The Ground Beneath Her Feet

By: Salman Rushdie

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

Salman Rushdie is widely considered one of a handful of truly great living writers. The internationally acclaimed, Booker Prize-winning author's storytelling shines in this epic love story, a modern retelling of the myth of Orpheus.

Energetic and musical, Rushdie's prose is positively mesmerizing when you hear it read aloud. This panoramic work is framed with the death of rock goddess Vina Aspara. The story of her life and love affair with musical prodigy Ormus Cama is told by Rai, a photographer who also loved Vina. Rai worships the ground beneath her feet, even as he ponders the loss of terra firma in modern culture.

©1999 Salman Rushdie (P)1999 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"No novelist currently writing in English does so with more energy, intelligence and allusiveness than Rushdie. Nearly every page of The Ground Beneath Her Feet offers something to arrest a devoted reader's attention: puns and wordplays galore . . . and enough literary echoes—of Joyce, Yeats, Frost, Dante, oh hell, of nearly everybody—to keep graduate students on the prowl through these pages for years." (Paul Gray, Time)

"Lusty, sprawling, acid-high. With it, Rushdie enters a new rawness, a different madhouse, America." ( The Washington Post)

“a spirited, head-spinning entertainment from a writer of undeniable genius.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Somewhat Psycho-bable-ish

A definitely interesting story. Though I felt that logorrhea got in the way of that.

blah blah blah! learn to say it with less

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

no,

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

good reader, long winded story and this coming from someone who loves War and Peace!

Good, but....

While I found the writing wonderful, the story and characters felt oddly uninteresting. I know this may sound off base, but as wild and creative as the main characters were suppose to be, I just didn't feel it. There were many times of exultant writing and no doubt Mr Rushdie is a genius, but I just could not feel connected to these characters- thought they had moving experiences, it all seemed told from a cerebral space that took some of the emotion out for me. I love Steven Crossley ( he is why I picked the novel) and he gave as moving a read that is possible, so I'm
not sure what went amiss for me! I would say try it and see for yourself! It just might my take is off.

Creative, long and intense

The sound of the narrator’s voice is very captivating however the book is excessively long for the storyline. Constant references to mythology lost me as did confusing Indian character names. I was forever silencing the audio to avoid others having to listen to the F & C words being repeatedly shouted as well as graphic sexual attacks. I stuck with it out of respect for the author but it was a struggle.

Okay, Salmon, We get that you're a genious already

I was entranced when I first started listening to this book. I don't think anyone writes more beautiful sentences in the English language than Rushdie. And yet he somehow managed to turn a book about rags-to-riches jetsetting popstars caught in earthquakes and alternate realities into a big yawn. How? By beating the listener over the head again and again and again with every classical illusion and obscure reference he could pull out of his pocket. I wanted to grab him by the lapels and ask: Do you want to tell us a story, or do you want to show off how smart you are? Make up your mind please!