Let me start with I think the book is beautifully written and the characters are very interesting but I’m 150 pages in and I don’t think I’m enjoying it. I don’t know if I’m not in the right headspace for it or what? For those who read it did you struggle at first and then after a certain point it was great or did you just push through? I have so many books to read I’m not sure if I should keep trying or set it aside and try coming back to it.
by Fast_Volume1162
6 Comments
I gave up after about 20pages. My scattered head space back then made it impossible to read any more of it. Ever since I’ve been wondering if I should give it a second try…
I pushed through and remember nothing of it. It’s ok to dislike a book.
I think any book written by Salman Rushdie requires a certain kind of headspace to get through. I even struggled with *Haroun and the Sea of Stories* while reading it because at times it just felt like I was just reading it to read it rather than enjoying it. I believe it’s the style. His books are very beautifully written and have interesting characters, but they’re not exactly “smooth” reading. I’ve pushed through most of his works, and I think it’s more that the appeal comes after finishing them. When you look back, you can see better how everything fits together and it brings a deeper appreciation of the overall book. I still wouldn’t necessarily read them for pleasure though. Instead, I pair them with a more escapist book and read them in chunks, taking breaks with the lighter novels whenever I feel that the book is losing my interest.
I thought Midnight’s Children was great, but I had trouble with this one. It might be one of those books where you need to risk reading a little analysis beforehand.
I read it when the fatwa was issued and it was my least favourite of his books at that time, but I was a teenager and I know I must have missed a lot. Midnight’s Children is much more readable
I made it to about the same point and then gave up. I will power through denser books but I was just emotionally getting nothing from this one