The Satanic Verses

By: Salman Rushdie

Narrated by: Sam Dastor

Length: 21 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Inextricably linked with the fatwa called against its author in the wake of the novel’s publication, The Satanic Verses is, beyond that, a rich showcase for Salman Rushdie’s comic sensibilities, cultural observations, and unparalleled mastery of language. The tale of an Indian film star and a Bombay expatriate, Rushdie’s masterpiece was deservedly honored with the Whitbread Prize.

The story begins with a bang: the terrorist bombing of a London-bound jet in midflight. Two Indian actors of opposing sensibilities fall to earth, transformed into living symbols of what is angelic and evil. This is just the initial act in a magnificent odyssey that seamlessly merges the actual with the imagined. A book whose importance is eclipsed only by its quality, The Satanic Verses is a key work of our times.

©1988 Salman Rushdie (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"No book in modern times has matched the uproar sparked by Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, which earned its author a death sentence. Furor aside, it is a marvelously erudite study of good and evil, a feast of language served up by a writer at the height of his powers, and a rollicking comic fable." (Amazon.com review)

"A rollercoaster ride over a vast landscape of the imagination." ( The Guardian)

"A masterpiece." ( The Sunday Times, London)

Narrator

The story was fascinating and the writing powerful.
The narrator’s pronunciation of common Indian words (in any language of the subcontinent) was execrable and his attempt to mimic Indian English was pitiful.

Not my thing

Perhaps it's my western brain, but I had trouble with this novel. The names are confusing with how interchangeably they are used. It seems you need a certain knowledge of the Koran to get all the religious references. And maybe also a familiarity with Finnegan's Wake, a book I haven't read yet. Rushdie packs this thing with a ton of literary and pop culture references, on top of all the religious ones. My problem is the tone of it feels kind of aloof and in love with its own cleverness. And the story itself, while coming to some neat conclusions, doesn't arrest me because the characters don't really ever feel real.

writing in the purest form of magical realism

Speaks to all immigrants, regardless of faith or national origin. The narrator excels in character

Lyrical farce

Hypnotic engrossing long descriptions. I want to listen a second time. The second with more humor.

Not at all what I was expecting.

Captivating, fascinating, poetic, complicated, multidimensional. Somewhat difficult for me to follow, mainly due to my limited knowledge of the subject matter. Extremely well performed.

Dream-like and psychedelic

In reading this book, I quickly discovered the best way to take it in is to open up from Adam's apple to navel and take it in without trying to understand. The narrative is dream-like and psychedelic. I don't understand what happened in terms of plot, but I understand what the book means.

The fantastic imagery and piercing spiritual themes make this book stand out from anything I've ever read. It puts to shame most holy texts.

I also understand it's importance for free speech and freedom from religious oppression.

How glorious it is to see the world through Salman Rushdie's eye.

Astounding

I listened to it twice. Fabulous. Rushdie is notorious for pissing off the ayatollah in that notoriety. His genius has been ignored.
That’s a shame because this is a fabulous book

masterpiece all around

definitely one of the very best audiobook narrator performances of all time. So good. The writing lives up to the hype. the story was at times hard to follow, would have benefited from having a hard copy to reference, but I just went with the flow and overall it was a really wonderful experience.

Audiobook perfection?

Not for the feint of heart, but immensely rewarding, it's everything I love in a novel. Motifs weave their way in and out of the narrative effortlessly, and plays on words sometimes raise eyebrows, sometimes induce a guilty snicker. The language and ideas are quite playful while being earnest at the same time.

Although it is very challenging, the book can be enjoyed on many different levels. It's the only audiobook I've listened to more than once, and I always find new things to appreciate with each listen. If you can be content with enjoying the work for its simpler pleasures the first time through, you may find yourself enjoying it a second time, too.

If you find it challenging, I encourage you to enjoy it for whatever you can take out of it the first time. You may find yourself, like me, compelled to give it another listen, and dive deeper into the historical and cultural themes that I found quite slippery the first time through. I used a bit of help I found online when I got too lost. If, like me, you are completely ignorant of the history of Islam (including the Old Testament stories of Abraham, Hagar, Ishmael, etc...) you may want to find a primer online.

A note about the performance: This book, more than others, depends on a strong performance, and Dastor delivered in spades. He brought the characters to life and added to the richness of the book. He finessed, spun, chortled, and deadpanned the language as necessary to give the listener the best opportunity to get everything the book has to offer out of the audiobook. Bravo, bravo, bravo.

A look into otherwise hidden lives

Where does The Satanic Verses rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is profound in the realization of the sameness of everyday life.

What other book might you compare The Satanic Verses to and why?

I can't compare it to other books. It stands alone.

What about Sam Dastor’s performance did you like?

All of it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Perhaps not but I essentially did.

Any additional comments?

Nice writing style. Complex in concept but very insightful. I recommend it.