Midnight's Children

The book that got Salman Rushdie his Booker Prize in 1981 is about Saleem who was born at the stroke of midnight when India came into existence. Several hundred children were born through that night and were bestowed with some extra-ordinary powers. Though the book revolves around the protagonist (because it is set as his auto-biography), the narrative visits most of these special children through the very special telepathic powers that Saleem had.

When I realized the connection between the country’s origin and Saleem’s, I assumed there will be parallels drawn between the two and that one’s progress will reflect the other’s journey. May be it did, but thanks to Rushdie’s writing style, which I found cryptic at places, any similarities were lost on me unless they were brought out very explicitly. May be there was a general downward trend described – Saleem was in a rich household but grew poor as the country grew more chaotic! Parts of the book were full of fantasy, there is treachery and loose morals, there is love and acceptance, there is forgiveness, parts are dirty and ancient, and characters are diverse – much like the country.

I found the book entertaining for the most part. It actually begins with Saleem’s grandfather in Kashmir during pre-independence because Rushdie wants us to believe in the cosmic connections between Saleem’s grandfather’s patients and his subsequent failure in life. Saleem’s childhood shenanigans, Bombay city descriptions etc. were very lively and kept me engrossed. His bristle with Bombay film industry that makes his life akin to a potboiler was fun. But towards the end, I found the book becoming tedious. Was that intentional? Was it reflective of Saleem’s own state becoming murkier and difficult.( This actually reminds me of the other Rushdie novel – ‘Shalimar the Clown’ in which the Kashmiri part of the story was poetic and serene and the California part was digital and complex)

Did I imagine misogyny? Did I imagine blasphemy? Did I imagine immorality? Or was it all just human?