[Allegra]

Satanic Verses comes to mind. Bought that to see what all the fuss was about back when it came out.

Just didn't see it. Having a price put on one's head does wonders for book sales, though. ;-)

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Satanic Verses comes to mind. Bought that to see what all the fuss was about back when it came out.

Just didn't see it. Having a price put on one's head does wonders for book sales, though. ;-)

Rushdie's birthplace, Bombay, plays a big part in that novel as it does in several of his other novels, so familiarity with the city, it's neighborhoods, it's slang, and Bollywood films helps a lot. An understanding of Islam and it's myths is also helpful. Along with Midnight's Children and The Moor's Last Sigh, it's one of my favorite Rushdie novels.

But it isn't an easy read. I'd be amazed if any of the Iranian mullahs who sentenced Rushdie to death had ever read it, let alone understood it.

[Xenalyte]

You and me both! I got through maybe 30 pages of that thing. I think I still have it somewhere, maybe in a box in the garage.

I could not for the life of me figure out why Salman Rushdie was in so much trouble.