Customer Reviews

The Enchantress of Florence

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As usual, a read of any of Rushdie's novels is both pensive and exciting. The reward for sticking at it comes when the reader finally sees the big picture for all its evolving complexities. The very basic storyline in "The Enchantress of Florence" starts with the strange and startling arrival of a yellow-haired stranger from somewhere out of the west, in the court of the 16th century Mogul emperor, Akbar,a direct descendant of the great Babar. At this time his empire is plagued with both external and internal problems which he doesn't know how to fix. This outsider carries with him a supposed missive from `Good Queen Bess' requesting an alliance between England and the Moguls, along with a bizarre request to be received as a long-lost member of the royal household. Since this is a time when such matters were often viewed suspiciously, the claim has very little chance of being honored by the Emperor and his sons. What Akbar allows the yellow-haired stranger to do, however, is tell some stories about his past that might confirm his identity. These tales turn out to be so powerful that Akbar becomes personally challenged to start reforming his kingdom. The Moguls have become, like the Florentines in the west, too hedonistic. For them power has become a pleasure to be enjoyed by the few at the expense of the many. It is at this early juncture of the novel that Rushdie embarks on this stranger's account as to how a Florentine mercenary and a Mogul enchantress named Qara Koz came together to help shape the course of history. The story begins in 16th century Florence, where we find an Italian nobleman (Vespucci-Amerigo fame) siring a son Argalia who grows up to become a soldier of fortune. He quickly becomes educated in the wonders of modern statecraft and warfare, thanks to the influences of his boyhood friend, Niccolo Machiavelli. It is the latter's influence that goads young Argalia to venture out into a new frontier of his life, where he meets and falls for the beautiful Qara Koz from the Mogul world. On their return to Florence, Qara Koz takes the city by storm and causes a virtual sex orgy to break out because of her seductive charm. Being the master writer that he is, Rushdie will keep his readers guessing to the end as to how these many stories influence Akbar's rule. The book is full of fascinating little anecdotes that propel the reader on a journey through the worlds of two similarly power-driven societies which have their own unique way of dealing with the pressures of cultural and political change.

I was SHOCKED to see that there are people who didn't fall under the spell of this most evocative and beautifully-written work of art!

Then, I spoke with a friend of mine who told me that in so far as Rushdie goes, this is a fairly mediocre novel (but that being Rushdie, it's still pretty excellent :), and apparently his "Midnight's Children" is the one to read. Well, I just place an order for the latter and can't wait until it arrives.

In the meantime, I'm giving "The Enchantress of Venice" five starts, as I honestly feel it deserves it. Its plot is relatively simple - if you're good with it taking place prior to the time when the notions of what is and isn't real, got separated: a stranger cleverly obtains an important letter, presents himself to a sultan, and starts enchanting him with stories. The stories talk mostly of "enchantresses", beautiful women/seductresses, and great courtisanes of Venice and what's now India. There are pirates, wars, battles, disappointing offsprings, incest, beautiful self-serving princess,etc., -- a fairytale with a sophisticated and refreshing twist!!!

I can't even begin to express how much of a mental holiday and escape has this novel provided -- thank you Salman Rushdie!!!!

The publisher's blurb for The Enchantress of Florence does credit to the surface plot of the story. However, to read a Rushdie novel is all about depths, dimensions -- mirrors, if you will. And it is mirrors this novel addresses, from the handmaiden of the Enchantress herself, to relationships, histories, and philosophies. To read this novel is like looking at a mirror reflected in a mirror; the depths are infinite.

There is the mirror of Qara Koz and her handmaiden, and again of that relationship reflected in the whores known as The Skeleton and The Mattress. There is the reflection of Jodha, Akbar the Great's conjured queen, in the reincarnation of Qara Koz. There are reflections of a menage a trois, of battles won and lost, of political maneuverings.

As with any of Rushdie's work, he makes no apologies for expecting his readers to be fully engaged and all synapses firing. A light, escapist read this isn't; neither is it a plodding literary tome one feels obligated to read. Rushdie draws this huge cast of characters, many of them lifted directly from history, with a very realistic, human hand, and just when a narrative is in danger of becoming too self-important, his wit takes flight and brings all sensibilities back to the common man.

Even while his writing is without peer, in this novel he also created such pathos that in the end, for me, there were tears. This is a fascinating read from a literary, an historical, and a plain old entertaining perspective.

Salman Rushdie's "Enchantress" is enchanting in it's prose, but it meanders recklessly between the present and the past, between the story being told and the story the characters within are telling. . The characters, all larger than life, with names foreign and difficult to remember, become lost in the ever shifting landscape of the story / stories.
If one surrenders to the confusion and just relaxes and enjoys Rushdie's poetic writing style, it can be worth the read.

Salman Rushdie has a reputation for being one of the most significant and talented literary voices in the World and this novel clearly shows why. "The Enchantress of Florence" is set in sixteenth century, and its plot spans several generations, two continents and a few kingdoms and empires. Its elaborate plot would certainly overwhelmed any lesser writer, but Rushdie manages to confidently raise to the challenges that he sets up for himself. The historic setting of the narrative, the erudition that went into the writing of this novel, and the elaborate and unexpected plot twists in many respects remind one of the works of Umberto Eco. And yet what truly intrigues one with this novel is the persistent seduction of the high-level literary style. Rushdie manages to be baroque with his language and ideas, without being pretentious or overbearing. With him you just know that all that sophistication in expressions and style comes naturally as an outgrowth of his talent.

The one problem that I have with the book is that all of the characters and situations seem oversexualized, even by the standards of the 21st century. The book is by no means graphic when it comes to sexual content, but there is hardly a page on which some sexual theme is not dealt with, either explicitly or explicitly. It could be in fact that the setting and the narrative of the book are in fact some grand sexual allegory, but I am not sophisticated enough to be able to discern it without spending a lot of time on this matter.

Overall, a very good book. Interesting and elaborate, with enough twists of plot to keep one coming back to it. A good read.

I just couldn't finish this book. It's a mish mash of historical names, thrown in with no connecting plot. This book did not give me anything to remember, except the attractive cover.

Sophisticated language with dull content full of strange names and unnecessary details!
I was confused and lost...It took me a long time to find my way to the last page...
Highly un-recommended unless you have problem sleeping. This book works better than sleeping pills!

This is by far the most disappointing book I've read all year. With the literary prowess that is Salman Rushdie, you would've expected at least good writing even if the story fell short. Nothing about this book lives up even remotely to the Rushdie name.

I will spare the ugly details, but will just say that for a book that is supposed to be a love story, there is no love story that exists in the book. Just an Arabian Nights clone attempt, and 300 pages of historical background on the Mughal dynasty and Ottoman Empire.

There is no reason why anyone should read this book. A big thumbs down for "The Enchantress of Florence."

I read this with great anticipation as I know what an artist Rushdie is. Half way through this book I was done with it but persevered until the end. The stalling to tell the secret we are told about on page one goes on to the end of the novel which was extremely tedious not thrilling. I was also uncomfortable with all the magic people possessed which seemed to me to be a convenient way to get past some difficult issues. It's not a work of writing art, perhaps it could be called popular fiction in the fantasy area.
All in all I found it very disappointing, not his best plot and storyline and so I would not recommend it to anyone I know.

I am only half way through this book and am not sure I will continue, except I seldom give up on any book. I find it difficult to keep track of names and it is, in my opinion, silly and vulgar. I have not read any other books by Rushdie but had heard he is a great writer!