Shame

By: Salman Rushdie

Disclaimer: my year of absence from this blog was due to life changes, not a lack of reading. I finished some amazing books in Summer 2023 but could not bring myself to write about them. The two semesters of college that followed were filled with influential novels and cultural short stories that led to my growth as a reader. At the end of the school term, one of my professors gifted me Shame by Salman Rushdie. I did not start reading it until earlier this month; however, I am so glad I did. 

This novel is set in a made-up country with made-up people, though the trials of love, revenge, and belief in the divine echo throughout many civilizations. Rushdie is a master of storytelling, particularly because he does not rely on the traditional plot progression timeline that stresses the power of a good climax; instead, he alternates between past, present, and future in a way that gradually pieces together the story. Rushdie’s writing made me feel like a young child being put to bed by my grandfather while being told an epic bedtime story over many days. 

While paying attention to the details of Shame is necessary for the plot, Rushdie chooses to disperse his philosophies quite clearly throughout the novel. The saying, “If a peacock dances in the jungle, who will see its tail?” stuck with me the most, both in its concrete meaning and the creative passage accompanying it. I view this as a testament to the author’s life experiences joint with his talent for putting them into words. I think it’s fair to describe Rushdie as “Vonnegutesque,” because the writing style I’m referring to in this novel was also emulated in the short story “The Courter,” by Rushdie. That being said, Vonnegut writes about the impacts of war, while Rushdie covers its causes and the governments behind them. 

This review is very positive, but I can’t shy away from the fact that it took me almost a month to read Shame. I couldn’t get into it during the first hundred pages because it was so busy. Flipping back and forth trying to remember backgrounds and connections made it difficult for me to submerge myself. 

Overall, Shame is a deliciously crafted piece of folklore that sheds light on a beautiful side of the Middle East that Western media does not always show. I want to thank my professor for exposing me to this novel and also describing Rushdie’s Midnight Children as his must-read Magnum Opus. I recommend this book to lovers of history, tragedy, and confusing relationships (basically, Game of Thrones fans).