tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post5645534352096927181..comments2024-03-27T22:54:47.270+01:00Comments on Let's read: Rushdie, Salman "The Satanic Verses" Buddy-Read - Questions to Parts 1 and 2Marianne http://www.blogger.com/profile/11810275740213848634noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-46712317782232399332023-05-23T11:25:03.283+02:002023-05-23T11:25:03.283+02:00Thanks again, Ruthiella. I noticed later that I ha...Thanks again, Ruthiella. I noticed later that I had it on my classics list already and it was one of my TBR books, I just finished it. I must say it wasn't my favourite but that was more due to the writing than the content. Mind you, I am Christian but not very orthodox.<br /><br />If you are interested, see my review <a href="https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/kazantzakis-nikos-last-temptation-of.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>.Marianne https://www.blogger.com/profile/11810275740213848634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-1083195005977011922021-12-11T17:51:47.727+01:002021-12-11T17:51:47.727+01:00Thanks, Cas, I think you were not the only one. It...Thanks, Cas, I think you were not the only one. It is a tough one but I am glad we did it. Maybe one day you'll come back to us and we'll see what you think. Thanks for your comment.Marianne https://www.blogger.com/profile/11810275740213848634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-33761865493158332021-12-11T03:10:23.962+01:002021-12-11T03:10:23.962+01:00I didn't have the courage to take this book on...I didn't have the courage to take this book on. Your comments are excellent, though my understanding is crippled by not having read the book.CAShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13700608123640166993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-34598094601674091712021-11-15T18:03:35.723+01:002021-11-15T18:03:35.723+01:00Thank you, Ruthiella, your contributions are more ...Thank you, Ruthiella, your contributions are more than welcome.<br /><br />Thanks, first of all, for the recommendation of "The Last Temptation of Christ". Yes, I have heard of it but didn't get to read it. Will have to explore.<br /><br />Your remarks are very interesting and I agree with all of them. They give me other ideas to ponder about the novel, so again, higly appreciated.Marianne https://www.blogger.com/profile/11810275740213848634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-10220292497008705912021-11-15T00:26:29.605+01:002021-11-15T00:26:29.605+01:00Oops. I meant #8 instead of #7 above.Oops. I meant #8 instead of #7 above.Ruthiellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03871834571645928819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-47411893222132687042021-11-15T00:25:50.253+01:002021-11-15T00:25:50.253+01:00Hi Emma and Marianne. Thank you so much for this r...Hi Emma and Marianne. Thank you so much for this read along! I am very much enjoying the book and your discussion. For a book that angered many Christians upon publication, I would point to The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis. There are surely others, but that came immediately to mind. It may still be considered heretical, but I am not sure. <br /><br />#6 I am not (yet) finding that much about India that I didn't know before, but I am reading a lot about Islam online. Rushdie makes so many small references which I think would probably be more obvious to a Muslim, but without that background, I have to do a little digging. <br /><br />#7 I think that Rushdie could write a "straight" or traditional novel if he chose so, but this fantastical and layered story telling, while coming from a larger tradition in literature, is very much his personal style. But I am basing this on having only read Midnight's Children previously which does have a similar style.<br /><br />#3 I particularly am noticing, as you point out above, that there is no (at least not yet) reason for one man to end up the devil and the other an angel. In life, they were equally benign in their way. Ruthiellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03871834571645928819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-86841915086474727512021-11-10T14:26:41.406+01:002021-11-10T14:26:41.406+01:00I'm definitely curious about that, as well.I'm definitely curious about that, as well.Marianne https://www.blogger.com/profile/11810275740213848634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-71404827598737504262021-11-10T14:26:28.466+01:002021-11-10T14:26:28.466+01:00Sorry, I meant to write "... fits, as well&qu...Sorry, I meant to write "... fits, as well".Marianne https://www.blogger.com/profile/11810275740213848634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-21911445128480159662021-11-09T20:15:08.703+01:002021-11-09T20:15:08.703+01:00Yes, I want to read more about Rushdie's ultim...Yes, I want to read more about Rushdie's ultimate goalEmma at Words And Peace / France Book Tourshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09426924864218623976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-41368147941121084102021-11-09T13:07:38.083+01:002021-11-09T13:07:38.083+01:00I always enjoy reading someone else's perspect...I always enjoy reading someone else's perspective, Emma, even if it's jus a sentence someone contributes. gives me more insight into a read. And even if we think we know everything about a subject, there is always more to learn.<br /><br />I am sure we know more as we get further into the book. Since we have to set the questions, I do read a little more and try not to get into those parts that others haven't read.<br /><br /># 8. I regard the whole transformation of the two protagonists as magic realism (or even fantasy) and the whole story is too fantastic to be real. As I said, that gives the author the ability to claim it was all just a fantasy and he didn*t really mean to attack anyone (although I'm sure there that he did).<br /><br /><br />I love all your contributions about the religious aspect, I don't know half as much about that as you do, so this is very helpful. And I am sure there are modern books like that about Christinaity and would love to read them. <br /><br />I googled "ellowen deeowen meaning" and it came up first. I love the LONDON explanation, never had that idea myself, but I think the explanation on google its, as well.<br /><br />As to the book dedicated to Marianne, I didn't even notice. How nice. 😊<br />Marianne https://www.blogger.com/profile/11810275740213848634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009417175818512962.post-21968097162354061572021-11-08T19:43:05.405+01:002021-11-08T19:43:05.405+01:00Thanks Marianne for your excellent questions!
By ...Thanks Marianne for your excellent questions!<br /><br />By the way, I just discovered (it's about time!), that the book was dedicated "For Marianne"!! Did Gibreel ever reveal to Rushdie that one day you would co-host this read-among? LOl<br />Ok, let's get more serious here.<br /><br />#1: Interesting perspective on the usefulness of a narrator. I didn't think of that. It actually makes me want to research even more if Rushdie was expecting the type of reaction his novel aroused, or if it was a big surprise for him. That's my next mission!<br /><br />#2. Fall from grace, absolutely! It also fits with his references to Dante's opus.<br />Also, it became clearer when reading our next section (so I will talk about this more next time), that as Surah 53 is about The Star, it's this fall is also a reference I believe to the fall from heaven of the morning star (Isaiah 14:12), morning star meaning Lucifer, the devil.<br /><br />#3. I like how we expressed the same point differently! Fascinating.<br /><br />#4. Very good point! As I'm reading more ahead, I can see indeed are important women are here to make the plot advance.<br /><br />#5. Yes indeed! It definitely becomes more obvious when they "land" in Part 3.<br /><br />#6. I didn't know that. It makes sense, as there are so many groups of the Indian society targeted here.<br /><br />#7. I want to know more about this, hopefully we'll figure it out better as we go further.<br /><br />#8. Can you explain this a bit more?<br /><br />#9. I totally agree. <br />Reflecting back on what I wrote, I realize how hot the question of Surah 53 seems to be in the Islamic tradition with its various interpretations. So they probably thought it inacceptable for a novelist to share his (absurd) thoughts on it.<br />It reminds me of the huge discussions and differences of interpretation of Isaiah 7:14 in Judaism and Christianity (and among Christians between Pre- and Post-Reformation churches). Though we Christians are not as vocals, so if a modern author had a novel on that issue (and maybe such a novel does exist!), no one would even bother answer!<br /><br />Thanks for your great comments, let's continue this discussion.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to our discussion on next part. About that, you wrote, "Ellowen Deeowen". Apparently, this is an expression of incredulity".<br />Where did you find this interpretation?<br />This is one of the examples I mention above under #1, about expressions I didn't understand until I tried to read them aloud with an Indian accent. And then I couldn't stop laughing, because I had tried before to find it in an Hinglish slang language, lol.<br />Try Ellowen Deeowen aloud. I got L.O.N.D.O.N. ;-) Emma at Words And Peace / France Book Tourshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09426924864218623976noreply@blogger.com