Shame
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Shame is and is not about Pakistan, that invented, imaginary country... The theme is shame and shamelessness, born from the violence which is modern history. Revelation and obscurity, affairs of honour, blushings of all parts, the recession of erotic life, the open violence of public life, create the extraordinary Rushdie mood." -- Malcolm Bradbury, "The Guardian"
"A pitch black comedy of public life and historical imperatives." -- "The Times"
"A pitch black comedy of public life and historical imperatives." -- "The Times"
Book Description
A masterful combination of history, myth, art, language, politics and religion from this legendary writer
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Someone else who reviewed Shame on this site said that the book is a struggle if you don't know anything about Pakistan. I studied this book on my university course and, having no prior knowledge about Pakistan whatsoever, found it by far the most enjoyable, captivating and enlightening book on our course.
It was the first Rushdie book I read [I've since sought out other novels by him]. The character threads and plotlines throughout the novel are complex and tangled, but distinctive and engrossing enough to keep the reader on track. Rushdie's unmistakeable writing style, which seems to appeal highly to some and repulse others, struck me as nothing short of ingenious; knowledgeable and informed without being condescending, humourous without being silly, and informal without being trivial; one has the sense of having a story told verbally to them by a wise and well-travelled uncle with a twinkle in his eye and a wandering memory prone to spinning off on charming tangents. Hugely enjoyable, and like nothing I've ever read before.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Possibly it is because I have not read Rushdie before or possibly because his is just a style that doesn't work for me but I had such a hard time getting into this book and did not enjoy Rushdie's writing at all. It, to me, felt so over the top, his prose full of the unneccessary as if he is trying to let us know just how many clever words he knows so we figure out what an amazing writer he is. I just found it really irritating as I usually do when people use ten words to tell us something they could just as easily do in five. I have a Masters degree in English so it's not that I didn't understand what he was on about I just found it annoying, grating and the story did not capture me at all. This is the first book in a long time that I have started and given up on without finishing. I think if you like Rushdie you'll probably love this, if like me, you prefer a more economical style then you might find it hard going.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Though Rushdie begins the novel by introducing his hero, in a casual, Henry Fielding-style, and sets out what seems to be the main theme of the book (namely shame and embarrassment in the Islamic faith and culture), this book is never so simple. The narrative follows both numerous secondary characters, the hero never wholly central, in a winding but entertaining yarn which takes in as much Pakistan's own invented history as it does it present and the lives of the characters. Yet the interest of the reader is always held; the plot, though winding, never ceases to be fascinating in its endless blind alleys and diversions.
In the novel postmodernism is embraced fully; the past and present intermingle, and the narrative changes its focus throughout. Rushdie seeks to reconcile himself with Pakistan and his own Muslim upbringing in India and Britain, drawing heavily from his own life and from Pakistan's history. It is also Rushdie's answer to his critics, no doubt, as rather than ignoring Islam he challenges it and in particular there is a feminist aspect to the story. Rushdie shows himself to be at once a great writer in a the 'classic' tradition and a progressive and enlightened man.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A mixed work
Released between the critically acclaimed 'Midnight's Children' and the hugely controversial 'The Satanic Verses', Rushdie's 'Shame' is a book which has been largely forgotten and... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. D Burin
Interesting and intriguing
Shame is the third novel by Salman Rushdie. The narrator tells us novel is and is not about Pakistan. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Cloggie Downunder
Review of "Shame"
This is the most powerful, most beautiful novel by Salman Rusdie. I have read most of his novels and this one is by far my favourite. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Kate7125
Wonderful
If you are not a fan of Rushdie then this is probably not the book for you. If you have never read Rushdie before then perhaps this is a good point at which to start, as you will... Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2009 by Alex
Shame by Salman Rushdie
I loved "Midnight's Children" the story, about two boys born when India became independent, was enchanting and the writing was rich and dense. Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2009 by Abiding in the fields
Pakistani Politics a la Rushdie
An interesting tale of Pakistan, and one that is still relevant today especially in the aftermath of the Bhutto assassination. Read more
Published on 8 Jun 2008 by Ibrahim Ali
A little dull
This book is very well written, but fails to hold the reader captive. I short, it is a little dull. I read all but the last twenty pages. It did not seem worth the effort.
Published on 3 Dec 2003
Another lucid and imaginative view from the eyes of Rushdie.
Once again Salman Rushdie has produced a fantastic insight for the reader drawn from his own incredible mind and experience. Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2002
It wasn't a shame to read this book.
Shame was an intriguing yarn and, I disagree that one needs to know the history of Pakistan and India to understand it.
It is witty, funny, erotic and, in some places abrupt. Read more
Published on 26 Aug 2001 by hsirhan@aol.com
A complete utter mystery!
Its very difficult to write a review of a book which you didn't even understand! If you have no knowledge of the history of Pakistan then do not even attempt to read this book! Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2001 by C. O'DONNELL
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