Fury

By: Salman Rushdie

Narrated by: Salman Rushdie

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

The world renowned author of The Satanic Verses and The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Salman Rushdie is a Whitbread Award winner and recipient of the Booker Prize. His first truly American novel, Fury is a metaphorically rich black comedy that reflects the pressure-cooker of modern life. Malik Solanka, irascible doll-maker and retired historian of ideas, suffers the pain of wanting without knowing exactly what it is he wants. Aged 55, he is at once filled with melancholy and surging rage, so much so that he fears for the safety of his wife and young son. Escaping to New York City and its crowded streets, Malik seeks to extinguish himself and forget the life he left behind in London. It is here, in this void of virtual anonymity, that he falls in love again. In battle for possession of his very soul, Malik exemplifies the human need for connection. This unabridged recording features author Salman Rushdie's own intensely powerful narration.

©2001 Salman Rushdie (P)2001 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

“Salman Rushdie’s great grasp of the human tragicomedy–its dimensions, its absurdities and horrors–has made him one of the most intelligent fiction writers in the English language.” (Gail Caldwell, The Boston Globe)

“Fury is a profoundly, ecstatically affirmative work of fiction. It reaffirms Rushdie’s standing . . . at the very front rank of contemporary literary novelists.” ( Baltimore Sun)

“Rushdie’s ideas–about society, about culture, about politics–are embedded in his stories and in the interlocking momentum with which he tells them. . . . All of Rushdie’s synthesizing energy, the way he brings together ancient myth and old story, contemporary incident and archetypal emotion, transfigures reason into a waking dream.” ( Los Angeles Times Book Review)

This is an excellent book!

This is my first exposure to Rushdie as a writer and I have to say, he now tops my list of someone I would love to people watch with in Manhattan. The book is filled with his observations of US societal trends, action and its unintended consequences, the dangers of extremism, the nature of revolutions and the pathways to redemption. Literally every page has a quote-worthy line and I enjoyed this very much. The story does meander, albeit enjoyably, but if you are more into a linear storyline this may not be your cup of tea.

surprisingly good

i had not necessarily thought of this as one of rushdie's strongest works - fairly or unfairly, i thought of it as a minor work, owing to its length - but i was attracted by the fact that rushdie himself narrates it. far exceeded my expectations. there is of course the depth, meaning, and artistry one expects from rushdie, but the work also comes alive with his narration. he is a talented voice actor who knows exactly what to do with his own material. i'd rate this higher than shalimar the clown, which may in some sense be a stronger work of fiction, but lacks his narration and suffers a bit for it. for me, this displaces hari kunzru's transmission as the best audio fiction i've heard.

amazing

I can't believe I have lived this long and never read this author. Books like his are why I read.

Suberb

A master of the English language. I could almost stop thinking and just listen to the beauty of the words. That however wold be a travesty. I have never heard anyone describe the inside of a mind quite like Salman Rushdie. Complicated, sophisticated, educated, often really cycnical - yet capable of pure, unbridled joy. A thoroughly modern man. Such a privilege to hear this spoken by him. No-one else could do it even half as well.

Not sure why more people haven't read this one

So modern it's creepy. Goes off the rails toward the end but what a lonely, haunting story.

Tedious but well-narrated

I've never read Rushdie before, but I had high expectations. Although it's well written, to me the story was very contrived. I had to force myself to listen through to the end, and then I was glad it was over. His critical observations of the productive mechanisms and psychological ramifications of Western capitalist society were tedious. Maybe I missed something. Rushdie is a good narrator though.

First encounter with Rushdie

This is the first of Rushdie's books I have read and it did not disappoint. Rushdie is also one of those rare authors who reads beautifully. He has full mastery of the English language. His narrative is full of physical discription, literary and cultural allusions, deep insite into character and somehow he packs all of that into a single paragraph. The sound and smell of the streets come alive and he is simultaneously touching one with deep emotion. It is , at times, dizzying, like being in a jam pack museum and at times not knowing where to look for all the splendor.

The story itself is set, mainly, in New York City in the year 2000. Given the setting and the title I suspected that 9/11 was going to be part of the novel. It wasn't. The main character is an Englishman of Indian decent, a philosophy professor who became world famous for a TV program produced by the BBC in which the character created by the professor, "Little Brain", takes on the great philosophers with guile and cutting wit. Little Brain and the other characters in the program are dolls or puppets that the professor has made himself. Little Brain herself is a sort of punk rock badass intellectual whose biting humor and deep insites disarm these great philosophers. As the TV show grows in popularity, he sees his characters taken over by the TV producers and morphed into something he despises. This brings on a Psychological break and with his new found wealth he abandons his wife and child for reasons revealed later.

While in New York he begins to indulge himself with liasons with a beautiful neighbor who "fixes" people. He encounters other women as well. But all the time checking in weekly with his abandoned wife and child whom he still loves deeply. Throughout the story he faces the three Furies of Greek mythology in the person of various women. Those Furies being, “Unceasing Anger”, “Avenger of Murder”, and “Jealousy”.

I've never read anything quite like it. It is hard work at times but not a labor, as the hard work pays rich rewards. It is not a book for everyone, because many don't like the heavy lifting required, but for me is was an absolute joy.

Language and ideas

I always learn about art from Rushdie.
Taking the ordinary world and creating a magical fairytale of our obsessive replaying of past trauma. I see myself too often for comfort.
That being said the ending was a bit flat. Though left me longing for that one who got away.