On August 12, 2022 Salman Rushdie was giving a talk at an outdoor event in upstate New York when a deranged young man rushed on stage and stabbed Rushdie 15 times almost killing him. It was such a terrible crime. Since 1989 when Iran issued the fatwa Rushdie has lived a life that none of us can imagine. But I had thought it was over with and that Rushdie would be able to live in peace. And then came that day.
I was hesitant to read Knife but I shouldn't have been. Rushdie writes about the attack and his painful recovery and that can be difficult to read. The attack blinded him in one eye and there were other serious injuries. But the book is also about Rushdie's recovery, his inner strength and the support of his family. His wife Eliza who has been with him every step of the way. His sister, his two sons who rushed to New York to be by his side. Rushdie's friends and the hospital staff also helped him greatly.
Salman Rushdie is an excellent writer. Knife is thoughtful and humorous at times. He writes about many things in his memoir, his childhood, his life as a writer, his friendships, religion, politics, his thoughts on the importance of privacy. Rushdie has led a full life. The attack is not something he will forget but he is amazingly resilient and continues to have good people with him. And so a book I was afraid to read turned out to be quite inspiring.
I want to read this, just as I want to read something else by Rushdie as I've not read a single book by him. I know I have a book of his essays on my Kindle so that's readily available but I must read one of his famous fictional books too. But it's nothing but remarkable that he survived this horrible attack.
ReplyDeleteI have not read any of Rushdie's fictional books. I am thinking that Midnight's Children which was the book that brought him to the attention of the literary world might be the way to go but I would have to look up the plot.
DeleteThis book is an inspiring and hopeful read. I love how he focused on his love for his sons and his wife and how much they mean in his life. And I was impressed how he found meaning in surviving the attack and getting a second chance at life.
ReplyDeleteHe did get a second chance at life and he is in his 70's and yet so strong to have survived the attack.
DeleteSalman Rushdie fascinates me. I have never read anything by him, and yet he is inspirational. Resilience makes all the difference. Sounds like a book worth checking out.
ReplyDeleteIt is a book worth checking and it's not long. I am glad I read something by Rushdie and he certainly is resilient.
DeleteYes. The book had various components to it that made it various appealing things. It was powerful and I too felt enraged by the attack. There's that interesting made--up conversation he has with his attacker that makes you see the world we're living in. I also liked the personal parts as well ... which felt candid and open.
ReplyDeleteAgree the made -up conversation with the attacker was interesting and it revealed that the attacker is a fanatic, no way to reason with him and I think that does speak to these times.
DeleteI do want to read this book sometime soon, I have read a lot of reviews of it recently and they all encourage me to take a chance on it.
ReplyDeleteI was nervous about taking a chance on it too and there are parts of Knife that are hard to read but overall I closed the book hopeful. Rushdie is very resilient and he has a great family and they helped him so much and so though the crime was terrible he has gotten his life back maybe not the same life as before the stabbing but a good one.
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