Joseph Anton: A Memoir [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

It's Salman Rushdie - whose grocery list would likely be a pleasure to read - but it feels like the great author took the acknowledgments section at the end of a normal book and stretched it to novel length. The attention to detail, which is normally a joy to experience in Mr. Rushdie's works of fiction, here feels at times tedious and drags the pacing between several of the genuinely entertaining anecdotes. There's a wonderful 250-300 page book in this body, which unfortunately has been stretched to 636.

Having not read "The Satanic Verses" or any novel by Mr. Rushdie for some reason I was interested to read his memoir. Having done so I am sure his novels would not be of any interest to me since they all appear to be fantasy-based, but as for this book "Joseph Anton" I can only say that it is eloquently written, with attention to minor detail for which I am grateful because I simply could not get enough, it even showed sparks of humour, indeed a pleasant surprise under such alarming circumstances - a tribute to the man who lived it.

I was disappointed with the first 140 pages & almost gave up the reading; gladly I did not because the rest of the book is simply gripping. At first I was confused by the third person narrative until I realized the reason for it. `Joseph Anton' is the name Mr. Rushdie took when the fatwa came about & in writing this book which is a memoir of that period he is referring to Joseph Anton as `he' & `him' - he is not Joseph Anton, he is Salman Rushdie & Salman Rushdie is writing this book. I get it.

The so-called `name-dropping' is stupidly exaggerated. Since these are people who played a vital role in Mr. Rushdie's life during this period why would he not mention their names? For those who stood by him, offered friendship & help, perhaps this is his way of acknowledging them & stating his gratitude. What should he have done? Say: "Mr. X offered me a place to stay", "John Doe came to my defense", "Jane Doe showed me solidarity", I mean, really?? For those who did not, well, it would have been remiss not to mention them.

Since I have never had to live under such conditions I would not dare to criticize one who did. If he made some bad decisions & choices during this time it is surely allowed. I would have caved after 2 weeks! For him to have come out after 10 years of this kind of prison & still have his wits about him, to be sane & able to write about it is nothing short of a miracle.

Chapter X (At the Halcyon Hotel) is so thoughtful, insightful & right-on when it comes to people's perceptions I had to read it twice. It is so impressive & immediately urgent to note that indeed Literature does live long after its authors - such as Ovid's poetry outlasting the Roman Empire & so on. Beautifully put:
"Art was strong, artists less so" Salman Rushdie/'Joseph Anton'. Page 628.

If you have the least interest in `freedom of speech'; if you are interested in knowing the courage of a man with a price on his head; you will not want to miss reading this book. You will also learn a thing or two about the politics of the publishing business.

Neil Armstrong stepping onto the moon may have taken "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Mr. Rushdie has done the same thing for freedom of speech & expression.

I don't know how to review this book. I did enjoy many aspects of it and it's far better than the detractors say. And yet, there some clear downsides too, and I found my opinion changing back and forth throughout the book.

On the plus side, the book is really well written. And the subject is undeniably fascinating, portraying Rushdie's life under the fatwa instituted by Iran. "Joseph Anton" is Rushdie's alias when he goes into hiding. For that reason alone it's an important book in the history of free speech. And it is hard to image how one couldn't be at least mildly curious about what it would be like to be Salman Rushdie during the late 80's and early 90's.

On the other hand, there are some strongly annoying aspects. I have a great deal of respect for Rushdie's talents and agree what he says about freedom of expression. And yet, even though I enjoyed the book overall, I found myself having less and less sympathy for him as a person.

Rushdie often comes across as cranky, ungrateful at times, unfaithful, and engendering a strong sense of entitlement. Even though he is receiving constant protection, he seem ungrateful at times and cranky even about minor details.

The entire book is written in the third person, which aids the narrative early on. However, eventually, through a lot of repetition, it sound more like an affectation. I also found that, even though the book is well-written, at times Rushdie is a little too wordy about incidental details which don't really move the story forward, and that bogs it down.

Please, though, don't misunderstand this as being dismissive of the book or Rushdie's work in general. There is a fair amount of good in this book, but it deserves some measure of criticism. I hope my criticism doesn't eclipse the fact that, in some senses, this really was a fascinating read. To give an honest review, I must draw attention to some of the negatives. And so, while Rushdie is a monumental figure in the history of literary freedom, I'm not quite ready to call this a "great" memoir.