Fury

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.

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.

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.

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.