DVD Talk Forum - "Satanic Verses"

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"Satanic Verses"

Anyone ever read it?
what's it about?
is it fiction? It was in what I think is the fiction section of the school library. I paged through it but got a Harry Turtledove book instead

hard to summarize

it's that scary magical realism stuff, in this case having to do with immigration mostly... its fiction

I've always meant to read it - mainly because of the hit out on Rushdie. He must be saying some pretty extreme things to get a hit put out on him.

A book I have never read and, while the junk surrounding it and its author was/is interesting to me, I can't get up any desire to go read it.

Am I missing out?

I've always meant to read this one, myself.

One thing, though. Everyone's aware of the controversy surrounding this title. I've heard that, unless you are or ever have been a Moslem, you probably won't understand what was so offensive about the book that caused a fatwa to be placed on the author.

Anyone who knows care to elaborate on what was so offensive to certain sectors of the Islamic world? Spoiler tag in necessary.

Quote:

Originally posted by Josh-da-man
Anyone who knows care to elaborate on what was so offensive to certain sectors of the Islamic world? Spoiler tag in necessary.

From Justin Torres' review of another of his books (Fury) in the 10-1-01 Weekly Standard magazine.

Quote:

Spoiler:

From what I understand, after briefly skimming the article again, the Satanic Verses is one of his best books, but he tends to be a writer of brilliant moments, rather than brilliant books. But the Verses is said to be very good except for certain sections (like the one referenced above) that fall somewhat flat and seem out of place. Also, his style is one of "reimagining" historical events.

-David

:lol: Look out for his latest: "I Hate That Fat Guy, Buddha"

FWIW I've read one or two Rushdie's in my time and enjoyed them.

IIRC Midnight's Children won the Booker Prize and was a fascinasting read based on lives of children born at the exact time of India's independence and its split from what became Pakistan.

I never got around to reading The Satanic Verses.

I believe the title refers to certain verses linked with the origin of the Koran but which were later said to have been dictated by Satan rather than by Gabriel. They were deemed to be blasphemous and not part of the official scripture.

posted by benedict

Quote:

I believe the title refers to certain verses linked with the origin of the Koran but which were later said to have been dictated by Satan rather than by Gabriel. They were deemed to be blasphemous and not part of the official scripture.

I believe Rushdie's treatment of this moment, his re-creation of the events, is what caused the fatwa. But he based this moment on scepticism that had existed for centuries. (At least I think I read that somewhere, Islam is a bit foreign to me.)