From the Bookshelf of Reading the Chunksters…

Midnight’s Children

Salman Rushdie

Start date: June 13, 2015

Finish date: August 19, 2015

Discussion: Archive 2015: Literary Readathon

Discussion leader: Ami

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 35 topics — 930 comments total

Archive 2015: Literary Readathon

This topic has been closed to new comments.

* Catalog for Literary Readathalon
By Ami · 1 post · 42 views

last updated Oct 30, 2016 06:33PM

* Literary Chunkster - Readathon
By Zulfiya · 130 posts · 113 views

last updated Jul 13, 2015 02:00AM

showing 5 of 5 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jul 14, 2014 Hugh rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2001-or-earlier, borrowed, mookse-madness, mm2019, to-reread, favourites, booker-winners, modern-classics, modern-lit, james-tait-black-winners

It is a very long time since I read this book - my first Rushdie and still probably his best. Many better reviewers than me have written about this complex microcosm of the history of independent India, so I'll just say that it is one of my favourite books. ...more

23 likes · Like · see review

May 19, 2015 John rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A magical thrill ride through history. Rushdie is a master storyteller. There were a few stretches in the middle where I felt a bit disengaged; I enjoyed it best when the story was focusing on an ensemble of characters. Saleem on his own got kind of annoying :)

Mr. Rushdie Sahib! :) Please write a book of short stories starring the other children! I want to know about Narada/Markandaya, and the Werewolf, and the Flying Boy, and Soumitra the time-traveler, and the others.

9 likes · Like · see review

Aug 24, 2016 Greg rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites-of-all-time, 20th-century, reviewed, favorites-of-the-1980s, 1001-books-to-read, 101-to-reread

"Ahmed Sinai had, at long last, fallen in love with my mother. And I was the sacrificial lamb with which they anointed their love," writes the author/narrator. I flew through the next, and final, 212 pages for an explanation. When it didn't come at 50 pages, then didn't appear 100 pages, I wanted to read faster. But this book is so dense, so much is happening that one must read slowly. And according to the introduction by Anita Desai, Rushdie uses "Bable, or Bombay-speak, that uncouth chutney ma ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Jan 26, 2018 Jack rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018

I LOVED Midnight's Children. I also found an odd number of similarities to NBC's forgettable superhero tv show Heroes. The book is much better thank god.
...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 22, 2022 Pamela rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: guardian-1000-read, boxall-1001-read, india

Sweeping epic novel that tells the story of post-Partition India through the life of Saleem Sinai, born on the stroke of midnight on the same day as India is born. Rushdie mixes comedy and tragedy, the ebullience of a country’s youth and then the poignant regret and devastating anger at the misguided direction it follows through Indira Gandhi’s Emergency.

Rushdie is undoubtedly a gifted and intelligent writer and storyteller. The book sparkles with memorable characters and dramatic scenes, and ju ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2019 J_BlueFlower rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1001, catching-up-read, 1001-read, norwegian-100

One of the best books I've read this year. The greatest value for me is his language and word play. Try read aloud or listen to an audiobook.

"to creep unobserved into the tower of crippled hours."

"I entered my secret hideout, stretched out on the straw mat I’d stolen from the servants’ quarters" The book is full of these goodies.

And secondly his invention of words like ”sonship” that not only has a nice sound, but boils down all the angst of rejection into a single word and his use of Muslim wo ...more

Like · see review