This novel, upon its publication, caused such a tremendous commotion that it became famous more for that turmoil than for its actual content. Its very existence led to the death of one man and the near-fatal injury of another. After Khomeini pronounced a death sentence on the author in 1989, Rushdie had to change his name and remain in hiding for many years. Given the religious fanaticism of the Muslims, one might think that Rushdie could have foreseen what would ensue. However, all of this is by no means evidence of the book's literary significance. After all, the latter is, of course, subject to factors quite distinct from religious and social provocations.

First and foremost, while the novel is indeed unique in its style and technique, I didn't find it as difficult to follow as many have claimed. Although I am aware that, being ignorant of most aspects of eastern history and tradition, I was bound to miss many implications that were undoubtedly present, despite the helpful footnotes that appeared from time to time. Therefore, one could argue that I missed a large part of the novel's essence. That being said, I think that The Satanic Verses could now be regarded as a timeless, classic saga that brings social and religious prejudice and pretentiousness together in an extremely witty, allegorical manner, if only it had been written differently. The reason I don't consider it to be such is that I found it overly verbose, with Rushdie including numerous useless details that tired me at times and made me eager to just finish it. A fact that, towards the end, made me feel as if he had lost the plot somewhere. Or perhaps I had.

Despite all of this, I still found it enjoyable and interesting, albeit a bit demanding, and definitely worthy of my time. It's a classic case of a three-star book.

I had high expectations for this book, but I got zero. What's this zero? It's a minus. Rushdie's writing style is to me both unacceptable and boring, overly elaborate, metaphorical, hyperbolic, and artificially pompous. After opening the book once, the second time I opened it, I felt like I was "reading too early" after just twenty good pages. But it was only on page 15 that I noticed as if I was already counting here.. As if. It's no wonder that I, feeling an instinctive horror towards such a style (I remember the attempt to read a book by the well-known H. Murakami of a similar style as a nightmare), almost immediately felt hostility and distrust towards this book, which only grew stronger over time until my feelings finally (and it didn't really take long) grew into simple impatience.

There is almost no plot, and what is considered the plot line in the book seems to me like a rudimentary relic - maybe once, somewhere, to someone it might have seemed like a plot, but evolution has long since moved forward, and such a plot has as much use, reason, style, and elegance as a person has appendicitis or a tailbone.

I'm not sure if this is a genre or an author problem. I'm more inclined to attribute it to the author because I got to know magical realism through G.G. Márquez, Milorad Pavić, and Alessandro Baricco - and I didn't have such problems with any of them as I did with Rushdie, whose work seemed to me neither magical nor real, but just horribly irritating and painfully chaotic.

Although I formed my impression through the first ~75 pages that I was able to get through, "Midnight's Children" seemed to me to have something, minimally, resembling "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" - but only in its hallucinogenic and edgy style. Unfortunately, Rushdie is not Hunter S. Thompson, and while the latter succeeded, Salman only failed.

In conclusion, this book is one of the least favorite ones I have ever picked up, so now I almost understand why a death sentence was pronounced on the author for this book - looking at it from a human perspective, perhaps such an assessment of his work is a bit too harsh, but it is also very revealing.

I think my acquaintance with this author will end here forever.

Life is far too brief to tolerate mediocre fiction.

The story commenced in a rather engaging manner, with the characters quite literally plummeting from the sky. It took me some time to immerse myself in the narrative, but eventually, I did manage to do so. However, the issue was that whenever I managed to grasp the fundamental underlying storyline, it would simply vanish and be substituted by a nonsensical dream sequence. The transitions between these two realities were so smooth that one often found oneself completely lost. When you add to this the fact that you are attempting to keep track of the names of very unfamiliar persons and places, the situation becomes even more challenging.

I believe that, perhaps, in order to approach this book and truly appreciate it, one must possess a working knowledge of the Koran and Persian Mythology.

I also think that this book would never have been read by as many people as it has been if it were not for the controversy that surrounds it.

It is truly a pity that a book's popularity can sometimes be more due to the controversy rather than its actual literary merit.

Nevertheless, it does make one wonder if there is something more to this book that we are perhaps missing.

Maybe with a deeper understanding of the relevant religious and mythological contexts, we can gain a better appreciation for what the author was trying to convey.

Only time will tell if this book will stand the test of time and be regarded as a classic or if it will simply fade into obscurity.

When the Danish Cartoon crisis erupted, I promptly went out and purchased a copy of this book.

However, I must admit that I was afraid to read it in public places, as perhaps I should have done. It is indeed outrageously disrespectful towards the Prophet, as is widely known.

What is somewhat less commonly known is that it is also extremely disrespectful towards a figure who closely resembles the late Ayatollah Khomeini. I can't help but wonder if this wasn't the actual reason for the fatwa.

No doubt this has already been debated and discussed at great length. There are likely many different opinions and interpretations regarding this matter.

Some may argue that the disrespect towards the Prophet was the sole cause of the controversy, while others may believe that the resemblance to Ayatollah Khomeini also played a significant role.

Regardless of the true reason, the Danish Cartoon crisis remains a highly controversial and divisive issue that continues to generate intense emotions and discussions.

The author analyzes Islam and concludes that it is a religion of submission, containing only those parts that Muhammad presented to his followers in the form in which the archangel Gabriel told him in the cave. But was it really so? After all, the Prophet of God is just a human. Maybe these are, after all, just Muhammad's observations? Maybe in the cave where Muhammad periodically went, there was no one else besides him? After all, Muhammad was a merchant, albeit an honest one. On the other hand, the author of the book has a favorable attitude towards the female deities in Islam, which do not occupy the places that would belong to them in terms of meaning, because people are not inclined towards them. Now, having read the book, it does not surprise me that Salman Rushdie was "condemned to death" by the Iranian religious leader Khomeini, that is, he issued a fatwa, because he characterized this book precisely as a work that speaks "against Islam, Muhammad and the Quran".

It should be noted that such views are one-sided and inaccurate. Islam is a complex and diverse religion with a rich history and profound teachings. It has had a significant impact on the lives and cultures of countless people around the world. We should approach the study and understanding of different religions with an open mind and respect, rather than making hasty and judgmental conclusions.

Moreover, the act of issuing a fatwa to condemn someone to death is a serious and extreme measure that goes against the principles of human rights and the rule of law. We should strive to resolve differences and disputes through peaceful and rational means, rather than through violence and coercion.

Having just finished The Satanic Verses, I find myself in a bit of a quandary as to what to make of it.

For the most part, I have to admit that it is well written. The author's use of language is quite descriptive, painting vivid pictures in my mind. However, there were times when I really struggled to understand what was going on. The story seemed to meander and get lost in its own complexity.

Moreover, there were stretches where I found it rather boring. It felt like the plot was moving at a snail's pace, and I had to force myself to keep reading.

Thankfully, towards the end, things started to pick up. The various plot lines began to come together a little more cohesively, and I finally started to get a sense of where the story was headed.

Overall, I would rate The Satanic Verses as 3/5 stars. It has its strengths, but it also has its flaws. It's a book that requires a lot of patience and perseverance to get through, but if you're willing to put in the effort, you may just find something of value in it.

The more accurate rating: 3.5

Getting to know the author

Salman Rushdie was not an unknown author who emerged from obscurity. Before writing "The Satanic Verses", he had written several other stories, the most important of which were "Midnight's Children" and "Shame", both translated by Mehdi Sahebi. "Midnight's Children" won two important awards, the Booker Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, in the same year of publication (1981), and twelve years later, it also won the Booker of Bookers Prize. After its Persian translation in 1985, it was selected as the best foreign novel of the Islamic Republic of Iran! In the story "Shame", the bitter past of Pakistan is traced through the past of a boy who does not know who his father is and whose mother and two sisters also raise him as his three real mothers at the same time. "Midnight's Children", however, has a more postcolonial space: children who are born at midnight and therefore each have a magical power and embrace the historical narrative from the independence of India and Pakistan to the dark era of Indira Gandhi. Rushdie's style (magic realism) seems to me very suitable for conveying the postcolonial content of his works.

Getting to know the book; this part completely reveals some parts of the story

"The Satanic Verses", contrary to what you may have heard, also has a postcolonial content, but not in a way that would be pleasing to the Islamists (and the Muslim community). The comical-tragic content of the story is nourished by the duality of the devastated West and the secluded Islam. The cultural background of the book is of course more familiar to the Indians, but the triangle that was revealed to me was the triangle of India, Islam, and the West. Of course, the book is an offensive book according to Muslim standards, but its content cannot be reduced to an insult (like an offensive caricature). In short, the book was a claim of free expression that the West wants to make India an animal and Islam wants to make India crazy, and the path of India is nothing but these two. I don't know if such a statement seems "deadly" to you or not. I will return to this topic in the next section, but for now, I want to reconstruct the story, which also has a fluid and imaginative style, from my own perspective for you.

The story revolves around two main characters: Salahuddin Chamcha, who is a clear reflection of Salman Rushdie's own life, and Gibreel Farishta, whose name and family are those of a Bollywood star. The former is inclined towards the West and the latter towards Islam. In the magical journey of the story, Gibreel, who plays seventy roles, appears as various characters in the long and wide chronology of history, from the historical Gibreel to this actor.

Gibreel appears as a divine angel to three religious characters in the book: to "Mahound" (or the Prophet), to "the Imam" (Khomeini), and to "Ayesha", a girl who claims to be a prophet in one of the villages of India. The face of none of them is black and offensive except for the Imam. Mahound is very similar to the historical Muhammad, more or less as narrated by the Sunnis and Islamic scholars. One of the events that angered many Muslims was the event of "The Satanic Verses": that among the verses that the Prophet receives from Gibreel (in Surah An-Najm), he also receives and announces a few verses in support of the idols, but later realizes that those verses were satanic inspirations, not divine revelations. But it is interesting to know that this event is not fabricated by Rushdie, but something that is mentioned as the story of "The Cranes" in some reliable history and biography books, including Tafsir Al-Munthir, Sahih al-Bukhari, and Tarikh al-Tabari, and verses 52-53 of Surah Al-Hajj also refer to this event. After that, the image of the Prophet until the conquest of Mecca is a peaceful one. After the conquest of Mecca, the story is narrated from the side of Salman. Salman, who is tired of the multiplicity of Islamic laws and doubts it. Salman, who has more in common with the author than his name: his doubt.

He comes. He goes up the mountain of Hira until he reaches the cave. Happy birthday. Today he has turned forty and forty-four, but although the city that is spread out behind and beneath him is full of turmoil and the noise of celebration and joy, he still goes up the mountain alone. Because of his birthday, he has put on new clothes. His new clothes are clean and neatly placed under his bed, because he is a pious man. (What kind of strange and curious merchant is this?)

Question: What is the opposite of faith?

It is not disbelief. Because disbelief is more absolute and Muslim than that. Disbelief is a kind of faith in itself.

Doubt

Ayesha is also a woman who, centuries later, claims prophethood in a Muslim-inhabited village, takes many people with her, and finally, in order to enter Mecca like Moses through the sea, takes everyone with her into the water and drowns them. Only the Imam has a uniformly black image. Someone who, although he has risen against injustice, is also unjust himself, and in a terrifying image, his external condition changes, and he rides Gibreel from Paris to Tehran to witness his victory and finally kisses the hand of his servant.

On the other hand, Salahuddin is inclined towards the West from the beginning. He goes to England, the paradise of the Indians. He enters London from school, which he always dreamed of, but he is insulted and learns to insult.

He had just started school when one day during breakfast, he saw a kind of smoked fish in his plate and, as he was sitting on the chair, he was fascinated by it. He didn't know where to start with the fish. Finally, he put a piece of it in his mouth. It was full of small bones. Everyone took it out of his mouth. But the next piece was the same. He endured the pain in silence and his classmates watched him. Even none of them said let him give a sign of how to eat the fish. It took ninety minutes for him to eat all the fish. He was not allowed to get up from behind his desk until he finished. At the end, his body had started to tremble and if he could, he would have definitely cried. At that time, it occurred to him that he had learned an important lesson: England was a smoked fish that had a special taste and many bones, and no one had ever taught him how to eat it.

Salahuddin's experience with the West is uniformly one of insult. Because of the difficulty of his name, Salahuddin, they call him Saladin, and he also accepts this name. His wife, Pamela, is disgusted with his tireless efforts to be English and finally leaves him. In the end, he becomes a professional double, someone who can perfectly imitate the voice of a Yorkshireman or a Conservative pea, but his face is never seen; because it is not suitable to be seen. Saladin returns to India for a while. There he meets a lawyer named Zeenat. Zeenat clearly takes his insult out on him. But Saladin falls in love with Zeenat. Despite all this, his love for London is still greater. So he leaves her and returns. On the way back, their plane crashes, and he and Gibreel Farishta are the only passengers who miraculously survive and land in England (the book itself starts from this crash). The police find Saladin, but he, who has been a citizen of England for a long time but his Indian face never testifies to this, and now, after this crash and survival, he has no documents to enter as an illegal immigrant. The encounter he has with Saladin in Wren is one of the most shocking scenes, his insult is such that it changes his nature into a goat. A goat that spends its days among other animals, other countless immigrants from other countries.

After many turns, finally, the story of Salahuddin and Gibreel comes together again: Gibreel after his permanent residence in the history of Islam and Salahuddin after his permanent residence in the heart of the West: Gibreel, who has gone crazy and finally kills himself, and Salahuddin, who witnesses this suicide, is only then able to return to India.

Gibreel Farishta said calmly: "A long time ago, I told you that if I knew this disease would not go away easily and would always come back, I couldn't bear it." Quickly, before Salahuddin could react, he put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger..

Gibreel was free

He was standing by the window and looking out. The full moon was shining. He shook his head. His childhood was over. Understand! Let the old men come. If the old ones rise from the dead, the new ones cannot be born

The voice of Zeenat, the lawyer, came from behind him: "Come on, let's go." As if despite all his mistakes, mischiefs, and sins, he was given another chance. Yes, this time he had been given a chance. Zeenat said: "Come on, let's go to my house."

Salahuddin turned to her and said: "Let's go."

Blood and pen: this part is not a "political" writing

The book "The Satanic Verses" was published in English in 1988. Less than a year later, before any translation of this book into Persian or even Arabic was published, Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwa was published as follows: "I inform the Muslims of the world that the author of the book "The Satanic Verses", which has been written, published, and distributed against Islam, the Prophet, and the Quran, as well as its publishers who are aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I ask the Muslims of the world that wherever they find them, they should quickly execute them so that no one else dares to insult the Muslim sanctities, and whoever is killed in this way is a martyr, God willing."... Even after Ayatollah Khamenei (the Friday Prayer Imam at the time) said that if Salman Rushdie "repents, writes a book, says I was wrong, asks for forgiveness from the Muslims of the world, from the Imam of the nation, says I made a mistake, the book is not mine, of course, in this case, perhaps the people will forgive his sin," Ayatollah Khomeini stated in his next message that "if Salman Rushdie repents and becomes pious, it is the duty of every Muslim to use all his efforts with his life and property to bring him to the right path."

This ruling is of course a naked and pitiful spot in the Shiite jurisprudence program that, as a result of the zeitgeist and to avoid the protests of the Muslims of India and Pakistan, suddenly answers a book (albeit an insulting one) with the threat of the blood of the author and publisher. But perhaps more pitiful than this were the people of the pen who, to show their religious faith or political loyalty (I hope it was the latter), instead of or along with criticizing the book, held the terrible event that happened to the author after this ruling as a rock. Before examining two sample parts of the introduction to "The Satanic Verses", read Wikipedia to see what the consequences of that ruling were.

After Ayatollah Khomeini's order to kill Salman Rushdie, some people came forward to carry out this ruling, including Mustafa Mazeh, a young Lebanese who was able to enter the hotel where Salman Rushdie was staying with a French passport before anyone else, but on the day of the incident, he missed his target due to the premature explosion of the bomb he had planted to kill Rushdie and was killed. The book was gradually banned in Kony, Thailand, Tanzania, Indonesia, Singapore, and finally Venezuela. In 1991, the Japanese translator of "The Satanic Verses", Hitoshi Igarashi, was killed in Tokyo with a machete attack, and the Italian translator of the book was also attacked in Milan. In 1993, the Norwegian publisher of the book was the target of an armed attack. In the same year, Aziz Nesin, the Turkish translator of the book, was attacked in a hotel in the city of Sivas. Although Nesin was able to escape from the hotel, 33 people were killed in the fire that followed the burning of the hotel. This event is known as the Sivas Massacre. The "Nima" publishing house, which had published the Persian translation of this book, was burned down, and Nima Nematy, the manager of these publications, was threatened many times. The editor-in-chief of the magazine "Khalq" in Sulaymaniyah, who had published a part of the translated text of this book in 2010, was the target of an armed attack. The editor-in-chief survived this incident, but Beramak Bahadad, the translator of the book, has been in hiding since then, while a number of clerics in Sulaymaniyah and Arbil have issued a fatwa for his execution.

During all this time, the author of the book (according to himself in one of his interviews) lived a hidden life, many airlines refused to sell him a ticket out of fear of terrorism, and the Scottish police were with him all the time. This hardship and the irony of some of our cultural figures were a source of laughter for some, as if to show that the staff of God is silent. For example, in a short story by Attaollah Mohajerani, "The Chess Horse", which was published in the magazine "Kolk" in Esfand 1374 (and later in the preface to the book Critique of the Apology of The Satanic Verses), he refers to this reality with sarcasm that the author has been imprisoned in a room in a hotel for a long time and the police are always behind his door, and he has locked the door with seven locks, his wife has divorced him, and he has no friends anymore, and even his wife has left him because everyone is afraid that they will also be killed because of that ruling. I don't know what Mohajerani, who is now also a "writer" who flees to the West out of fear of imprisonment and loneliness, thinks about those sarcasms in his privacy.

But Mohajerani was not the only one who made fun of this fear and loneliness. Reza Amir-Khani also took the same approach in a writing called "Ana Li La Hafizon, A Critique of the Book The Satanic Verses" (which is still available on his website). In one part of the writing, Amir-Khani intends to read some of the consequences of the Imam's fatwa. In his opinion, "the most cowardly thing was the apology of Rushdie himself, because he, like a child, begged for forgiveness. The most political thing was the simultaneous exit of all the European travelers in protest against the fatwa. And the worst consequence was the insecurity for those who insulted the Islamic sanctities."... Yes, Rushdie's apology to get rid of the unknown shadow of death, which he does not consider himself worthy of, is "cowardly" and childish for our young writer.

Among all these emotional criticisms that have dedicated an important part of their joy and sorrow to justifying the death sentence of a writer, but, curiously, no one has asked this question: Did Ayatollah Khomeini read the book before issuing the ruling of the writer's apostasy?

Salman Rushdie's magical realism significantly departs from the tradition of modern Indian literature. While the latter is firmly grounded in the broad strokes of Anglo-Saxon realism and linear narrative techniques, Rushdie's works, such as 'The Satanic Verses', incorporate a composite of post-modern elements.

He draws inspiration from a plethora of post-modern authors, including the metafiction of Calvino, the fantastical characters and situations of Marquez, the punning and solecisms of Nabokov, and the intertexuality of Borges. Rushdie's roots are spread across these diverse writers, from which blossoms his opus, 'The Satanic Verses'.

The story centers around the diffident and narcissistic Bollywood star Gibreel and Chamcha, a voice actor living in London. After the explosion of the plane they are traveling on over the English Channel, the pair are magically transformed into the angel Gabriel (Gibreel) and Satan (Chamcha). However, Gibreel's transformation is more a symptom of his deteriorating mental health and narcissistic tendencies. Years of constant adulation have caused him to lose his sense of reality, and in his mind, his life is a haze of halitosis and sexual conquests, and he has become one of the deities he used to play in his early films. Chamcha, on the other hand, is a man who is literally uncomfortable in his own skin. His sense of Indianness is a heavy burden on his shoulders as he tries to integrate into a society that will never accept him until he sheds the last remnants of his culture.

In many ways, 'The Satanic Verses' is a novel that explores the difficulties of integration as an immigrant, the deep-rooted prejudices that still exist in the Western world, and the continued aftereffects of colonialism. However, the novel is also equally critical of the superficial glibness of Bollywood and the worst excesses of religion, in this case Islam, in fostering division and fundamentalism. Rushdie, though, is able to infuse the novel with irony and humor, beneath which lies a parable about integration, the spiritual emptiness of religious dogma, and a criticism of both Western and Indian materialism.

Overall, 'The Satanic Verses' is a complex and multi-faceted work that challenges traditional literary norms and offers a thought-provoking exploration of various themes relevant to our contemporary world.

This book is not for the faint of heart.

It is truly overwhelming when it comes to the plot, the vivid imagery it presents, and the large number of diverse characters. However, it is completely worth the effort, and once you manage to get in tune with the book, it flows beautifully. I purchased the Satanic Verses when I was 17, but I was not at all ready for it. I read just 15 pages and then put it aside. But 7 years later, I picked it up again and simply could not put it down.

There is just an incredible amount of content packed into this book. One would need to read it numerous times to fully grasp its meaning, yet at the same time, it is a highly enjoyable and pleasurable read. By combining these two aspects, this book becomes perfect. You can enjoy it on the first reading, but you will also have the desire to read it again and again. Rushdie is the consummate storyteller. Just like Neil Gaiman, he is amazing at the actual "telling" of the story, rather than simply having interesting characters and plots (although he does have those as well). He is a storyteller in the tradition of the old tellers, the bards, minstrels, and trovadores of a bygone age. Rushdie keeps this tradition alive.

However, a warning is in order. There is a reason that Rushdie had a fatwa declared against him. This book does not depict the Prophet Mohammed in the most favorable light. At all. This is something that some people may find offensive. I, on the other hand, found it fascinating in terms of exploring the genesis of a religion. Rushdie keeps you guessing, and in the end, you have to decide for yourself what you believe about the characters, including Mohammed.

After that, to be honest, I forgot about Salman Rushdie's not just bad, but even worse, useless autobiography. And it's a pity. Because I really love "The Satanic Verses" - in their verbal excessiveness, in their mixture of magical realism with British social drama. Immigrants bring demons from under the old heavens without declaring them at the border. Immigrants turn into demons because that's how the locals see them. Crazy prophets and those who pretend to be crazy prophets cast spells on the world, and Satan always has the best verses. Well, what a wonderful novel.

I still need to reread "Midnight's Children".

It's a pity that Rushdie's autobiography didn't live up to expectations. But his novels are truly masterpieces that deserve to be read and reread. They offer a unique perspective on the immigrant experience, on the intersection of cultures, and on the power of language and imagination. Whether it's the magical realism of "The Satanic Verses" or the historical sweep of "Midnight's Children", Rushdie's works are a testament to his talent and creativity.

This case of this novel vividly shows us that we are still on a long journey until we truly understand the essence of literature.

In my personal point of view, it is a blatant proof of total ignorance to criticize this book simply by classifying it based solely on the meaning of the word "satanic".

The so-called "verses" - which refer to the verses removed from the Qu'ran and are considered a false revelation that the prophet Mahomed had.

Beyond any possible interpretation that Rushdie's novel can arouse, this is a novel that is supposed to heal rather than cause hurt.

The prophet is not described in a depreciating way. Instead, he is only subjected to the same good-bad duality, just like all the characters in the book. Mahomed (Mahouna) is a man with doubts and weaknesses.

In fact, the whole novel draws our attention to the danger posed by the power of a single person.

The entire novel raises the question of whether it is really possible to break free from what has been instilled in us by our family and environment, including religion. Beyond political allusions, Rushdie wrote a novel, which is, after all, a work of fiction.

Umberto Eco once said that the essential rule for approaching a narrative is to tacitly accept a fictional pact with the author.

I mean that as a reader, you accept that what is being told to you is imaginary, but you pretend to yourself that it is true. The emphasis here is (should be) on "you pretend".

If the charm of any narrative lies in the fact that it encloses us within the borders of a world and makes us take it seriously, then this charm also contains the risk of no longer being able to perceive the border between this fictional world and reality.

This is so brilliant.

It is truly a remarkable piece of work that leaves me in awe. I don't even understand why it is considered a masterpiece.

However, I know deep down that it is something special.

There is an intangible quality about it that draws me in and makes me want to explore it further.

Perhaps it is the unique style, the profound message, or the sheer creativity that sets it apart.

Whatever the reason, I am captivated by this brilliant creation and look forward to uncovering its secrets and understanding its true essence.

It is a work that will surely stand the test of time and be remembered as a great achievement in the world of art, literature, or any other field it belongs to.

I feel privileged to have come across it and can't wait to see what other masterpieces lie ahead.