This is one of the most difficult yet satisfying reads i have had in years. Its layer upon layer of metaphors to represent the rise and fall of the main character Saleem as compared to his twin sister, the country of India itself, who were both born on midnight aug 15, 1957. The turbulent times is reflected in Saleems life. Themes of sound, exile, mirror actions, the family nucleus, parts being broken, and parts seen to represent the whole person enterweve between the two. Its a story about a boy growing with the story of India written on his face... literally. While reading this novel keep a note pad available and write down characters names or else you will get lost. There is some 100 plus characters that move the plot along, and some of these characters change their name along the way to further confuse you. The main story is 1000 people born the hour India gets its independance from England, and each has their own power or magic that sets them apart from normal people. Saleems power is to be able to talk to anyone at a distance... even thousands of miles away. It explores the possibility of these new breed of people and what they can do to make a better India, but will India let them. If this book is too much for you then try reading JOHN WYNDHAM - THE CRYSALIDS. Rushdie actually took his initial idea for this novel from that one, a 1950 sci-fi novel about kids growing in a post apocholypse society where anyone who is different if ostricized (ie.. kill the mutant). Its on the grade 9 reading list so is a light read. Rushdie is too much for the average reader, but is still an excellent book that i highly recommend.

i found it just to into details, minute details. it bogged me down to quickly to want to continue reading

Midnight's Children Starts out as one of those books that is so good, that I can't really explain why. In many ways, it defies story telling conventions and yet manages to be extraordinarily captivating. I just want to hear all the vignettes about the Aziz-Sinai family. I am charmed by the self conscious use of language and story telling. The problem is that for a large stretch of the second half of the book, I wasn't captivated. I didn't care as much. I have a few ideas why. Maybe this is the kind of book that needs to be read slowly (it is a long! book), taken section by section. Maybe I suffered from overload. On the other hand, I get the feeling that Rushdie might have gotten fatigued; he was writing a long book and wanted to get to the end (where it once again became enthralling), but he couldn't skip over important sections of his main characters biography. Anyway, as there was a hole that defined many of the characters lives, so I felt there was a hole in this book that made it somewhat less than it could have been. And one final thought: I know Rushdie is most known for the controversy he caused with Satanic Verses, but I am impressed by the guts that he showed her, almost begging for controversy with his intense criticism of on again off again prime minister Indira Gandhi, who becomes a fictionalized villain in the story; he goes beyond any allegorical criticism of her regime to actually having her oppress the main character and his friends.

Beautifully written, but it IS hard to get through with its multitude of characters. (It also helps to know Indian history.) it reminded me of "The Tin Drum" in being an allegory of a nation's recent history, though in this case the main character is more sympathetic. This is not a book to go in and out of: it demands some uninterrupted time,

Humorously prose story so far. However, I sense a deep tragedy coming ahead. The Characters of Aadam Aziz and Saleem are likable. First 40 pages has me magnetize to this book.

The best book I have ever read.

This is the booker of the Booker so it must be good, but it took me years to get through it. It's so odd and confusing. I started and stopped 3 times and still am confused about some of the scenes. Well written, of course.

Winner of the 1981 Booker Prize