Book Review: Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children MC conquered :)

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Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finally, I’ve read the canonical text titled Midnight’s Children (MC) by Salman Rushdie (SR) wipes the sweat off the brow, and keeps the book aside on the shelf for all to see

Midnight’s children is about India, the new free India born on 15 August 1947 with all its hope for development and progress, dreams of becoming a world power, an ambition to remove all social prejudices, a new order of democracy … in short everything we the people of India dreamed of when the British left for their land, leaving us to govern our own.

Rushdie narrates the story through the 1001 children born during the midnight hour in 1947, therefore the title. What’s in store, they are born with magical powers . The quality and creativity of their powers decrease as the birth time is away from the stroke of midnight. 1001 children, 1001 powers, 1001 dreams are born (now 1001 sounds familiar does it not and out which 420 die (420 really )… and their dreams to change the world are squashed when Indira Gandhi (the widow) calls for Emergency! a thwarting of the very freedom democracy argues for its citizens. There is also a second generation of children born during the Emergency who are born grim and sad as opposed to our dreamy-eyed MCs

In short, Midnight’s Children is an allegory, Saleem Sinai the protagonist is the new free India and through him Rushdie creates a historicity of our country. Rushdie develops the plot by tracing 32 years pre- and post- 1947, therefore the timeline of the book is 1915 (yes you guessed it right, World War 1 to 1979). He traces the history of 3 generations of Saleem Sinai’s family, a family born in the Paradise (think) of Kashmir.

The book is divided into 27 chapters (any echoes there?? … the New Testament in The Bible), chronicled by Saleem who is also a character in his epic production … (if you think it is borrowed from The Ramayana or The Mahabharata, you guessed right …)

I was fascinated to encounter almost everything I have read or heard or known culturally in this book – the fairy tales, the epics, the folktales, the history books, cultural changes, religion, social prejudices, games.. its intertextual and we relate… from Snow White’s story to the game of snakes and ladders.. we see how Rushdie has bound it all into one book. Oh! A note of caution, it’s a postmodern novel with postcolonial politics, therefore, constantly, the chronicler, our Saleem wonders what is genuine or authentic… there is a soul-searching and self-reflection on writing of fiction itself… and the idea of a one India created by the West is discarded and in place there are multiple Indias which is the truth of the matter …. but he warns you time and again it all fiction, it’s all a story…

Confession: I’ve tried reading this book a couple of times before, but never went past the first chapter. It could be the paperback/pirated edition and its stupid font size or bad paper quality, who knows, I’m still trying to put my figure to it. But this time round, it was a smooth ride, and I loved every bit of this Booker and Booker of Bookers winner.

Enjoy peeps It’s not that bad at all… View all my reviews

Author: Salman Rushdie | Book  Title: Midnight’s Children | YOP: 1981 | Awards: Booker 1981, Booker of Bookers: 1993 & 2008|Get a copy Online. 

 

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