At last I completed Rushdie's huge, vital, and engrossing (as said by Sunday Times) tale of my country since independence to 1980 almost from the eyes of the protagonist Saleem Sinai in 17 days ; of course it is a very long time to complete a 647 pages book, but within this time I also completed two books (each of approx 400 pages) and also attempted 100 pages of another third book. I mention this because of the complaints that the Midnight's Children is a slow read; yes it seemed to me so in the beginning up to 100 pages approx or more so. Rushdie is so keen in describing the situations, events, consequences , surroundings and characters that he often repeats or reminds the audience as anyone is vulnerable to be forgotten because of the dense and flowery prose, but I am sure that you will fall in love with this book after enduring 100 pages approx.
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Infact, the story is very long, begins somewhat in 1915 from the protagonist's grandfather Adam Aziz , a doctor, educated in Germany, now returned India and trying his luck in Kashmir. During his practice he fall in love with a patient in perforated sheet, the daughter of a rich landlord and got married. In order to live a happy life the couple plans to start their new life in a city of United Province, Agra. While returning from Kashmir, they stayed in Amritsar and Dr. Aziz saw by his own eyes the massacre of Jaliawala Bagh on April 13, 1919. Whereas I remember, the story begins to tilt towards Indian history from this point and as the story of Dr. Aziz goes forward , Rushdie never left any chance to connect his own story from the then happenings in India; infact twists and turns in plot are also related from historical events. Having a normal knowledge of post-independence events in India will increase someone's interest and engrossment in this book.
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The real story begins from Saleem Sinai's birth at the same time when India made its "tryst with destiny" on Aug 15, 1947; this made him one of the Midnight's Children who born at the same time possessing some kind of supernatural powers, among them Salim and Shiva are the most powerful; both opposite in character and another girl named Parvati-the witch. The middle of the book , from 200s to 400s pages is totally the story of Salim's wealthy family intermingled with the events in India and Pakistan and Bangladesh too. The controversies around the war of 1962 with China; the problems of states' reorganization within India;especially Mumbai and Gujrat, the Indo-Pak war in 1965 and the war related to the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 is well-constructively depicted with the development of the plot. The most important factor is the language and narrative of Rushdie that keeps the reader attached.
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The book is devided in three parts, the third part is full of the events of Indira Gandhi's regime interconnected with the plot's progress. It seems to me that Rushdie has shown greater disgust for Indira Gandhi for imposing emergency in 1975 through his story; used approx more than 150 pages for this purpose. He also criticized Sanjay Gandhi harshly, even called him," labia-lipped youth" and called Morar Ji Desai,"his own urine drinking politician" many times in the book and so many such remarks on Indian social-political persons and life, but you will like Rushdie always; because this novel is not the mere sky-diving of imagination in the fantasy and supernaturals but it adheres itself perpetually to the happenings in India logically, as I think.
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In sum up, I would say that this is the best novel I ever read; and give 5/5 for everything that is within.
.
Infact, the story is very long, begins somewhat in 1915 from the protagonist's grandfather Adam Aziz , a doctor, educated in Germany, now returned India and trying his luck in Kashmir. During his practice he fall in love with a patient in perforated sheet, the daughter of a rich landlord and got married. In order to live a happy life the couple plans to start their new life in a city of United Province, Agra. While returning from Kashmir, they stayed in Amritsar and Dr. Aziz saw by his own eyes the massacre of Jaliawala Bagh on April 13, 1919. Whereas I remember, the story begins to tilt towards Indian history from this point and as the story of Dr. Aziz goes forward , Rushdie never left any chance to connect his own story from the then happenings in India; infact twists and turns in plot are also related from historical events. Having a normal knowledge of post-independence events in India will increase someone's interest and engrossment in this book.
.
The real story begins from Saleem Sinai's birth at the same time when India made its "tryst with destiny" on Aug 15, 1947; this made him one of the Midnight's Children who born at the same time possessing some kind of supernatural powers, among them Salim and Shiva are the most powerful; both opposite in character and another girl named Parvati-the witch. The middle of the book , from 200s to 400s pages is totally the story of Salim's wealthy family intermingled with the events in India and Pakistan and Bangladesh too. The controversies around the war of 1962 with China; the problems of states' reorganization within India;especially Mumbai and Gujrat, the Indo-Pak war in 1965 and the war related to the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 is well-constructively depicted with the development of the plot. The most important factor is the language and narrative of Rushdie that keeps the reader attached.
.
The book is devided in three parts, the third part is full of the events of Indira Gandhi's regime interconnected with the plot's progress. It seems to me that Rushdie has shown greater disgust for Indira Gandhi for imposing emergency in 1975 through his story; used approx more than 150 pages for this purpose. He also criticized Sanjay Gandhi harshly, even called him," labia-lipped youth" and called Morar Ji Desai,"his own urine drinking politician" many times in the book and so many such remarks on Indian social-political persons and life, but you will like Rushdie always; because this novel is not the mere sky-diving of imagination in the fantasy and supernaturals but it adheres itself perpetually to the happenings in India logically, as I think.
.
In sum up, I would say that this is the best novel I ever read; and give 5/5 for everything that is within.
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