1001 Group Read: The Satanic Verses

I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book and I'm having very mixed feelings about this one. I think that it helps prior to reading this one that a person have some understanding of Islam. Having said that, here is a link that may be helpful to other readers.

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/anglophone/satanic_verses/

This link will provide information that will fill in some of the holes that occur around the magic realism of Rushdie's writing.

I just picked this up from the library and hope to start it soon.
--BJ

Well, I finished it. I think I relied too much on the hype and did not get out of this book what I thought I would. However, I must say that the last two sections of the book make this a worth while read. I found that, unlike Midnight's Children, I had difficulty relating to the characters in this book. I just couldn't connect with these people. Overall I gave it a 3.5. It probably deserves better, but that's how it affected me. I'm looking forward to other commentary on this group read. For sure, don't let my comments scare you away from this book. You may find that this is your favorite read of the year.

I've only read the first chapter and methinks it might be a struggle to finish

I've read several Salman Rushdie books, and I really like him, but methinks this might be a book I purchase and put on the shelf. Other than supporting banned authors, why should one read this one?

I guess I wanted to read this to find out what it is about. I came to this book knowing nothing about it except for the controversy.

I just finished section 2, where the Satanic Verses are said. I am wondering who this Mahound is. Is he supposed to be Mohammad? Or someone similar, but different? I can definitely see how someone might be offended if he is supposed to be Mohammad. I just read The Master and Margarita which includes flashbacks to the past involving Jesus and Matthew and Pilate. The figures in this book were named differently than in my Bible, but were to represent the people that the names meant. However, the story was somewhat different than the New Testament telling of the story. I have not read the Quran, but I am guessing that this situation might be similar. I do think that Mahound is a sympathetic character.

Next part is London. The only other Rushdie book that I have read was Midnight's Children. I found the book to be a good one, but difficult. I just do not really have the background knowledge to get all that is in there. One thing I noticed was what a great job Rushdie does at writing compelling endings. Sounds like this one has a good ending as well.
--BJ

Billiejean, you are correct Mahound is the symbol of Mohammad. That is what all the rucus and the death threats were about. You have also probably figured out by now that Gibreel is the symbol of the angle Gabriel, who, according to Islam, communicated the message of Allah to Mohammad. Rushdie goes on to expose certain aspects of Islam that are not observed today. For example, at one time there were 3 goddesses who held sway over Allah, Ayesha being the main goddess. No one hears about that anymore because it does not fit in with a male dominated religion. Rushdie then proceeds to trash just about everything sacred to Islam; moscs, immams, the black stone, holy days, on and on.

I felt the book started to pick up after the section Ellowen Deeowen. So hang in there. You may find you really enjoy this one.

a must read book is "Eat, Love, Pray" by Elizabeth Gilbert

Thanks for the recommendation, lucypriviteraespino!

George, I am kind of confused because I thought that Rushdie is Muslim. I did not know about the three goddesses. So that was at one time a part of Islam? I don't know that much about Islam. Maybe I can learn more along with this book.
--BJ

I am kind of confused because I thought that Rushdie is Muslim.

Rushdie was raised Muslim, but he is an atheist now. He's an apostate, an infidel! Hence, the death threats.

That just about says it.

Oh, I see. So this is his indictment of his previous religion, then? No wonder it is so controversial. I will have to do some research on Islam then to get both sides.
--BJ

The incident of "Satanic verses" is historical, though there I think the main sore points came from the brothel where the prostitutes adopted the names of Prophet's wives, and the writing done by Salman the Persian later in the book. Not entirely sure, I haven't looked that deeply in the conversation around the book.

That said, I don't think the book is entirely about Islam, there are also other themes (and personally I liked the theme of foreignness and character of Saladin a lot).

Not an easy book though, and I enjoyed it more when I read it a second time.

Yeah, I noticed that there was a character named Salman, although he has barely been in the part that I have read so far. I was wondering if he was a mouthpiece for Rushdie.

And I like Saladin, as well. I got the idea from the blurb that things are going to be somewhat unexpected in places.
--BJ

#13 is correct in that there are other themes beyond Islam. For example, one of the major themes revolves around the experiences of Islamic immigrants in European society. Among these issues/experiences expressed in the book are discrimination, language, culture, being uprooted from a society where life is welcomingly controlled by theology/theocracy and plopped into a society where avante garde is the life de jour, being exiled from one's homeland as the result of the conflict between theocratic, democratic and totalitarian forms of government, and the list could go on and on. The inseption and delivery of this book as an indictment of two worlds at the end of the 20th century is brilliant. Where most of us have difficulty with it is that we are largely ignorant of Islam, its history and its lore. We can plough through a book like War and Peace and fully understand what is going on because we have been exposed to Western culture, religion, norms, values and history.

I am glad that there are other themes to the book. I did see some glimpse of the clash of cultures even at the beginning. And I am not very knowledgeable about Islam.

I am hoping to pick it back up today. Wednesdays are kind of full for me.
--BJ

I finally finished the London section. The book seems to alternate between past and present with Gibreel in both. The alternating kind of reminds me of The Master and Margarita again.

This section did not really seem to be about religion to me, but about how immigrants are perceived by others in society. The hospital full of people changing into animals was interesting. And the way that people disliked the animal appearances but did not really find them strange.

I am looking forward to seeing what is going to happen next. Also, I am going to look at that website that you mentioned, George. Thanks.
--BJ

OK. I see that I was wrong about the structure of the book. Just started Ayesha. I think I will read the study guide after I finish the book.
--BJ

I just finished the section on Ayesha and thought it was the best of the book so far. I don't really see this as an indictment of Islam yet. I am wondering what the butterflies mean?
--BJ

I just finished A City Visible but Unseen and thought it was terrific. The main themes to me seem to be immigration, assimilation, and alienation. I am wondering how the Satanic Verses are going to come back into the story, but I am guessing that they will.

There were so many terrific quotes in this part. Here are some that I liked:

Appearances deceive; the cover is not the best guide to the book. Devil, Goat, Shaitan? Not I. Not I: another. Who?

Language is courage: the ability to conceive a thought, to speak it, and by doing so to make it true.

A dead lover deserves the benefit of the doubt.

An iceberg is water striving to be land; a mountain, especially a Himalaya, especially Everest, is land's attempt to metamorphose into sky; it is grounded flight, the earth mutated -- nearly -- into air, and become, in the true sense, exalted.

'So a woman's life-plans are being smothered by a man's,' she said, not unkindly. 'So welcome to your gender. I see that it's strange for you to be out of control.'

And then I loved the way this section ended. Kind of reverse of that last quote!
--BJ

Just finished Return to Jahilia. It did not take the turn that I expected. I thought we were going to return to the pilgrimage. Lots of talk about sleep and dreams. And I do think that Salman might be a voice for Rushdie. But the discussion of Islam, which includes criticism, still does not seem as extreme as I was expecting due to all the controversy. All is not criticism, either.
--BJ

From reading about Rushie in the past, I thought the issue was only something to do with Muhammad's wives in the novel. However, there's a whole Wikipedia page about it (with references). To read lots more, go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Satanic_Verses_controversy

Thanks for the link, Nickelini. I had planned to wait until after finishing the book before reading commentary to avoid spoilers, but I went ahead and read quite a bit about the article. I stopped partway as it was so long and I had found a few spoilers about parts I have not gotten to.

It is true that the book has a brothel use the names of the wives for the prostitutes to increase business. However, these prostitutes are sentenced to death as a result. Also, there is discussion about why Muhammed gets more wives than other men. However, Muhammed's side of the argument is also put forward. In my opinion, the character Muhammed is a sympathetic character. Also the character Saladin is a sympathetic character. There were references that I did not get as I am not Muslim. For example Mecca and Jahilia. Maybe if I were farther along in the book, I would have figured that out as there is a pilgrimage.

My only point is that I do not see the controversial aspects of the book as rising to the level of condemnation that resulted. This could just be my ignorance of the religion. (It probably is.) But there is so much more to this book than a discussion of Islam. The effects of immigration, alienation, assimilation, culture clashes. And I can't really understand why the title of the book was chosen. But I still have a little over a hundred pages to go, so maybe that will become clear to me.

I had just read the part about the "wives" so thanks for the mention of the article. I could see where people would not like that.
--BJ

My only point is that I do not see the controversial aspects of the book as rising to the level of condemnation that resulted.

Well, I don't think it takes much with extremist fundamentalists. You're trying to be logical, and they don't care about logic. It's the same mindset that goes berserk over a cartoon in a Danish newspaper. Reason does not apply.

Well, I went back and finished the article that you recommended. It was fascinating. There was a lot more to it than I had remembered. And you are right that I am looking at this book from a totally different perspective. Thanks again for the link. The timeline alone was worth seeing as the controversy did not really die down as I thought it had.

And after I finish the book, I plan to read the study guide that you linked, George1295. I have no idea how I will review this book.
--BJ

Nickelini nailed it. Don't think logically. Think. . . . enraged. Think. . . . that man actually put the name of the One in print with the names of infidels. Think . . . . that man actually put verses of the Qran in print and sold them to an apostate world. Think. . . . that man has blasphemed the most holy of cities. Now think. . . . if I destroy that man in the name of God how high I will be elevated in the kingdom. As Yoda would say, "There is no logic, only do or do not."

Is that right that he put verses of the Quran in it? The Satanic Verses were not in the Quran, right? Or at least they were deleted. This book is so interesting that I cannot wait to finish it, but I did see a few big things up ahead that I have not gotten to yet that were mentioned in the article.
--BJ

I just finished the section The Angel Azraeel. Now I see the tie-in to the title. Wow. Rushdie is quite the story teller. Here is my quote from this section:

Is it possible that evil is never total, that its victory, no matter how overwhelming, is never absolute?

Only two sections left to go.
--BJ

When wondering what is the cause of all the fuss, one should not underestimate the politics; picking a topic first and then picking a convenient example second. In this case the topic being (alleged) anti-Islam politics of West, colonialism and so forth.

I just read the part called The Parting of the Arabian Sea. I was glad that the story can back to the pilgrimage. Still wondering about the butterflies. I found the part about the stoning disturbing. Here is my quote from this section:

Unwilling wholly to abandon the project for which his wife had died, unable to maintain any longer the absolute belief which the enterprise required, Muhammad Din entered the station wagon of scepticism. 'My first convert,' Mirza Saeed rejoiced.

I found the end of this section really interesting. I thought the endings of the various parts of Midnight's Children were fantastic -- especially the final ending to the book -- so I am looking forward to the conclusion of this one. Only one more section to go.
--BJ

I finally finished the book and I have to say that I thought it was an amazing read. For a while, I had thought that I might not read more Rushdie, but now I know that I will.

Here is my quote for the last section A Wonderful Lamp:

I must think of myself, from now on, as living perpetually in the first instant of the future . . . .

I hope to read the commentary in the next few days.
--BJ

Edited to correct the title of the section.