Rushdie not quite at his best but still good. ( )

I'm a fan of Rushdie's taking a stand for freedom in fiction and his political views, but I've struggled in the past to appreciate his work. I could not do it with Midnight's Children, but here is a much more recent offering that I got along with immediately. It's also a wonderful read on the heels of his memoir "Joseph Anton" because there are so many things from Rushdie's actual life - real occurrences and influences - that appear here.

That should not be surprising. There is always a temptation to try reading an author into his work. Rushdie both invites and confounds the effort by inserting an intermediate layer. First we're introduced to Quichotte, a modern-day Quixote setting out to win the hand of his Oprah-like idol. Then we are introduced to Brother, the author who is writing Quichotte's story. Rushdie is still there, even addressing the reader directly as he writes about Brother, but Quichotte remains a step removed and his story illuminates that of Brother's. Then, like his idol Jorge Borges, Rushdie takes things a step further and introduces this novel's Sancho - a figment of Quichotte's imagination brought to life, but one who seems aware of Brother's existence. Or is his narrative just being written that way by Brother? And then Sancho's cricket starts talking ...

It must sound very complicated and random in summary, but it plays out in a very plainspoken and straightforward manner. Rushdie invites us inside the process by which fiction is spun from real life, and how it can be a cathartic process for the author at the same time as it entertains a reader. As a Cervantes fan I loved the parallels drawn to Quixote's classic adventure, and how well this is made to mesh with contemporary social commentary. Most of all I appreciated the tour inside of a celebrated author's head and methods, a how-to guide that is anything but dry. ( )

Having read a few of Rushdie's books, Quichotte is by far the best! Blending whimsy with a contemporary spin on Don Quixote he takes the reader on a journey into the mind Sam DuChamp, an author writing the Quichotte story toggling back and forth between his life and the characters. Adding contemporary political, economic and social elements along with subtle racial overtones the plot causes the reader to pay close attention. Rushdie has used some unusual naming, storytelling and character ideas blending them together like a cake batter! His sense of humor and sarcasm shines in this book, a quality I hadn't experienced with his other stories. Highly recommended for those who enjoy great storytelling that at times will throw you due to rapid switchbacks between Quichotte and DuChamp. I actually rate this 4.5 stars since it's unique in all ways! ( )

This book is a satire of life in the 21st century, covering contemporary issues such as immigration, globalization, multi-culturalism, celebrity, politics, religion, social media, opioids, racism, stalking, cyber hacking, and much more. It includes many pop-culture references, literary allusions, and socio-political commentary. Rushdie employs the idea behind Don Quixote, but this book is very different in tone and content, more like a riff on a theme.

The plot revolves around an author, Sam DuChamps, writing a book about Ismail Smile, an older traveling salesman whose alias is Quichotte (key-SHOTT). Through Quichotte’s obsession with television, he notices and “falls in love” with Miss Salma R, an Oprah-like talk show host of eastern Indian descent. Quichotte and his imaginary “son,” Sancho, set off on a journey to win her, but first he must pass through seven valleys of trials and purifications. As he travels across America, he encounters racially motivated harassment, a scientist working on a portal to an alternate reality, various people involved in opioid distribution, and mastodons running amok. DuChamps’s life mirrors the book he is writing (sans mastodons) and the twin stories eventually converge into an extravaganza of action.

It takes quite a while for the story to ramp up, as there are many moving parts, lots of characters, and two sets of narratives. It is a thinking person’s book involving a complex structure, critique of the dumbing down of critical thought, psychological insights on human nature, and musings on space and time. Rushdie employs elements of the picaresque, the metaphysical, and the absurd to make a point about the deterioration of society. He sprinkles in bits of humor along the way. It takes place mostly in the US, with smaller segments in the UK and India. The beginning chapters jump quickly from one thing to the next and the different threads start coming together at about the half-way point. It started off as a not-so-pleasant experience but gained momentum and became riveting near the end. I appreciate the literary merit in this work and admired Rushdie’s virtuosity in assembling this intricate mix of genres (contemporary literature, fantasy, science fiction) and themes. It requires effort on the reader’s part, but the payoff is worth it.

I picked up this book based on the strength of Golden House, the only other book by Rushdie that I’ve read. This book is very different. I don’t think it will appeal to everyone, and I imagine it will generate extreme reactions, but if you appreciate a romp through the absurd, you may enjoy it.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This book is scheduled for release on September 3, 2019. ( )

I borrowed this book soon after its author Salman Rushdie had been stabbed in New York. It's a whimsical, funny and bittersweet book about making fantasy worlds in order to escape from trauma, referencing of course Don Quixote, the most famous fantasist. It has a book-within-a book (within a...) structure. The fantasies of the protagonists bleed into each other. Along the way it comments on modern America, United Kingdom and India and where they all went wrong. It reads like a final book, facing mortality, and maybe it is. ( )