Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

This is a book that, due to its size, the acclaim it has attracted, and its painfully small type face, you may be put off from reading. I can say with all confidence that had I not been obliged to read it for a course, I would probably have lost my nerve somewhere in the first three pages. I was very soon thinking "My intellect is not equal to this text." However, as the book unfolds it starts to make a great deal more sense, and from a quite inexplicable start, goes on to tell an impressive tale. The premise is this. The children born at midnight on the day of India's independance are all possesed of strange an unusual powers. The tale is narrated ...

Errrm....well, what do I think about the 'Booker of Bookers' (i.e. the best novel that has won the Booker prize) 'Midnight's Children'? I have to admit that I was simultaneously, confused, entertained, enlightened, bored, and disappointed. Everyone has been telling me for years that I must read Salman Rushdie's masterpiece claiming that it is one of the best books of all time. Perhaps it is, but for me it wasn't. Anyway let's get on with the story. To cut a very long, complicated and amazing story short, 'Midnight's Children' is the story of the life of Saleem Sinai. And the story of India as well. Saleem is born ...

Salman Rusdie is a fascinating writer. Midnight's Children tells the story of the birth of Indian Independance and the story teller's life mirrors that struggle. It is a very deep book and I found that I got a lot more from it on the second and third readings. To be honest, it is quite hard going the first time you read it, but its worth carrying on. The real impact isn't felt until you read it again. Rushdie's obviously passionate feelings about the events that took place at this time in Indian history, become clear as the story progresses. I do notice an odd thing about the writer as I got deeper into the book. He seems to ...