Midnight’s Children
By Salman Rushdie
Much of the surge in the popularity of South Asian literature
during recent years can be traced to one revolutionary event – the
1981 publication of Midnight’s Children. The novel’s
protagonist, Saleem Sinai, has the distinction of having
been born at the stroke of midnight on India’s first
day of independence. The rollicking account that ensues,
tracing Salaam’s life and lineage, has something for
everyone – magical realism, a picaresque quality reminiscent
of Candide, and a historical perspective on the ongoing struggle
between India and Pakistan, Hindu and Muslim. Rushdie’s
insightful, ambitious, and beautifully realized novel – published
a decade before the fatwa that sent him into hiding – is
destined to assume its place among the late 20th century’s
greatest literary accomplishments. Neal Kane
©Copyright 2008 Libretto,
Inc. |
