I was too curious to know why this book won booker prize and then Booker of booker awards twice. So I read it.The book is part history and part fantasy. The language and flow of the book is complex. Every sentence has a metaphor and symbolism. I provide an example here, see for yourself if you happen to grasp what is going on:
From the chapter "At the Pioneer Café" --
No colours except green and black the walls are green the sky is black (there is no roof) the stars are green the Widow is green but her hair is black as black. The Widow sits on a high high chair the chair is green the seat is black the Widow's hair has a centre-parting it is green on the left and on the right black. High as the sky the chair is green the seat is black the Widow's arm is long as death its skin is green the fingernails are long and sharp and black. Between the walls the children green the walls are green the Widow's arm comes snaking down the snake is green the children scream the fingernails are black the scratch the Widow's arm is hunting see the children run and scream the Widow's hand curls round them green and black.
It took me a long time (3 days to be precise) to figure out the meaning. The widow in the paragraph is Indira Gandhi.
After failing miserably to understand the awarded beauty of the book I am still curious to know why this book won the booker of booker twice.....?
2 comments:
Got to know about your blog thr' Ranjan's comment on quota.
I think, analyzing Midnight's children is a little difficult. But I think that is because I am not very used to this kind of creative writing.
My take on a couple of books:
http://atulatul.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/midnightschildren/
http://atulatul.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/thebetterpartsofthefountainhead/
http://atulatul.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/thefountainhead/
This was first salman Rushdie book I read and went ahead reading most of his works.. nothing matched the vivid images this book created. Probably best work by him..
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