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Amazon.co.uk Review
Before Salman Rushdie had that problem with a certain religious-political figure with a serious need to chill out, he'd already shown he was an important literary force. Quite simply, Midnight's Children is amazing--fun, beautiful, erudite, both fairy tale and political narrative told through a supernatural narrator who is caught between different worlds. Though it's a big book, with big themes of India's nationhood and of ethnic and personal identity, it's far from a dry history lesson. Rushdie tells the story in his own brand of magical realism, with a prose of lyrical, transcendent goofiness.

Synopsis
Saleem Sinai was born at midnight, the midnight of India's independence, and found himself mysteriously 'handcuffed to history' by the coincidence. He is one of 1,001 children born at the midnight hour, each of them endowed with an extraordinary talent - and whose privilege and curse it is to be both master and victims of their times. Through Saleem's gifts - inner ear and wildly sensitive sense of smell - we are drawn into a fascinating family saga set against the vast, colourful background of the India of the 20th century.

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35 Reviews 5 star:  (17) 4 star:  (8) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:  (2) 1 star:  (5)           Average Customer Review (35 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   27 of 27 people found the following review helpful: a fantastical-magical great read, 26 Nov 2002 By  "scjackson3" - See all my reviews Four and a half stars. This was my first Rushdie book. A multilayered, multifaceted book. The story of "Saleem Sinai, later variously called Snotnose, Stainface, Baldy, Buddha and even Piece-of-the-Moon.." who was born at midnight, the precise moment of independence for his country, India. And 'thanks to the occult tyrannies those blandly saluting clocks" he was "mysteriously handcuffed to history". His story is the immortalisation of his memories, the "chutnification of history", "the pickling of time". It is the story of a nation finding it's identity, of impressions and memories, of people and events, of families and more. But it is Rushdie's fantastical, magical prose that brings the book to life, colours, sights and especially smells, like you've never experienced before. It is not necessarily an easy read, for at least the first fifty pages I couldn't get it, but then something clicked and I just immersed myself in the wonderful text. Some of the passages I read again and again to savour the intricacies. It won't be everyone's idea of a good read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and believe that I will enjoy it more when I come back the second time.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   23 of 23 people found the following review helpful: Words cannot describe..., 14 Mar 2007 By  Sam J. Ruddock (Norwich, England) - See all my reviews       Once upon a time I used the words `great' and `masterpiece' with frivolous regularity. Then I read Midnights Children. Salman Rushdie works on a different scale to other authors, seamlessly blending the magical and the realistic, enhancing and supplanting accepted history, and illuminating his tactile world to all. He is first and foremost a storyteller who juggles plots and ideas with consummate ease, building a tapestry of flawed heroes and three dimensional characters. He writes with such a conversational narrative voice that is a pleasure to sit back and wallow in his half real, half magical worlds. Common perception of Salman Rushdie is of a dense and unreadable author, for literary buffs rather than general readers. This is not true though his individual style takes some getting used to. If you have never read any Rushdie, start with his more recent work such as Fury to get into his groove. Once you have done this then grab this book, sit back and prepare to enter the magical world of the children of Midnight, eternally tied to the fate of their fledgling nation. You will not be disappointed.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   23 of 23 people found the following review helpful: Often forgotten masterpiece, 4 April 1999 By A Customer Whilst it is through 'The Satanic Verses' that Rushdie has received most of his media and public attention I feel that it is around this book that any literary praise should be centred. It is this book that won the 1981 Booker Prize (and was subsiquently voted "Booker of Bookers") and it is in 'Midnight's Children' that the reader sees the true mastery of Rushdie's writing. His ability to blend magical fantasy with the stark realism of Post-colonial India is breath-taking; the dexterity with which he manipulates the english language is stunning. It seems that this novel is often overlooked because of the controversy surrounding 'The Satanic Verses';whilst I am the first person to review this book, there are 13 reviews for the Verses. I strongly recommend that anyone thinking about reading Rushdie starts with 'Midnight's Children'. It is a novel drenched in the atmosphere of India which draws you into the centre of the sprawling continent. In my opinion, it is Rushdie's great, although often forgotten, masterpiece.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 35 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews Exciting Despite what some reviewers have said about this book I must say that I found it easy to get into. The characters are all so beautifully described with such fabulously intriguing... Read more Published 26 days ago by a nice guy who likes reading hype = a lot of hot air I was so excited when I first saw this book. A magic realist story about India? With politics, intrigue and tons of hype? Yes please! Read more Published 4 months ago by taliasuri