Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories (badly written!)

I've known of this title ever since I have been reading Rushdie's novels but didn't know it to be a children's book. From what I'd read of Rushdie it seemed obvious to me that he'd only write for adults. I wasn't planning on reading any more Rushdie this year but once I got know of this being a children's book I couldn't resist. The first author for whom I took out my dictionary has written a children's book I could not resist. My wife reads what I suggest and I have not suggested Rushdie to her yet. 'Haroun and the Sea of Stories' could prove to be a good introduction to Rushdie for her, I thought. Now that I have read it I think this is the perfect book to start Rushdie with. Every bit of his style is in this book, only in simpler language.

There is a way Rushdie approaches this book which I now think I understand. In a children's book the characters are either black or white, and am not referring to race here. Thinking of all the works that fall into a similar category, Enid Blyton, C.S. Lewis, J.K Rowling, I realize now that either characters were likeable or they were not. Harry, Ron and Hermoine are all associated with qualities we'd like to possess but the same can't stated of the Malfoys. So too in this novel we have characters we can cheer for and those we will boo. I guess children's books just have to be that way.

Rushdie isn't too descriptive here in my opinion. I couldn't visualize all characters in my mind's eye, same can be said of some places. Even with this falling I will have trouble getting Butt the Hoopoe out of my head. If something is vivid it is the Sea of Stories which is a character by itself, would love to see this on an IMAX screen. The pace is quicker than usual and I guess it has be keeping in mind the demographics of the readers.

The theme of the book deserves mention. Is storytelling really that important? Why is it important? I am guilty of not ruminating on the book long enough else I'd have the answers.

This entry is simple and that's because this is supposed to be a simple book. A simple book deserves a simple discussion, people have argued otherwise even after Rushdie has said it is not a parable, but I accept it as a story for kids.