Rating: 
Summary: Rushdie dumbed down, but an OK read...
Review: This was my fifth Rushdie book (after Midnight, Satanic, East and Haroun). I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. While Rushdie's prose is, as always, to be admired, I felt that some of the word play was a bit too simplistic this time around (for example, the obvious reference to the racist second line "catch a nigger by his toe" of the British verse by naming the four children Ina, Minnie, Mynah and Moor"). The story itself is staged like a bad Bollywood film. While the novel does feature some intriguing characters (such as the hilarious Helsing, the detective Dim Mento who seems straight out of a dime novel and the insane Ima) that are fun and gleefully cartoonish (even for Rushdie!), the lengthy family history reads like a retread of Midnight's Children. Whereas Midnight masterfully tied in the events of the family into Indian history, the events of the Zogoiby line are simply actions of amoral characters that never take on the high drama Rushdie is aiming for. And while Rushdie does allow us to sympathize with the narrator, I felt that the lackluster plotline had me reading Moor for the sake of reading it. For the first time, I was unable to truly delve into the world that Rushdie was presenting to us. Another problem lies with the formulaic tying-up of plot threads. Rushdie presents some intriguing religious dynamics early on (a man caught between several conflicting religions), but fails to pay it off, prefering to concentrate on a surprisingly formulaic stint with the underworld. There are some interesting metaphors for the Western cultural invasion of India (Abraham in the COD tower reminded me of Howard Hughes). But ultimately Rushdie is too convinced that his story is of the utmost importance and it prevents his characters from becoming as organic as his previous works. However, given some of the larger-than-life characters, it will be interesting to see how this develops in his future books. Recommended for Rushdie fans only. Others should check out Rushdie's best work, Midnight's Children.
Rating: 
Summary: A Cynical Examination of Betrayal and Thwarted Dreams
Review: In a careful and calculated manner, The Moor's Last Sigh leaps across four generations of a rich and demented Indian family, weaving an exquisitely-crafted tapestry of murder and suicide, atheism and asceticism, affection and adultery. The first person narrator of this cynical yet mischievous book is Moraes Zogoiby, aka "Moor," who, seemingly unaffected by his asthma, spins his tale sitting atop a tombstone within sight of the Alhambra in Spain and pursued by a policeman named--like the holy city of Islam--Medina. The centerpiece of this captivating and gorgeous novel is Moor's highly dysfunctional family, a Grand Guignol of good and evil, the deformations of the spirit wrought by love withered or love withheld and the beauty and violence of art, all representative of the tortured history of twentieth century India. Moor, himself, is the champion of miscegenation and cultural melange, bastards and cross-breeds. Standing six and one-half feet tall, Moor has a withered right hand and, like India, he grows too fast, twice the rate of a normal human being. A thirty-six year old elderly man, still in love with a deceitful (and deceased) woman, Moor exhibits the body of a none-too-healthy seventy-two year old. His bloodline, too, is as crowded and diverse as India, herself. Moor is the son of Abraham Zogoiby, a South Indian Jew who is probably the illegitimate descendant of Boabdil, the last Muslim Sultan of Granada and the celebrated artist, Aurora da Gama, a Christian claiming descent from the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama. Abraham and Aurora's love first carries them to the dizzying, hyperbolic heights of fame and power, then plunges them into depths reminiscent of Lucifer's expulsion from Paradise. The blood of the Zogoiby family is indeed tainted--with murder, adultery and lies--and they, in turn, infect everyone they encounter. A tragic figure, Moor nevertheless reveals a wickedly comic streak, as Rushdie combines high art with gaudy jags that refer to the pop cultures of India, America and Britain. Although most Rushdie readers are well-versed in multi-cultural sociology, even the most erudite may have to struggle with this book's obscure, inside jokes and satire. Disorientation also can occur as Rushdie leaps across time zones, from present to recent past to near future to ancient history. These time shifts, however, play an integral role in explaining each of Moor's vignettes and relating their importance to the story as a whole. Among the many dualities threading their way through The Moor's Last Sigh, is the one of good art versus bad. The book's title actually refers to two paintings entitled, The Moor's Last Sigh. One is painted by Aurora, the other by her one-time-admirer-turned-nemesis, Vasco Miranda. Aurora's work is a masterpiece, the last in a series of allegorical paintings in which her son serves as subject. It becomes the symbol that finally gives Moor the humanity he so desires. Miranda's, on the other hand, is a sentimental kitsch of Sultan Boabdil's final departure from Granada. Which one best typifies Moor? In a sense, both do. The narrative, as can be expected from a Rushdie novel, is filmy but faultless: a magical mixture of fact and fable, fantasy and absurdity, comedy and tragedy. Despite its brilliant touches of comedy, the tone remains dark, solemn and sober. Peopled with a wide range of characters, even when parodic and allegorical, they retain their essential humanness. In the end, Rushdie really does paint Moor as a prophet, though one whose messianic calling looks not to the arrival of God but of the better self in all of us, the reconciliation of our mongrel ethics and spirituality. A timely and compelling novel full of contradictions and complexities, The Moor's Last Sigh begs the reader to look beyond its impeccably composed plot to the discordant richness that typifies postcolonial India today.
Rating:
Summary: Delicious!
Review: This book is like a trip to exotic places, like dining on ambrosia. Rushdie gives us characters which come to life and take the reader along for their fabulous ride. I sighed when it ended and opened it again to the first page and began reading anew. Full of humor, angst, passion and longing for life. This book will remain in the classics section of my library.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow at first, but couldn't put it down
Review: Rushdie is one of my faves -- his prose is absolutely stunning, and his use of semi-colloquial language is fantastic, giving it real feeling. I'm now reading "The Ground Beneath her Feet" and I am loving it! I found "moor" a bit slow at the beginning -- i had to put it away for a few months, but once I picked it up again, I couldn't stop reading it! Anyone who likes a good, langorous read with fascinating characters, definitely pick up one of Rushdie's books.
Rating:
Summary: This is the best
Review: Other Rushdie books may be more famous, in particular " The Satanic Verses" but this book demonstrates a greater sensitivity than any other. Perhaps "Midnight's Children" is better written, but this is the book that has the most power and demonstrates Rushdie's position as one of the greatest of modern writers.
Rating:
Summary: Sighing.....
Review: Opinion Rating: Your opinion Sighing... by: beoram (Sat Dec 18 '99) Pros: very well written, wonderful characters Cons: may be too complicated for some readers, especially those unfamiliar with India 'Moor' Zogoiby, the protagonist, is very reminescent of Salman Rushdie himself. Like Moor, Rushdie knows about a life spent in banishment from normal society--Rushdie because of the fatwa that followed The Satanic Verses, Moor because he ages at twice the rate of normal humans. Yet Moor's story of travail is bigger than Rushdie's; it encompasses a grand struggle between good and evil while Moor himself stands as allegory for Rushdie's home country of India. Filled with wordplay and ripe with humour, it is an epic work, and Rushdie has the tools to pull it off. Moor is only son of a wealthy, artistic Bombay family, finds himself at crisis point. After a tragic love affair, 'Moor' plunges into a life of depravity in Bombay before leaving for involvement in financial scandal in London and, in the end, violence in Spain involving a childhood friend. Rushdie has received some heavy criticism from Indian reviewers for not 'being true' to the image of India. However, one suspects Rushdie does not intend to give a journalistic account of India, or anything else for that matter, but rather to create a possible world, which resembles this one, in many important respects. Furthermore, this 'fantasy' world can be more meaningful for its having been simplified in some respects and complicated in others. Salman Rushdie revisits some of the same ground he covered in his greatest novel, Midnight's Children. He earned a 1995 Whitbread Prize for his efforts.
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting!
Review: A spicy whirlwind of enticing personal histories... read it now! The style will revive any bored reader to a rekindling of avidness for reading and knowledge. Mournful, loving, sensual, and ingeniously funny, Moor leads the reader through everything.
Rating:
Summary: Great story! Terrific entertainment.
Review: In "The Moor's Last Sight", Moor narrates the story of his own life with some of the most fascinating families that the world has known. Mr. Rushdie paints with the english language like there is no tomorrow. The surprise ending packs quite a punch and I didn't even see it coming. Don't want to give any of it away, here. The reader will not be disappointed. Nobody writes like Rushdie!
Rating:
Summary: brilliant, enticing, magical !
Review: This book has some clever wordplay and Rushdie proves he is a master of sentences. The reading is however a bit harsh and takes some getting used to. Overall, however, the book is spellbinding with some memorable characters and remarks: O' falsely foul, foully false love ! One thing that did leave me puzzled was the fact that the Moor, who is narrating the story, is so well versed in the english language considering that he didn't even attend school properly, according to the book. Is this supposed to be part of the magical mystical fantasy of the story? Enjoy the book and the questions it raises for yourself. I'll probably read it again, but Midnight's Children remains my all time favourite.
Rating:
Summary: An adventure
Review: This was the first Rushdie book I read and I was not disappointed. The story is a real head rush. And so is the style and the word play. There are some events tha take place especially later in the book that hit you like a quick jab in the stomach. Especially as you develop a sympathetic view of Moor. No doubt Rushdie put a lot of hard work and thought into this one. As a reader, you have to do the same. In the end it is a rewarding read. If you think your family is dysfunctional...
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