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)

Writing you don't climb down, you fly off

A near perfect novel. I loved the writing. I loved the characters. I loved how Rushdie was able to master Heaven and Hell, saint and sinner, the welkin and earth in this dreamlike exploration of what it means to be an immigrant, an angel, a saint and a sinner. At times he writes like a post-modern satirist cum Pynchon, then suddenly he melts into his best post-colonial Achebe, and then off again on his magical realist, literary carpet à la Gabriel García Márquez. Rushdie's writing is a mountain you don't climb down, you fly off.

A gem of a book

Such a pity that this powerful, moving and beautiful book has been tarnished by the memories of a fatwa by some ignorant ayatollah. One of the best novels I've ever read...Rushdie deserves to be recognized not only because of the hatred against him..but because of being a great writer and a strong creator of magic and dreams.

I always wondered

I remember the contract on the author’s life when I was younger. The narrator is amazing.

Satanic Verses: A story to die for

After the horrific event that happened to this brilliant author, and having heard about his life, his suffering I had to read this book. Usually I read classics like Dostoyevsky, Hugo Tolstoy, but was interested in listening to a contemporary novel. Having been to Mumbai as it is now called again and London hearing this amazingly narrated story, blew my mind. He is so imaginative yet with his pulse on reality that I am speechless. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book.

Hopefully there is a movie

After hearing Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie & narrated by Sam Dastor, I felt I HAD to listen to this book and see what all the fuss was about. I remember the hubhub about the book when it first came out, but I never gave it a thought to pick it up and read it. Good thing I didn't back then, I would never have finished it. The names, I would have constantly stumbled over them. But maybe the story line would have been easier to understand in print?? The listen was extemely hard to follow. As best as I can tell, it follows the main characters through several of their "other lives" & how they are interwined through eternity?? I am just not sure. But Sam Dastor made the listen interesting. It was fun hearing him spout off all those Indian names like he lived there and then change accents to fit the characters. It was also very interesting to hear how Indians talk to each other. My only experience has been the overly polite version on the other line when you call tech support or at the gas station (sorry...do not mean to offend.)

I listened through the entire thing, hoping for understanding. But it was confusing. I have to confess I just did not get the book. Nor do I get what all the drama was surrounding the book. It is just a book about ficticious characters. Whatever evil slams there were against Islam probably just went over the heads of most readers (as it did mine). So what was the big deal?

Because parts of this were quite fascinating, while still confusing the heck out of me, I do hope this is made into a movie. Maybe seeing what is going on will help to understand it. The book is a part of history, whether you agree with it or not. It is important to read & understand, then appreciate all that Mr. Rushdie endured to get it published. Kudos to him for sticking it out! I don't know that I would have had the fortitude.

Good satire of Islam and Muhammad but weak story

Good satire of Islam and Muhammad but the other 16 hours or so is confusing and uninteresting. If you're interested in why this book caused so much controversy like I was, just YouTube "Christopher Hitchens Islam." His 30 minute lesson will save you money and time.

Endless

Oh my God, will this book ever end? maintaining the thread of the two main characters from start to finish is challenging to say the least. I have three hours left and don't know if I can do it. this is truly an endurance event.

This is your chance to read the unreadable

Would you listen to The Satanic Verses again? Why?

There is no other way I'd read a densely written piece of world fiction with my time constraints. Listening to "Satanic Verses" helped me understand why the Ayatollah was so peeved. When you listen to it, it becomes a performance play and I feel I now understand a great deal more about why Salman Rushdie is so revered. I use Audible only for Pulitzer Prize or Nobel prize winning fiction I wouldn't read in book form, nor on a Kindle.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I think the narrator gets that award.

Have you listened to any of Sam Dastor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have also read Rushdie's "Midnight's Children" narrated by Dastor. In that case it was by Audiobook CD from the library with late fees... that was when I started Audible.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The return of Khomeini to Iran was extraordinarily conceived.

Any additional comments?

I used to think Audible was just low brow novels... but anything the library has on its lists of award winning books Audible has, and I now depend on it for books I can read while I am doing tasks like driving... or in my case, painting. Audible gets them all, and more and more quality books are now narrated as well. A true performance... as the narrator makes the text come alive. I've read "Crime and Punishment", but will enjoy 24 hours of quality narration from the version where the narrator is highly recommended.... on Audible.

Great premise, way too long.

The premise of the plot is promising, but he spends way too much time in the weeds.

Not being an expert on the Koran, I'm not sure why Iraq sentenced Rusdie to death for the publication of this book. There are a lot of clues along the way, but the way is too long and convoluted. It starts off very promising, but ends with a whimper. If I were not driving Bus in Alaska and have a lot of downtime for listening I never would have listened to the whole thing.

Save your credit.

Long and Rambling, but Extraordinary

It takes persistence, but it’s entirely worth the wait. Rushdie takes us on an epic exploration of the human psyche, encompassing ideas of religion, sectarianism, skepticism, belief, compromise, victory, defeat, death, love, and sorrow. It’s magic realism with a British-Indian twist, and it’s a damn fine book.