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 ...  Read the complete review

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 ...  Read the complete review

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 ...  Read the complete review

OK, you expect a book from Mr Rushdie to be good, especially one that has notched up the prizes that this book has. It’s that good and better. The story is very good and very exciting. The characters are totally believable even though this is essentially a fairy story, the narrator of the story calls it a kind of collective fantasy. Magical abilities of varying kinds are endowed upon the children born on midnight. It’s told with the authors usual lyrical imagery. It is told beautifully. The story is also that of Indian Independence, an invention reflective of the experiment that the children of midnight are a part of, the struggles they face a ...  Read the complete review

I'd been nagged by loads of people to read this book, as its supposedly "the best book going". Well, to be frank, it wasnt. I battled through to half way before I finally gave up. A lot of people would be put off before reachng that point due to the length of the book and the reeeally small print. but i thought i'd give it a go nonetheless. I was confused for most of it, not really sure what was going on and found it difficult to relate to the characters as there was so many of them! if you're thinking of giving this book a go - by all means try it - but dont expect it to live up to the hype that surrounds it. Maybe its because I'm young and read more ...  Read the complete review