Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children : Adapted for the Theatre by Salman Rushdie, Simon Reade and Tim Supple

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Summary: If you read one book
Review: I was inspired to complete only one book in college. Everything else was dead writing. This was FANTASTIC!

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Summary: Midnight's Children: A book that upholds History,Humanity...
Review: I never imagined, before I read Midnight's Children, that a book, such an extraordinary epic, could be as powerful, influential and fantastic as that. Such a book, that defines litterature, a sheer master-piece, an everlasting work of art, is destined to remain for centuries a hallmark in elegant, sublime writing. I advise everyone, all over the world, to read this fabulous book. Please, READ MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN, READ IT!!! I sign off with these words: "To understand Salman Rushdie, you will have to swallow a world..." I, born the 9th July 1978, just past Midnight, has been possessed by the magic of THE Book. Swetam GUNGAH A Midnight's Child 16.03.98.

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Summary: Simply an amazing literary talent!
Review: The hype surrounding Salman Rushdie's death sentence has overshadowed the fact that he is an incredibly talented writer. This novel drips with brilliance. The parallels between the main character and Indian history are so well developed and clever that it is almost impossible not to grin with its genuis. Rusdie's colorful and dramtic descriptions of people, places and events can sent chills through the reader. His witty, philosophical and politcal characters are some of the most original in modern literature. Enough wonderful things cannot be said about this truly incredible work! It's a must read for anyone interested in modern literature.

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Summary: Another "10" -- you starting to get the idea, yet?
Review: I bought this book based on its reputation and, relatedly, on the "Best Book in 25 Years" label on the cover. I started reading with high expectations. I was reasonably impressed, true, but I was skeptical that the label on the book went too far. Then, around page 200, the book went from good to spectacular. Rushdie builds up to his payoffs, with a (foretold) surprise every fifty pages. The book can be appreciated either by reading every word slowly, savoring each one, or by tearing through it to see what happens next. Rare is the book that is not only moving and thought-provoking, but also fun. Believe the hype.

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Summary: A shard of India -- Very, very good...but not great
Review: Certainly all the hub-bub about this Booker-Prize-winning novel is somewhat deserved -- but only somewhat. For an author as erudite as Rushdie, you do finish the book expecting something else, something *more* than this. Rushdie's precise diction, his mastery of ear and voice in English, and his bitingly dry wit all come through in this narrative, but it is clearly not his best effort. Occasionally repetitive, needlessly melodramatic at times, and not-quite certain in purpose, Midnight's Children shows flashes of brilliance and genius, but it is an uneven effort. Although anyone can see how adept Rushdie is at storytelling (and telling tales-within-tales) after a few pages, and almost anyone is certain to read this cover-to-cover, Midnight's Children has some dull, obscure, rambling moments that are noticable. The epic scale of the novel, the clever use of recent history, and the vivid portrayal of India/Pakistan/Bangladesh are all strong pluses in its favor -- Rushdie certainly deserves high praise for this work -- but he can (and has) done better. Read it, enjoy it, and then move on to his later publications.

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Summary: The best book I've ever read.
Review: I read Rushdie's incredible novel when I was in India and it was all the more special. Within the lives of 30 or so people born at Midnight on 14/8/47 (the moment India and Pakistan were cut free from British rule) Rushdie weaves an allegorical novel that summarises India's past and as those lives are lived comments on her future. The problems of Islamic Kashmir and the beautiful language that he uses in describing it are unforgettable.

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Summary: The biggest masterpiece to come out of India
Review: Salman Rushdie's book is a must-read for anyone who likes good literature. Based on children who were born on the eve of Indian indedpendance it is a dizzying ride on a carpet of magic realism. Rushdie's sharp observations, his breathtakingly beautiful prose and his unique imagination make this one of the masterpieces to have come out of English writing. It is long and one needs some amount of determination to have it finished, but it's worth it. Highly recommended

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Summary: Why Rushdie has a price on his head (not what you think)
Review: Reading this book revealed to me the true threat of Rushdie--which is not his religious beliefs or how he weaves them into his novels, but rather his mastery of the art of fiction. I wasn't sure whether this book was poetry or prose as I read it. Much like Faulkner's, Rushdie's words flow almost musically around his characters. Yes, you learn a lot about India and its independence struggles, but more importantly Rushdie pulls you into this swirl of magical characters, so much so that you don't want to leave

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Summary: A book that will be read one hundred years from now
Review: The book is magical - a blend of history and absurdity that yields profound insights into the human condition. Set around the independence of India, it affords the reader some insights into that sub-continent. Of course, many lesser forms, such as TV programs, do the same thing. This book goes far beyond that buoyed by its wonderful humor (I promise you won't forget the black mango or Saleem as a 10-year-old "comforting" his distraught and beautiful aunt. This book both celebrates and transcends time and place - while you will learn much about India and Pakistan, you do not need that knowledge to appreciate the insights into the human condition that come shining through. There is sadness and disappointment beneath all of the hilarity of Saleem's adventures, behind the irony of Rushdie's description of the Indo-Pakastani war in which "only three bombs were dropped", but those three bombs killed nearly all his family in both India and Pakistan. This book will make you laugh out loud, sigh inwardly, and ponder the human condition. Midnight's Children succeeds at doing for the birth of India what Thomas Pynchon failed so miserably to do for the birth of the U.S. in Mason & Dixon.

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Summary: incredible
Review: Excellent storytelling - with a mixture ofopinions, philosophy and history that is never boring, blended with endless surprises.