Thalia Book Club: Salman Rushdie's Joseph Anton: A Memoir

Joseph Anton. Why such a pseudonym? Is it some random name, or does it have any story or reason behind it? This was the question that came to my mind when I saw this book for the first time. If you are someone who has already read some books written by Salman Rushdie, you will understand why I t......more

Astonishing, searingly candid. The cowardly attack on Salman Rushdie in Chatauqua New York (12 August 2022) sent me to this memoir of the fatwa years, which had been on my backlist for some time. It turns out to be a dazzling text. Suddenly one looks up and it’s 4 a.m. Rushdie evinces a great sense o......more

I’m going to review this book without actually talking about it, though I don’t think it really matters. I read a lot, though I also write a lot. I write short stories, poetry and essays. I write reviews every day to practice writing and to capture my thoughts on certain topics. I even have a 1st dr......more

As you are fighting a battle that may cost you your life, is the thing for which you are fighting worth loosing your life for? (p. 285) So why is it that I feel I have to defend liking this book? Almost all reviews I’ve read – from New York Times to Goodreads – have been rather negative, attacking a......more