books
(first published 1990)
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Review of 'Haroun and the Sea of Stories' by Salman Rushdie.
Shelf: Modern English fiction,Indian writer/Indian origin writer,Magical realism.
Recommended for: Ppl who oppose censorship,young-at-heart readers.
Writers are not easy people to live with: Dickens,Henry Miller,Naipaul... the list is long. But when you read a book like Haroun and the Sea of Stories,you find yourself wishing there was a writer in the family! Imagine a book written exclusively for you,a poem dedicated to you- & centuri...more
Shelf: Modern English fiction,Indian writer/Indian origin writer,Magical realism.
Recommended for: Ppl who oppose censorship,young-at-heart readers.
Writers are not easy people to live with: Dickens,Henry Miller,Naipaul... the list is long. But when you read a book like Haroun and the Sea of Stories,you find yourself wishing there was a writer in the family! Imagine a book written exclusively for you,a poem dedicated to you- & centuri...more
Sep 29, 2008
Nicholas Karpuk
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
No One But hardcore Rushdie fans.
"The Satanic Verses" bent my brain funny. I thought Rushdie had some good prose, the ideas were interesting, but the surrealism combined with moments of silliness made for an odd mix, and in the end I left satisfied but disoriented, like I'd eaten an exotic meal.
"Haroun and the Sea of Stories" was Rushdie's attempt to write a children's book for the son he was estranged from. There's a certain sadness to the tone of the book, wherein a storyteller loses his ability to do his job, and his son mus...more
"Haroun and the Sea of Stories" was Rushdie's attempt to write a children's book for the son he was estranged from. There's a certain sadness to the tone of the book, wherein a storyteller loses his ability to do his job, and his son mus...more
15 likes · like · see review
May 01, 2008
Victoria
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
children and adults, both men and women
Salman Rushdie is known for writing The Satanic Verses. After publication in his country of India, many violent protests against the book occurred. Faced with many death threats including the request of his killing by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Rushdie went into hiding for nearly a decade. During that time, in order to entertain his family and young daughter he told many fantasized stories. This novel stemmed from that experience.
Haroun's father is the famed storyteller Rashid Khalifa - someti...more
Haroun's father is the famed storyteller Rashid Khalifa - someti...more
there is something about a story written for an adult audience as myth or child's tale that i love. it seems to be more concise, concentrated, and make the simplicity of good vs. bad, and having a moral seem beautiful rather than simplistic. maybe that is because dualities were more pristine as a child. rushdie's earlier works never captured me; "midnite's children" seem windy and ornate with insufficient structure to hold up the explainations. "haroun" is still written with all the mastery that...more
This book is about a boy named Haroun Kalifa, who lives with his father and mother in "The sad city." A city so sad that it forgot its name. His father Rashid Kalifa was a storyteller. The famous "ocean of notions." The poeple of the city loved to hear his stories, of the many heros who would rescue the princess from danger, and no story was alike. One day Mr. Oneeta , who was their neighboor, a grumpy, gloomy, and bored neighbor who always had something negative to say, decided he was fed up wi...more
This is a kids book that really is just for kids. I know the editors' reviews tell you that it will change your life, change the world, or something else great. But, trust me, it's just a cute story.
Haroun's dad is a story teller. His life is happy until one day his mom leaves him and his dad and his dad can no longer tell stories. This puts the mat risk of losing everything because that's how they maek their money. They are invited to tell stories on behalf of politicians, and the night before...more
Haroun's dad is a story teller. His life is happy until one day his mom leaves him and his dad and his dad can no longer tell stories. This puts the mat risk of losing everything because that's how they maek their money. They are invited to tell stories on behalf of politicians, and the night before...more
7 likes · like · see review
This was recommended to me by Laurice as a children's novel--we both love kids' books--so I went into it expecting a children's book, albeit, a children's book as Salman Rushdie might approach children. As a 6th grade teacher, my first thoughts were that it would be too difficult to teach to my class (I prefer the teacher lens to the previous MFA creative writing student lens, but ultimately the best is when the lenses recede because I'm too far into the world of the book, which quickly happened...more
Haroun and the Sea of Stories reminded me very much of The Phantom Tollbooth, especially, of course, in its use of allegory.
I thought this would make a good reading assignment for a middle schooler. I can't say it affected me any which way at age 42 except that I was not immune to the horribly depressing image of the sea of stories being choked by poisons. I guess I also thought it was interesting that the son's pronouncement on the father's stories could have such a profound effect.
Salman Rushd...more
I thought this would make a good reading assignment for a middle schooler. I can't say it affected me any which way at age 42 except that I was not immune to the horribly depressing image of the sea of stories being choked by poisons. I guess I also thought it was interesting that the son's pronouncement on the father's stories could have such a profound effect.
Salman Rushd...more
3 likes · like · see review
Mar 11, 2009
Alli
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
least-favorites,
school
i hate this book!!!!!!!!!!! it's so bad- what with its unneccasary capitalization, cheesy, overdramatic-ness, and just plain being weird. ugh, so bad!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 likes · like · see review
So let's start of by saying that this book, its awesome
i really appreciate that Ms Erickson & Ms Zar-Kesler take
time to read it to us during ELA class. This book is funny & very interesting. I like books that are funny so yeah this one fits right in.
NOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!! excited to read, but it is a summer reading book.
2 likes · like · see review
Rashid is the father of Haroun and his father is a storyteller but he is kind of shy to say his story in front of a big audience. Haroun and his father go throw alot. Finally his father get the wish he wanted.
3 likes · like · see review
Feb 03, 2010
Mario Angelo
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Mario by:
Pat
"Happy endings are much rarer in stories, and also in life, than most people think. You can almost say they are the exceptions, not the rule."
Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories invokes a tale of learning, to strive for the better things in life when everything seems like it's a mess. Set in a world where chatter and noise are separated from silence by a Twilight Pass, a young boy discovers that his choices determine how his life would turn out to be.
I enjoyed reading this book. With...more
Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories invokes a tale of learning, to strive for the better things in life when everything seems like it's a mess. Set in a world where chatter and noise are separated from silence by a Twilight Pass, a young boy discovers that his choices determine how his life would turn out to be.
I enjoyed reading this book. With...more
3 likes · like · see review
Haroun and the Sea of Stories is Salman Rushdie’s fifth fiction book, and his first children’s novel. He dedicated this book to his 10-year-old son Zafar, from whom he had been separated for some time. The story concerns Haroun, the son of storyteller, Rashid Khalifa. Rashid is described as the Ocean of Notions, the Shah of Blah. When a tragic event stops the flow of his father’s stories, Haroun sets out to rectify the situation. In a journey that involves mechanical birds and blue-bearded Water...more
Enchanting, delightful, full of fun and intrigue. Haroun is a boy who finds his way to Kahani and the Ocean of the Streams of Story, where all of the world's stories comes from. There he not only saves the Ocean and all the stories, but his father, mother, town, and self from sadness. There were so many wonderful parts to this book: the P2C2E (aren't many things that way?), Mr. Butt and Iff, the blending and renewal of stories in the ocean. It is a fascinating narrative, full of a sort-of-dream,...more
This book felt like Salman's version of The Phantom Tollbooth The Phantom Tollbooth. Haroun's father, Rashid, is touted as the greatest story teller in all of India, until his mother runs off with their next door neighbor, a sniveling clerk who asks, "what is the point of stories if they aren't even true." Soon after, when his father steps on stage at a political rally to tell stories in support of a candidate, his story well dries up and for the first time in his life, Rashid can not speak. Wi...more
It’s a story about a beloved storyteller an his son, Haroun. They live in ,,The Sad City" ,a city that has forgotten its own name out of sadness.
One day Harouns mom runs away with Mr. Sengupta, and the storyteller loses his skills. A captivating adventure begins.
,, Haroun And The Sea Of Stories” a marvellous,amazing book.
One day Harouns mom runs away with Mr. Sengupta, and the storyteller loses his skills. A captivating adventure begins.
,, Haroun And The Sea Of Stories” a marvellous,amazing book.
i can really relate to this book because instead of my mom,my dad left my house.I was only 5 okay Haruon is older buht no matter what age you are, you never understand how your parent can just leave like you dont excist.It hurts but after a while you live with it and in this book Haruon trying to figure out how to help hes dad get his stories back. The thing is it might look like the stories arent there but they still are. I think its just that he remembers the times when she was there listening...more
2 likes · like · see review
Nov 22, 2008
Jennifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who loves books that are funny
Recommended to Jennifer by:
Ms. Erickson
I really enjoyed this book and my favorite character is haroun.I also liked how one of the characters in the books loved to play arounds with how the word where being spelled.I also loved this book because if you wanted to know what was going to happen next you had to read the next chapter. So this book kept you wanting more in my opinion it was a very funny book because of the crazy songs. Point is i love this book and wouldnt mind reading it again. i think this book should be mad into a movie!...more
A very fun read. Amazingly different from anything else Rushdie I've ever read!
These were my journal entries in 2004:
Rushdie is a damned good writer. I'm LOVING this. As with Satanic Verses, I'm savoring every word, every line, trying not to go too fast because I don't want it to be over. I'm halfway through and I can't afford any more time to read it. One more week until school's out and I'll find out what happens in this magical world of (Kahini?)
I'm inspired to read Arabian Nights after this. And of course, more and more Rushdie.
I'll journal more when I'm finished. Tha...more
Rushdie is a damned good writer. I'm LOVING this. As with Satanic Verses, I'm savoring every word, every line, trying not to go too fast because I don't want it to be over. I'm halfway through and I can't afford any more time to read it. One more week until school's out and I'll find out what happens in this magical world of (Kahini?)
I'm inspired to read Arabian Nights after this. And of course, more and more Rushdie.
I'll journal more when I'm finished. Tha...more
1 like · like · see review
I've wanted to read this book for years, but now that I finally did I could not feel the magic. Maybe I'm too grown up for this fantasy, but no that's not correct because I recently read Grimm brothers' fairy tales and they left me enchanted. Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a parable. It obviously has a moral to teach and it does so successfully. The problem lies in the fact that the real world kept intruding during my reading. Haroun is a clever tale. It upholds the power of story-telling, of...more
"My father has definitely not given up. You can't cut off his Story Water supply."
"Orders," said Iff. "All queries to be taken up with the Grand Comptroller."
"Grand Comptroller of what?" Haroun wanted to know.
"Of the Processes Too Complicated To Explain, of course. At P2C2E House, Gup City, Kahani. All letters to be addressed to the Walrus."
"Who's the Walrus?"
"You don't concentrate, do you?" Iff replied. "At P2C2E House in Gup City there are many brilliant persons employed, but there is only one...more
"Orders," said Iff. "All queries to be taken up with the Grand Comptroller."
"Grand Comptroller of what?" Haroun wanted to know.
"Of the Processes Too Complicated To Explain, of course. At P2C2E House, Gup City, Kahani. All letters to be addressed to the Walrus."
"Who's the Walrus?"
"You don't concentrate, do you?" Iff replied. "At P2C2E House in Gup City there are many brilliant persons employed, but there is only one...more
This book, Haroun and the sea of stories by Salman Rushdie, deserves some appreciation. It is light, upbeat and quite hilarious- perfect for 'children' (or absolutely ANYONE who likes to go on adventures) to read.
Right off the bat, note that the book is definitely not a serious or stern book. This can be supported from the very first sentence of the story, which goes like this- "There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forg...more
Right off the bat, note that the book is definitely not a serious or stern book. This can be supported from the very first sentence of the story, which goes like this- "There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forg...more
O país se chama Alefbey, que em hindustâni significa alfabeto. E como não poderia deixar de ser, os lugares são nomeados por ele: vale de K, túnel de I… A cidade da história, é uma cidade tão triste, mais tão triste que tinha esquecido até seu próprio nome. Nesta cidade vivia um garoto deveras feliz, seu nome era Haroun e ele era filho de um exímio contador de histórias, Rashid Khalifa. Seu pai era tão bom em contar histórias que recebera dois apelidos: Rashid o Mar de Ideias, por parte de seus...more
I've never read anything of Rushdie's before. I thought I knew him by reputation -- but this book is bright, exuberant, and gleefully self-referential, as if written by an author who wanted to answer once and for all the question, "Where do you get your ideas?" At the end, there's even a hint of an apology from Rushdie for writing something so happy.
Haroun and the Sea of Stories is an adventure story with an acute sense of poetry, borrowing heavily from the aura of the One Thousand And One Night...more
Haroun and the Sea of Stories is an adventure story with an acute sense of poetry, borrowing heavily from the aura of the One Thousand And One Night...more
Does anyone know the author? Do you know his background? He's known for mocking, & giving wrong messages for Islam. Just the first chapter of the book will give you the evidence.
The first sentence of chapter one; "There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name."
Did you know Alifbay are the name of two Arabic letters? He's being illiterate and this is a form of mockery on Islam and Arabic. Though this may s...more
The first sentence of chapter one; "There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name."
Did you know Alifbay are the name of two Arabic letters? He's being illiterate and this is a form of mockery on Islam and Arabic. Though this may s...more
I adored this book. Partially because it was exactly the kind of easy read I needed in my life right now, partially because it was so sweet (endearing sweet more than awesome sweet), and partially because it was so well-written. I'm kind of surprised I found something like this in the adult section, though perhaps I shouldn't be.
Haroun and the Sea of Stories reads like a children's book. It's about a boy who goes on a dream like adventure to restore his father's story-telling ability and find a...more
Haroun and the Sea of Stories reads like a children's book. It's about a boy who goes on a dream like adventure to restore his father's story-telling ability and find a...more
In "Satanic Verses" Salman Rushdie offended Muslims. In this, he offends readers.
In this opinion, I stand alone. Look at how Goodreaders rated this. Read the endorsements: "claims to immortality" and "for anyone who enjoys a good story...a work of literary genius."
On the strength of these, I bought a used copy.
I REALLY want my dollar back.
The story is quite similar to Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz- only with strong elements added from the Middle East. The Wizard of Oz books are interesting and...more
In this opinion, I stand alone. Look at how Goodreaders rated this. Read the endorsements: "claims to immortality" and "for anyone who enjoys a good story...a work of literary genius."
On the strength of these, I bought a used copy.
I REALLY want my dollar back.
The story is quite similar to Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz- only with strong elements added from the Middle East. The Wizard of Oz books are interesting and...more
Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories reads like a treatise in defense of story and storytelling. This enchanting novel testifies to the power of story and its myriad and shared legacies of the human experience. Artfully and playfully packaged in an amusing tale, Haroun and the Sea of Stories recalls the wonder and excitement of many a readers’ first-time reading experiences. The framework for Rushdie’s novel is reminiscent of Dr. Seuss, complete with the otherworldly setting of Kahani,...more
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| resolution | 11 | 136 | Feb 09, 2013 08:26pm | |
| Character description | 9 | 174 | Nov 06, 2008 08:58am |
Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie is a novelist and essayist. Much of his early fiction is set at least partly on the Indian subcontinent. His style is often classified as magical realism, while a dominant theme of his work is the story of the many connections, disruptions and migrations between the Eastern and Western world.
His fourth novel, The Satanic Verses, led to protests from Muslims in several coun...more
More about Salman Rushdie...
His fourth novel, The Satanic Verses, led to protests from Muslims in several coun...more
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“Nothing comes from nothing, Thieflet; no story comes from nowhere; new stories are born from old--it is the new combinations that make them new.”
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29 people liked it
“Peace broke out.”
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Oct 26, 2012 01:25pm
Hey Steve,thanks! To a guy who has no...more
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