I realized the other day that I didn’t have any fiction on the go. Poetry, a biography, a book of essays, but no fiction. This had to be corrected immediately! My Bookman has been urging me to read Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories since he read it about a year ago. Because my reading time has shrunk dramatically with the last few weeks of my library school quarter, I thought a book of short stories would be good.
And it would have been. But Haroun is not short stories, it is a novel. Bookman never called it short stories, I just assumed because of the “Sea of Stories” part of the title. It is perfectly fine that it is a novel. The chapters are short and the perfect length to fill twenty minutes of reading before bed.
I am so glad I finally picked up this book! It is truly delightful. It has a folk/ fairy tale quality and a sort of magical realism mixed with the absurd. It is playful at the same time it is serious and sad. And of course it is about the importance of storytelling.
I’ve only read two chapters and I want to swim in this sea of stories until my skin is all prune-y. It is a good thing the chapters are short or I would have difficulty stopping and stay up until the wee hours. It’s been a long time since 20 and such a maneuver would be bad. We needs our beauty sleep.
But to tease and tantalize you, here is how the book begins:
There was once, in the country of Alibay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name. It stood by a mournful sea full of glumfish, which were so miserable to eat that they made people belch with melancholy even though the skies were blue.
And it just gets better.
Off to work on school so maybe I can fit in a chapter of Haroun and a Sappho poem or two tonight.
I’m not a Rushdie fan, but I do love the phrase “belch with melancholy.”
Isn’t it funny, how the balance of the Currently Reading pile is so important. I’m the same way. A perfect setup is 1 fiction, 1 poetry, 1 stories or essays – something broken in little pieces, and 1 Something Else.
You’re reading the favorite Rushdie book of ma femme. She tells me it is full of little literary jokes.
I am having the exact same issue here, only the reverse version of the situation:) I needed to add some nonfiction to my pile, so last week I started to read Ted Kooser’s Local Wonders and I am so glad I did; it’s an amazing book and made me realized how much I missed reading nonfiction.
But I’m definitely adding Haroun and the Sea of Stories to my list. You can never read too much fiction, can you?
I have long wanted to read Rushdie but have been a bit scared of it. I have The Empress of Florence on my shelves, but this sounds very tempting, too.
I am hoping to finally read this in a few months as Rushdie has a sequel to it coming out later this year. You have inspired me to bump it even higher up my TBR as it does sound delightful.
This is a great book. Like your Bookman, I recommend this regularly, and particularly to people skeptical or mixed about Rushdie … I first read it to my son when he was 9 or so. We loved it. Must read it again.
Its been such a long time that I have read a story that almost starts with “Once upon a time..”
I have a feeling this is going to become one of those famous opening lines that people remember for landmark works for literature – I will definitely vote for it.
I dont know why but my first impression on reading them was – Charles Dickens!!
That excerpt made me remember why I love Rushdie. Haven’t read any of his since I started blogging, and haven’t read this one, in fact. Thanks for the tip/reminder, Stefanie!
I read this one in college and loved it then. It was a great way to end our survey of modern British Literature, I think. You can get a good idea of the things Rushdie is interested in without having to take on something much longer like Midnight’s Children (not that taking that book on would be a bad thing, of course!).
Softdrink, isn’t that a great phrase? The only other Rushdie I read was Midnight’s Children, a difficult but good book. It is night and day from Haroun.
Amateur Reader, the balance of currently reading is extremely important. I agree with you on the perfect set up but I sometimes get so eager to read certain books I throw the balance off. Still, must always have some fiction. The Rushdie book is full of literary jokes. It is quite a lot of fun.
Lua, Local Wondes, huh? Ok, I’m going to have to look into that one. And you are right, you can never read too much fiction
Litlove, scared of Rushdie? You are such an intrepid reader I have a hard time imagining you scared of anything. Haroun is definitely nothing to be scared of maybe consider starting with that to ease yourself into the more series ones.
Claire, there is going to be a sequel? My husband will be thrilled, and I am too. Thanks for the tip!
Whisperinggums, I can imagine how much your son must have loved the book. I wouldn’t have thought to read it to a child but it is perfect really, a magical story on the surface for kids and something much deeper for adults.
Vipula, isn’t it a wonderful beginning? I can understand the Dickens impression.
Emily, you bet! I’ve only read one other Rushide and it certainly was nothing like this. I think I might be becoming a fan.
Yes, and aren’t they the best kids’ books? The ones that can be read on a number of levels? I always loved reading Roald Dahl to my kids for the same reason.
Dorothy, oh this one is indeed a perfect way to end a modern Brit Lit survey class. The only other Rushdie book I have ever read was Midnight’s Children and I liked it quite a lot but it left me with the impression that he was a dark and serious writer and Haroun, while dark, is also filled with light and plenty of jokes.
Whisperinggums, I totally agree, the best kids’ books are definitely the ones that can be read on more than one level, just like grown up books, no need to over simplify for children.