Cadet Killian Buckley's Blog

“Reader’s Guide” for a “bought but not read” novel

“Rushdie can be a little wearing. As a stylist, Rushdie is continually breath-taking­ and a breathless reader is likely to feel winded at times.  There are moments, frankly, when one wishes he would get on with it. “

Brad Leithhauser from The New Yorker[1]

The Satanic Verses is a challenging novel to read.  There are various reasons why the novel is so challenging; (1) various unfamiliar references; (2) length 561 pages in the paperback version and; (3) Rushdie’s unique writing style.   The Satanic Verses is a controversial book; however, it has been widely purchased.  In 1989, there were 200,000 copies of the novel ordered for advance purchase[2].  People were attracted to the novel.  However, the novel proved to be a challenge to be read. Therefore, chapters and excerpts have been read from the novel but the novel has a whole has been rarely read to completion.

References

Without a quality education in both Western and Eastern literature, it would be impossible to capture all of the references within The Satanic Verses.  Even so, you would probably need to be familiar with pop culture references from various cultures throughout the world. You would need to be a true student of the world to relate all of the sources in which Rushdie makes available in his novel.

Rushdie’s ability to make vast references give him an “international reputation” and credibility throughout the world, particularly the English speaking world, as a writer who understands and can evaluate complicated issues throughout the world.  His references and sources give a real world, human element to his novels.

In order to make better sense of the references, there are resources which make reading this novel less complicated and allow one to make his or her way through the jungle of references throughout The Satanic Verses.  Paul Brian’s Notes are an excellent resource that allows one to gain a better grasp on all of the sources within the novel.  His notes pay particular attention to sources and phrases that the American audience might not understand due to their lack of experience with such material.  Paul Brian’s Notes can be accessed at: http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/anglophone/satanic_verses/svnotes.pdf. It can also be saved as a pdf file and printed for easier access while reading.

It is also helpful to annotate and mark the references as you read in order to better relate these references to the novel as you read.

Length and Writing Style

Rushdie’s novel is 561 pages in its paperback addition. The pure length of the novel makes it difficult to get through.  The storyline and plot are complicated at time.  Also, Rushdie’s writing style; his complicated uses of punctuation make reading difficult.  Throughout the novel, he makes uses of dashes “-” and ellipsis “…” to give tone to his writing.  He also constantly adds big picture questions in italics in order to keep the reader involved and give life to the narrator.  For example, “Do angels have wings?  Can men fly?”(Rushdie, 9).  These questions complicate the story and can make reading challenging. However, the sense of completion that you gain when finishing this large, complex novel is highly rewarding.  After completing the novel, it is clear to see that the novel, Rushdie’s story, is more than just the experts that are commonly read.