Rating: 
Summary: Very Clever and Brilliant
Review: Rushdie makes excellent use of traditional genres of writing such as fairy tales, etc to express a profound statement about society and the world that we live in. This is definitely one of the better works of this century and will undoubtedly become a masterpiece in years to follow.
Rating: 
Summary: Being kids again
Review: Although the initial reaction one gets when immersed in the story is one of ambivalence over a seemingly ridiculous indulgence, the almost magical writing takes out all misgivings one may have over being put over by a children's story. Even with the overused motifs, the book shines with an originality which only adepts in the art of writing are capable of turning out.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Fabulous
Review: This is the first book of Rushdie that I read. And I almost bacame a fan of his. A great book, very entertaining, and exhilarating book. A must read. One of those "you have to read it to know how good it is" stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: A good Kashmirian book
Review: This is a book where Rushdie displays his Kashmirian roots most clearly. The title itself is taken from the 11th Century masterpiece Katha-sarit-sagar, ``Ocean of Story'', by Somadeva.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Swiftian in nature
Review: I first read this book in a Children's Literature class in university. Since then, I have read it many more times, and have purchased copies for friends. It remains one of my favourite books for a number of reasons: the swiftian satire that permeates the book; just beneath the surface, the humour; this book never fails to make me laugh, and finally, the beautiful imagery; Rushdie does not just tell a story; he tells it in such a manner that the reader feels involved and immersed into the scenes. This is definitely a book I will be reading to my children
Rating:
Summary: Good little book from a great writer
Review: While HAROUN is an entertaining fairy tale/analogy, I think it bogs down terribly in the mid section. What apparently strikes other readers as humorous and profound strikes me as strained and tedious. And yet this is a good read, especially for chidren. I applaud Rushdie's comments in the book about our great need for storytelling for its own sake; no one, no government, no religion, no commercial interest should have the ability to rob us of this basic human right. (And no one knows this more intimately than Rushdie.) HAROUN is not on a par with the other Rushdie book I've read, MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN, but it is generally very entertaining (especially the first and last 50 pages or so).
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: Salman rushdie has proved yet again to be an excellent writer. With Haroun And The Sea of Stories he paints a vivd and beautiful image. Although this book is considered by some to be a children's book, it should be read by all, big as well as small. Grading: 12.
Rating:
Summary: FABULOUS!!!
Review: I have read this book several times and have also had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Rushdie read this work as an audio-book. What a truly fabulous story! (and even more delightful if you are of Indian heritage so all the in-jokes make sense.) I have given copies to my neices and nephews but alas, have been unable to find any more in hardcover. A "must" though for your collection and an excellent book to remind us of the joy of reading. highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: His sea of stories cannot be stoped
Review: What a story ! It certainly came from a vivid, colorful, and lively exhilarating Ocean of Streams of Stories. That Haroun, what courage, what cunning, what vision ! And his father, Rashid, the Shah of Blah, owner of a ocean-wide knowledge, who always repeated at him, "There's more to you, young Haroun Khalifa, than meets the blinking eye". By the way, talking about oceans and stories, there's nothing like the story-moon Kahani, where fantastically carismatic creatures live. Like Iff, The Water Genie, with his blue beard; the silent and tough Mali; the fast and sensitive Butt The Hoopoe; Prince Bolo ans his dashing, foolish ways; even prince Batcheat, her strumming voice, that teeth, that nose... but no need to go into that.
When beginning to read the book I felt like flapping the pages of some storybook for childs, that ones printed in huge type and with lots of illustrations. The language is simple, altough clean and carefully crafted, the story is pretty straightforward and addictive; even the metaphores and allegories are just as simple and just as rich, adding to the feeling that this book can be read by simply anyone, despite the age. At some point the fantastical elements appeared with color, a flash, and a loud, rumbling chit-chat noise. I really liked the analogy real world-storyworld (similar to "The Wizard of Oz"), and the abundance of weird, beautiful, colorful, delightful, fantastical elements (which made me remember "Alice In Wonderland"). Most of all, I laughed almost all the time.
At some level, that's exactly what the story is all about: fantasy, excitement, suspense, drama, adventure, imagination. But there's more to it, more than meets the blinking eye. The whole book is a funny metaphor about the art of storytelling, the flow of stories from the mouths or pens through our eyes or ears and our minds; the telling, and retelling, of the old tales that shaped mankind since the beginning; and the process of transformation and mixture of the old stories that give birth to new ones. It also can be viewed as a flagship in the conflict between Rashid, the storyteller, the Ocean of Notions, the personification of the art of telling stories, against Kattham-Shud, the anti-climax itself, the silence, the fanaticism and opression; by this point of view, the book shows Salman Rushdie's own voice, announcing to the world that his sea of stories cannot be stopped.
Recommended to anyone that can take great pleasure from a great story.
Rating:
Summary: From Michael Yang: A True Masterpiece
Review: If you want a lengthy summarization and review, you're not going to get it. Just read the book, and afterwards, read "The Satanic Verses" for more insight into Rushdie's writings.
|
