Shalimar the Clown

Weeding, weeding, weeding. Such fun - not. On the Ipod at the moment is 'Shalimar the Clown' by Salman Rushdie. I have read this twice and now am on my second listening. You may gather that I quite like it. In fact I think it is fab-o. 

A number of Indian authors base their work around partition and it is obvious from these works that partition was devastating at the time and remains an unresolved problem. 


Shalimar the Clown reveals characters with compassion and humour before unleashing a storm of violence. I find myself caring for Rushdie's characters and become emotionally involved in the plot. It ain't a cheery little tale it is most definitely a tragedy that reflects the political and religious tragedies of the world. The language and ideas are extraordinarily beautiful. 

A quote: " The inevitable triumph of illusion over reality that was the single most obvious truth about the history of the human race.”

Paddock workers who may want nourishment for their spirit and a reminder of just how good we've got it can find it in this book.