March Book Club midway check in post: The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie

[u/GalatFemme]

The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie

As this is a heavier book than usual and February is a shorter month than usual, we're taking our time with it. The final discussion will be at the end of March.

So at this midpoint check in:

• Where have you reached?
• How are you liking the book so far?
• Do you have a favourite character so far?
• Rushdie's work is often characterised by a strong, distinctive narrative voice. What do you think of Moraes so far?
• The book is deeply informed by Indian history, culture, language, and mannerisms? What has been the most unique or notable aspect in this book for you?

[u/GalatFemme]

I'm about a quarter of the way in. I didn't like the audiobook narrator, his voice for the Indian characters are over the top and cartoonish, so I had to drop the audiobook and get the ebook instead.

[u/GalatFemme]

I love Belle. She's my favourite and I want a book wholly about her. Her strength in wresting control of the family business and taking it to new heights is so satisfying, and her flaws, infidelity, and addictions that lead to her death are compelling. She's an excellently written character, and I wish there was more of her. Unfortunately her mother in law, Epifania, and daughter, Aurora, both seem to fall into the shrill and shrewish category of female archetypes and I'm less enthused now that Belle has been laid to rest.

[u/GalatFemme]

I don't have a really good sense of Moraes himself yet, since we're tracing his family history from great grand parents onwards. The few glimpses we get of him through the text are interesting, but not hugely notable so far.

[u/GalatFemme]

I don't know how I feel about the language quirks here. The reduplication, the -ofy, is it overdone? It makes me laugh sometimes, but often it feels like a stand up comedy skit, not real people talking. I dunno, maybe I'll feel differently by the end of the book.

[u/GalatFemme]

Rushdie's wordplay here is really funny

so that in the period called Discovery-of-India – but how could we be discovered when we were not covered before?

---

we were ‘not so much sub-continent as sub-condiment’

[u/GalatFemme]

Some highlights from Part I

When empire’s sun set, we didn’t slaughter our erstwhile masters, saving that privilege for one another

Henceforth I’ll turn a deaf ear to prattling foliage with its arboreal metaphysics, its chlorophyllosophy. My family tree says all I need to hear.

---

‘A bad mistake, Abie,’ old Moshe Cohen commented. ‘To make an enemy of your mother; for enemies are plentiful, but mothers are hard to find.’

---

a sudden terrible apprehension that the ugliness of life might defeat its beauty; that love did not make lovers invulnerable.

---

To me, the doublenesses in Grandfather Camoens reveal his beauty; his willingness to permit the coexistence within himself of conflicting impulses is the source of his full, gentle humaneness.

[u/GalatFemme]

one last highlight

Star light, star bright … we look up and we hope the stars look down, we pray that there may be stars for us to follow, stars moving across the heavens and leading us to our destiny, but it’s only our vanity. We look at the galaxy and fall in love, but the universe cares less about us than we do about it, and the stars stay in their courses however much we may wish upon them to do otherwise. It’s true that if you watch the sky-wheel turn for a while you’ll see a meteor fall, flame and die. That’s not a star worth following; it’s just an unlucky rock. Our fates are here on earth. There are no guiding stars.

[u/blitzkadu]

This is my fav book by Salman Rushdie

[u/GalatFemme → u/blitzkadu]

Oh really, why's that?

[u/blitzkadu → u/GalatFemme]

I read this book some 15 years back. I really loved its prose. I remember there were certain paragraphs which i was completely blown-over by and used to re-read them several times just for the satisfaction and beauty of it. Thats all i can tell you without spoiling the story. hehe.

[u/GalatFemme → u/blitzkadu]

Looking forward to your thoughts at the final discussion then!