TheSatanicVersesBuddyRead

The Satanic Verses: A Novel | Salman Rushdie

pick

I was a day late, but I finished (later last night)! So much happened and there were so many themes that I got a bit muddled at times. But I was able to wade through and ended up quite enjoying this book! My thanks to @LeahBergen and @vivastory for organizing #thesatanicversesbuddyread. This book probably would have sat on my shelves unread for many more years otherwise. And now for a celebratory beverage! 🥃

vivastory Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 👍👏🤘 8y

PurpleyPumpkin @vivastory I really did which surprised me! The middle of the book was work, but well-worth it in the end. Thanks again for organizing. 😉 8y

LeahBergen I felt pretty much the same about the middle. I'm glad you read it with us! 8y

PurpleyPumpkin @LeahBergen I'm glad I joined in too, although I didn't post/comment as much as I was intending. It was great fun reading everyone's comments as we read the book together. It really pushed me to continue. Thanks again for organizing! 8y

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LeahBergen

The Satanic Verses: A Novel | Salman Rushdie

so-so

And it's a wrap. I'm waffling between a "Pick" and a "So-so" rating on this. While I'm glad to have finally hauled this thing off my shelf, I found it lacked the playfulness and pathos of his (much superior) Midnight's Children. Rushdie recently said that he didn't believe this book would be publishable in our current political climate which, to me, implies that it still has important things to say (especially about immigrants and identity). ??

LeahBergen Thank you to all of my #TheSatanicVersesBuddyRead ers. You helped me slay the beast! And thank you to my cohost, @vivastory 😘 8y

vivastory ☺👍It was a blast! We should definitely do it again. 8y

kspenmoll Love the vibrant colors in your photo!!! And rug! 8y

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LauraBeth Great review - I want to read it 8y

LyndseyReads Have you read Haroun and the Sea of Stories? I LOVE that one.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories

LeahBergen @vivastory Yes, we should! 8y

LeahBergen @kspenmoll Thank you! 😘 8y

LeahBergen @LauraBeth Thank you! 😘 It's definitely worth a read. 8y

LeahBergen @LyndseyReads Yes! I loved that one, too. 👍🏻 8y

Sydsavvy I agree with his statement. The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking "they would never publish this today." 8y

batsy Great review, I was thinking about that re: publishability, if that is even a word 😂 8y

LeahBergen @Sydsavvy @batsy I, too, was thinking about it the whole time I was reading. It wasn't until I finished it that I found Rushdie's comment. 8y

LauraBrook Great review! I'm a fan of his (though I e only read Midnights and Haroun), and I'll be on the lookout for a used copy. I know this isn't one of his more popular titles, but it sure is referenced a lot! 8y

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Laalaleighh

The Satanic Verses: A Novel | Salman Rushdie

Am I super behind on #TheSatanicVersesBuddyRead ?

Totally.

Am I almost determined to finish this before I go to sleep tonight (and hence still in July for me)

Yep.

Here goesssssss.

LeahBergen, vivastory

vivastory You can do it 💪👍🤘 8y

LeahBergen You've got this! 👏🏻👏🏻 8y

aeeklund I believe in you!! 8y

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Lcsmcat You can do it! He picks up the pace at the end too, so that helps. 8y

Laalaleighh @vivastory @LeahBergen @aeeklund @Lcsmcat y'all are all so sweet. I've got about 150 pages left but my brain's ability for reading comprehension is fading fast. I think I'm going to have to finish tomorrow. I'm so sad but I'm starting to feel like I did the first time I took a practice LSAT from start to finish. My brain is mush. Will it still count if I finish itthe day after July ends haha? (edited) 8y

LeahBergen It definitely counts! 😆 8y

49 likes6 comments

LeahBergen

The Satanic Verses: A Novel | Salman Rushdie

#TheSatanicVersesBuddyRead is at an end. Was it worth it? 😉

vivastory

TrishB I' m exhausted just reading about it! 8y

batsy I'm exhausted, think it was worth it (with reservations?!) & am glad buddy read got me through it. @TrishB 😂 8y

Billypar I just finished, and I have the same reaction as the first time I read it- really enjoyed it all the way through, even if, as a few others have mentioned, some parts do drag. Overall I love how he weaves his themes together in such interesting ways and through such vivid imagery. And even though there are some pacing issues- I thought it picked up in the end- there are a few great climaxes to enjoy. 8y

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Billypar Thanks @LeahBergen and @vivastory for organizing this! I have a bookish confession to make... This was my first reread... ever(!) Crazy, right? I'm always too tempted by what I haven't read, so I appreciate this buddy read to keep me accountable to seeing it through.... Thanks everyone! 8y

Lcsmcat Thanks to @LeahBergen and @vivastory for organizing this. I think it would have taken me longer to get started on this one without that nudge. I enjoyed it, but don't see it as reread material for me any time soon. I loved reading everyone else's opinions as we went along even (maybe especially) those that were diametrically opposed to mine. It's been a great ride! (edited) 8y

saresmoore It was worth it! (It took some serious chutzpah on my part to bail on a buddy read.) I'm glad I got to experience & discuss it with others, even though I ended up hating the book. 🙃 Rushdie is quite talented and incredibly clever, just not my cuppa tea. 8y

Shemac77 Thanks to you both for organizing this! It's definitely on the bottom of my list of Rushdie's books but glad I stuck it out and finished. 8y

Izai.Amorim Worth it? Sure. Not from the reader's (I'm not his target audience) but writer's point of view: what works and not in a story, how readers react, what to avoid, etc. It wasn't in vain... 8y

DeborahSmall It was a bail for me but glad I tried. ❤️️ 8y

Karkar It was a bail for me too...just couldn't make it past halfway. I am also glad I tried!! 8y

Sydsavvy I've got a tiny bit left so not Quite there yet but will finish soon. Definitely worth it. I would never have read it without this and always wanting to. More thoughts later!!! 8y

alldinareads As much as it was frustrating I'm glad I finished and the ending was a full circle ending which I enjoyed if that makes any sense haha. I do think this book lost me in the middle and for as hard as the beginning was that's how easy the ending felt which leaves me very confused internally lol 8y

LeahBergen @TrishB 😂 8y

LeahBergen @batsy This buddy read kept me going! 8y

LeahBergen @Billypar Your first reread? That's awesome! I'm not a rereader either. 😆 8y

LeahBergen @Lcsmcat All of the differing opinions on this book were fascinating. They kept me going! 8y

LeahBergen @saresmoore I love that it got you to bail, actually. 😂 I have such a hard time bailing on books, too. 8y

LeahBergen @Shemac77 It's at the very bottom of my Rushdie list now, too. 😆 8y

LeahBergen @Izai.Amorim I loved reading your opinions along the way ... and can't believe you actually stuck with it! 😂 8y

LeahBergen @DeborahSmall I'm glad you tried, too. 😘 8y

LeahBergen @Karkar I'm glad you tried, too (and you made it pretty far! 😮) 8y

LeahBergen @Sydsavvy Yay!! 👍🏼 8y

LeahBergen @Dina.cicc The middle definitely lagged for me, too. Thanks for joining in! 8y

Sydsavvy So I'm finally finished! True to Rushdie, at times I wanted to chunk the book. But I also love his style. And when he sits down to actual do the thing, he's a fantastic storyteller. Also my audio book came with a teaser about another book of his that I own (The Enchantress of Florence) and I now think I'm going to have to read it! Still, I think "The Satanic Verses" is hype but also worth it. Extremely interesting as a whole. 8y

Sydsavvy And thanks for doing this! Glad to check this one off. 8y

Izai.Amorim @LeahBergen Well it felt like in a poker game when you suspect that the other guy has nothing and is only bluffing and you decide to stay until he shows his cards. I had already invested too much to leave it on the table.😂 8y

Sydsavvy @izah.ahmad it sure did! 8y

LeahBergen @Izai.Amorim Haha! Perfect analogy 😂 8y

LeahBergen @Sydsavvy I suspect I would like The Enchantress of Florence as my favourite bits in this one were those set in Jahilia. He does that fable-like storytelling so well. 8y

Sydsavvy He really does. 8y

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Shemac77

The Satanic Verses: A Novel | Salman Rushdie

so-so

Finished. Liked it more than I started out but hands down my least favorite Rushdie.
#thesatanicversesbuddyread

#readeverydayeverywhere
#paramediclitten
#nslitten
#readingissexy

Lcsmcat That edition looks so slim. It must have tiny print! 8y

Shemac77 The picture is a bit deceiving but the print definitely was small. And didn't help trying to concentrate on the storyline. @Lcsmcat 8y

LeahBergen I'm still reading but ... yep. I agree. My least favourite Rushdie so far. (edited) 8y

Shemac77 I was so excited for it to be....more. Maybe the hype that surrounds it slightly ruins it? Not sure. But super glad I read it! @LeahBergen 8y

41 likes4 comments

batsy

The Satanic Verses: A Novel | Salman Rushdie

pick

Finished the book but not the weirdly-shaped croissant. This croissant was a fraud, and disappointing. And that leads us to TSV because in this book Rushdie is interested in trickery, mimicry, acting, and the performance one puts on as an immigrant crossing borders. Performance as a form of survival and assimilation, in the case of one of the key characters here, Chamcha. (Long review ahead 😬👇)

batsy I think it's worthwhile for the questions it raises about creation in art vs religion, self-invention, assimilation, border-crossing. "What kind of idea are you?" is the central question in the book. His talent for vibrant language is obvious, if overdone in parts. But I wasn't persuaded by the overarching structure that interweaves the vast and diverse history of Islam into a novel of immigration and belonging. I asked "Is this it?" at the end. 8y

batsy I just wonder, for all the flash & bling of Rushdie's metatextual style, what was the point. To me, Chamcha seems to be a reflection of Rushdie. Thus it feels solipsistic, maybe reckless, that his story is interwoven with the history of a religion. There's more to Islam than Rushdie. In associating his novel with something that has grave consequences within Islam, the book incites, but to what end? It falls short of its own ambition in my opinion. 8y

batsy Veered between a pick and so-so, but I'll probably give it 3 stars on GR so it's a muted pick. If you're interested in the book and its ideas, it's worth reading I think. It helps to immerse oneself in it totally. I'll stop now! #Rushdieitis Thanks for reading this far. Thanks to #thesatanicversesbuddyread & the lively discussions & our hosts @LeahBergen and @vivastory. I wanted to read this & I'm glad there was the buddy read to get me going.
8y

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Moray_Reads Excellent review 👏👏👏 8y

ReadingEnvy Heh the croissant is a metaphor! 🥐🥐🥐 8y

saresmoore Fantastic! 🙌 I love your insights and intention in reading this—and finishing it, to boot! You are an exceptional buddy reader and reviewer. And hashtag creator. 😁 8y

TrishB Wow 👍 what a review, almost changed my mind - but not quite. Thanks for the thoughtful insight. 8y

vivastory Excellent review!! 8y

Ms_T I've seen this book on here a lot recently. It's not one I've ever thought of reading but my interest has definitely been piqued. Thanks for the review, it's certainly one to consider 👍🏻 8y

batsy @Moray_Reads @TrishB @vivastory Thank you! 8y

batsy @ReadingEnvy I know, it was too good to be true 😁 8y

batsy @Ms_T Thank you! Yes I think a lot of us had strong opinions doing the buddy read :) 8y

batsy @saresmoore Thank you so much 💜 My first buddy read, you guys were lovely to rant with 😉 8y

ReadingEnvy Not gonna lie, I'm more likely to finish a bad croissant than a difficult book. (I know this is my second response.) 8y

ValerieAndBooks Very good review and insights. That said, it'll still be a long time for me if/when I tackle this one. I bailed on Midnight's Children some time back! 8y

RohitSawant Props to you for finishing it! Your review is every bit as fantastic as I‘d hoped! I enjoyed it more than what little I read of the book. 😜 8y

BarbaraBB Great review. I loved the book when I read it years ago. But I read it along with

Muhammad

BarbaraBB That way it was more accessible for me (edited) 8y

LeahBergen Great review! I'm still working my way to the finish line on this one but I'm so glad you came along for the ride. 😘 8y

britt_brooke Excellent review! 8y

batsy @ReadingEnvy 😂 8y

batsy @rohit-sawant Hahaha, thank you so much! 8y

batsy @BarbaraBB Thank you for the recommendation, I was looking that up and decided I didn't have time to read it this month. But I will, I've heard good things about Armstrong. 8y

batsy @LeahBergen 💜 I look forward to your thoughts! 8y

batsy @ValerieAndBooks Thank you! A lot of them cite MC as his masterpiece. I have it, maybe someday I'll be ready to tackle it 😊 8y

batsy @britt_brooke Thank you ☺️ 8y

erzascarletbookgasm Great review, insight. Bravo for finishing it! I cannot get into Rushdie. 8y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm Thank you! I'm not sure I get him, either 😂😵 8y

Gezemice Such a great review! Now I am interested! 8y

batsy @Gezemice Thanks :) 8y

Suet624 So much respect for finishing the book and providing such an excellent review. 8y

batsy @Suet624 Thank you! It's one of those books where I can respect what went into it, but I also marvel at the egotism involved 😁 8y

shawnmooney Catching up on your posts and enjoyed your review far more than—I am going to take a wild guess here—I would reading the novel under discussion. :-) (edited) 8y

batsy @shawnmooney Haha! Thank you :) Onward to all the rest of the books waiting for us! 8y

62 likes34 comments

Jess_Read_This

The Satanic Verses: A Novel | Salman Rushdie

bailed

I tried to keep up with the #TheSatanicVersesBuddyRead group. I kept reading away and working to master Rushdie's eloquent passages. Yet, when two renewal cycles pass and the library says no more.. I took it as a sign. Chiefly because I was drawing these conclusions:
-my irritation was mounting with the grandiosity of the narrator. Which led to my pondering- is it the narrator or Rushdie himself that is grandiose? Is this merited?
Cont: 👇🏼

Jess_Read_This -none of the characters were resonating with me. I was developing such a sense of apathy towards the characters it made the story just a verbose narrative in which I had no strong leaning towards the ending. -The story started to lose a point under all the layers of prose, extraneous details, and seemingly insignificant character additions. I think I could enjoy a different Rushdie book? My apologies to the hosts! (edited) 8y

saresmoore Yours is a really helpful assessment and I tend to agree. For my bail review (?), I was tempted to start with, "It's not me, it's you, Mr. Rushdie." I think the grandiosity stems from the source. 8y

Jess_Read_This @saresmoore Thank you! I was definitely drawing the grandiosity starts with the author conclusion and I made it about 2/3 of the way through. I think the temptation to start your review that way has some merit! 😉 8y

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shawnmooney LOL. Who's left? Only @LeahBergen and @Shemac77 ? 8y

Jess_Read_This @shawnmooney 🙈🤦🏽‍♀️I know.... I hesitated making my public confession especially since I think I was already lost amongst the shuffle and figured no one would notice. Lol! I do apologize, @LeahBergen I truly did want to be a finisher. Please let me participate in your next buddy read! 🙏🏼 8y

shawnmooney You shouldn't feel bad: I organized THREE buddy reads for July and then bailed on ALL OF THEM! I am in the Litsy Buddy Read Doghouse! 😂😂 8y

Shemac77 Hahaha! No shame in bailing! It frees up time for other books! @shawnmooney @Jess_Read_This 8y

batsy I agree with @saresmoore, the grandiosity stems from the source. I'm almost done and wondering how to keep my review to less than 5 comments, because I have a LOT to say. If you get to say a whole lot of words, Sir Rushdie, so do I! 😁 8y

Jess_Read_This @shawnmooney 😂😂🙌🏼You made me feel loads better. I still get a measure of guilt whenever I don't finish a book. 8y

Jess_Read_This @Shemac77 Thanks for the support! I can't explain why I end up feeling guilty whenever I don't finish a book. As you say, on to the next! 😁 8y

Jess_Read_This @batsy I am sooooo looking forward to your review. Take the mike and let him have it! 🎙There is definitely quite a bit that can be said about this book and I'm loving all the different opinions on it. 8y

shawnmooney So far in 2017 I've bailed on 71 books! A personal best! 😂😂 8y

ReadingEnvy All I can think of when I think of Rushdie is the look he gives Bridget Jones in the movie and think he'd probably scowl at me as a reader that way too. 😝 8y

LeahBergen I'm so glad you joined in for the Buddy Read! Don't ever feel bad about a "bail". I've been enjoying ALL the different reactions to this book - it has made it feel like a real book club. Doing this Buddy Read with you all is the ONLY way this one would have ever made it off my shelf. ? 8y

Jess_Read_This @shawnmooney 😂😂Now that is an impressive stat! Did you start a Goodreads shelf for them? 8y

Jess_Read_This @ReadingEnvy Oh... I know I'd get so much side eye and judgey looks from Sir Rushdie too.. 😂 8y

Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen I had a lot of fun! I enjoyed reading all the comments. It truly had a book club vibe. A great choice for varied discussion! 8y

shawnmooney Yup! https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/50408211?shelf=did-not-finish 8y

Jess_Read_This @shawnmooney You have a few that I've been seeing hyped up over the year and debated trying but thought they might not be for me.. and I feel so validated seeing another person DNF them! 😂 Lucy Barton and Mischling being two that I saw all these posts on IG and GR recommending or just book photography posts. 8y

68 likes19 comments

BookishFeminist

The Satanic Verses: A Novel | Salman Rushdie

Snugglin' with my Eddie and catching up on The Satanic Verses this afternoon. He's a good reading buddy. 💞 #thebookishferrets #thesatanicversesbuddyread

Tanzy13 aw 🐭 8y

8little_paws That's really sweet :) 8y

Mommamanzi ❤♥️❤ 8y

Andrea4 Please never stop posting pics of these aforable furballs!!! 8y

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