Rating: 
Summary: A mix of Rushdie
Review: "East, West" comprises of a selection of stories arranged into three sections, "East", "West", and "East, West". As with most short story collections, they vary in type and quality. Rushdie's method seemed to me to look at bits of life in India, and life in the UK as experienced by Indians living in the UK and British subjects of Indian descent. Especially, how are people coping with both cultures?The "East" section roams from a story about the problem of getting permission to travel to the UK, the mass vascetomy programme, and a fantasy about a curse associated with a holy relic. "West" is essentially a critique of Western culture: a spoof of "Hamlet", a story about obsession with money, and an alternative history of Columbus's relationship with Isabella of Spain. The last section, "East, West", is perhaps the best, containing stories both humorous and mooving, culminating with "The Courter". Not bad, but a mixed bag. G Rodgers
Rating:
Summary: A mix of Rushdie
Review: "East, West" comprises of a selection of stories arranged into three sections, "East", "West", and "East, West". As with most short story collections, they vary in type and quality. Rushdie's method seemed to me to look at bits of life in India, and life in the UK as experienced by Indians living in the UK and British subjects of Indian descent. Especially, how are people coping with both cultures? The "East" section roams from a story about the problem of getting permission to travel to the UK, the mass vascetomy programme, and a fantasy about a curse associated with a holy relic. "West" is essentially a critique of Western culture: a spoof of "Hamlet", a story about obsession with money, and an alternative history of Columbus's relationship with Isabella of Spain. The last section, "East, West", is perhaps the best, containing stories both humorous and mooving, culminating with "The Courter". Not bad, but a mixed bag. G Rodgers
Rating:
Summary: Eclectic. a hodge podge of Britain and India.
Review: East West is not one of the best collection of short stories that I have read, but
it certainly is very entertaining. Rushdie's tongue-in-cheek style shows through in the "prophet's hair". Witty and funny. Love the irreverent way he weaves in details, which to me makes his writing so enjoyable. Definitely a decent read.
Rating: 
Summary: Marvelous variety of stories - well written, well plotted
Review: East, West contains a wide variety of short story forms - from the classic story telling of Good Advice Is Rarer Than Rubies to the post-modern Yorick. All are well written with plots that have interesting twists and reflect a deep understanding of human relationships. Good Advice Is Rarer Than Rubies is of a charleton giving free advice to a woman seeking a visa to England to join her fiance. His advice turns out to be valuable. The Free Radio depicts both a cultural clash (old/new) on birth control as a way to view dreams - of a free radio, of being a movie star. The Prophet's Hair tells of the theft/loss/theft/loss of the relic of the Prophet ... and the misfortunes accompanying the relic. Yorick is an exploration of Hamlet's motivations based on his childhood relationship with Yorick and his wife. At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers is a fascinating look at society and dreams. Kansas will never be the same. Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella of Spain Consummate Their Relationship depicts Christopher gaining the financial backing for his voyage and Isabella's unquechable thirst. The Harmony of the Spheres follows a friendship through the occult, madness, suicide, and truth - the last being, perhaps, the most difficult. Chekov and Zulu - names based on Star Trek - follows two childhood friends through the Indian diplomatic corp, the assasination of Indira Gandhi, and their choices of separate directions. The Courter shows the family and servant relationships of "outsiders" - voluntarily or otherwise - living in London. The Courter is the most poignant of the stories; The Prophet's Hair the most traditional; Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella of Spain Consummate Their Relationship the most original. This is an excellent collection of short stories. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Marvelous variety of stories - well written, well plotted
Review: East, West contains a wide variety of short story forms - from the classic story telling of Good Advice Is Rarer Than Rubies to the post-modern Yorick. All are well written with plots that have interesting twists and reflect a deep understanding of human relationships. Good Advice Is Rarer Than Rubies is of a charleton giving free advice to a woman seeking a visa to England to join her fiance. His advice turns out to be valuable. The Free Radio depicts both a cultural clash (old/new) on birth control as a way to view dreams - of a free radio, of being a movie star. The Prophet's Hair tells of the theft/loss/theft/loss of the relic of the Prophet ... and the misfortunes accompanying the relic. Yorick is an exploration of Hamlet's motivations based on his childhood relationship with Yorick and his wife. At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers is a fascinating look at society and dreams. Kansas will never be the same. Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella of Spain Consummate Their Relationship depicts Christopher gaining the financial backing for his voyage and Isabella's unquechable thirst. The Harmony of the Spheres follows a friendship through the occult, madness, suicide, and truth - the last being, perhaps, the most difficult. Chekov and Zulu - names based on Star Trek - follows two childhood friends through the Indian diplomatic corp, the assasination of Indira Gandhi, and their choices of separate directions. The Courter shows the family and servant relationships of "outsiders" - voluntarily or otherwise - living in London. The Courter is the most poignant of the stories; The Prophet's Hair the most traditional; Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella of Spain Consummate Their Relationship the most original. This is an excellent collection of short stories. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best book in the world...
Review: I guess if you are very in to Salman Rushdie's works this book would be good but I had trouble getting threw it. The language was excessively complex. The language alone made the reading of the book unpleasant. I love books but I can't say I enjoyed reading this one.
Rating:
Summary: A great collection
Review: I love Salman Rushdie, and I love this book. This is, in my opinion, the best collection of short stories written in the later half of the 20th century. Rushdie is the greatest storyteller of our time, and this book is breathing proof.
Rating:
Summary: A great collection
Review: I love Salman Rushdie, and I love this book. This is, in my opinion, the best collection of short stories written in the later half of the 20th century. Rushdie is the greatest storyteller of our time, and this book is breathing proof.
Rating: 
Summary: A standalone or a great companion piece
Review: I read this book of stories after having read 4 of Rushdie's novels (and enjoying them all!). I wish I had read this first, because the stories helped me understand some of the references to daily life that I had missed in his novels. I've never been to India or Pakistan, to my chagrin, and these stories fleshed out Rushdie's view of that experience. When I read the first story, "Good Advice is Rarer Than Rubies" (a story about a young woman's attempt to follow her husband to England) I understood some of the references in Satanic Verses that had blown by me. "The Prophet's Hair" illuminated a bit of Midnight's Children, and "Free Radio" was a great accompaniment to Midnight's Children as well as Rohinton Mistry's A FINE BALANCE. These stories stand beautifully well on their own. Each one has a flavor of its own, and each leaves you satiated and slightly hesitant to enter the next because it can't be as good (but of course it is!). If you've already read other books by Indian writers, it's a great accompaniment. If you are interested in beginning to read books by Indian writers (and you should), it's a great starting point.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Intro to Rushdie
Review: I really enjoyed this collection of stories, and think that the book is a good introduction to Rushdie. I think my favorites in the collection were "The Prophet's Hair," and "The Courter." In fact, I think "The Prophet's Hair," was the story which truly reminded me that Rushdie knows how to turn a phrase. While at times there is a certain ambivalence in some stories, I think that is understandable in point of view of Rushdie's own background. It is an attitude that comes from being a product of two cultures and wanting to have claims to both, not just one or the other, as Rushdie so elegantly proclaims at the end of "The Courter."
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