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Shame: A Novel Kindle Edition

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 578 ratings

The novel that set the stage for his modern classic, The Satanic Verses, Shame is Salman Rushdie’s phantasmagoric epic of an unnamed country that is “not quite Pakistan.” In this dazzling tale of an ongoing duel between the families of two men–one a celebrated wager of war, the other a debauched lover of pleasure–Rushdie brilliantly portrays a world caught between honor and humiliation–“shamelessness, shame: the roots of violence.” Shame is an astonishing story that grows more timely by the day.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Rushdie’s] novels pour by in a sparkling, voracious onrush . . . each paragraph luxurious and delicious.”The New Yorker

“A pitch-black comedy of public life and its historical imperatives.”
The Times (UK)
 
“There can seldom have been so robust and baroque an incarnation of the political novel as
Shame. It can be read as a fable, polemic, or excoriation; as history or as fiction. . . . This is the novel as myth and as satire.”—Sunday Telegraph
 
Shame is and is not about Pakistan, that invented, imaginary country, ‘a failure of the dreaming mind.’ . . . Rushdie shows us with what fantasy our sort of history must now be written—if, that is, we are to penetrate it, and perhaps even save it.”The Guardian

“Mr. Rushdie’s style [is] a source of delight, a bright stream of words . . . a voice at once whimsical, sly and exclamatory, full of apostrophes and asides, flexible enough to incorporate the up-to-date slang and obscenities of the warring men and the peculiar speech rhythms . . . of the Pakistani ladies in a state of excitement.”
The New York Times Book Review

“The extravagantly tragicomic nightmare evoked by
Shame . . . does for Pakistan what Mr. Rushdie’s equally remarkable . . . Midnight’s Children did for India. The narrative voice of Shame creates its own irresistible logic. In a postscript to his story, the author acknowledges having quoted Milan Kundera, Franz Kafka, Nikolai Erdmann and Georg Büchner. Here and there in the text, one can’t help thinking of Gabriel García Márquez. These are extraordinary writers with whom to be associated, but it’s company that Salman Rushdie deserves.”The New York Times
 
“Revelation and obscurity, affairs of honor, blushings of all parts, the recession of erotic life, the open violence of public life, create the extraordinary Rushdie mood.”
The Guardian (London)
 
Shame should consolidate [Rushdie’s] position as one of the finest young writers around. This novel of crossed family destinies in contemporary Pakistan teems with interesting characters, dramatic events, and marvelous verbal inventions. Like its predecessor, it recreates an exotic but thoroughly believable world that is a delight to experience. . . . A wonderful book.”Quill & Quire

From the Inside Flap

In this brilliant novel, Salman Rushdie masterfully combines history, art, language, politics, and religion. Set in a country "not quite Pakistan," the story centers around the families of two men -- one a celebrated warrior, the other, a debauched playboy engaged in a protracted duel that is played out in the political landscape of their country. Shame is a tour de force and a fitting predecessor to the author's legendary novel, The Satanic Verses.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004KABEOW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House; Reprint edition (February 16, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 16, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 845 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0676970648
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 578 ratings

About the author

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Salman Rushdie
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Sir Salman Rushdie is the author of many novels including Grimus, Midnight's Children, Shame, The Satanic Verses, The Moor's Last Sigh, The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Fury and Shalimar the Clown. He has also published works of non-fiction including The Jaguar Smile, Imaginary Homelands, The Wizard of Oz and, as co-editor, The Vintage Book of Short Stories.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
578 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the writing quality and find the book enjoyable. They describe the narrative style as intricate, blending magical realism, mythology, religion, oral literature, and metafiction. Readers appreciate the rich character development and how the characters serve as allegories to Pakistani politicians. However, opinions differ on the story complexity - some find it thrilling and easy to follow, while others feel it's disjointed with timeline jumps.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

11 customers mention "Writing quality"11 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's writing quality. They find it engaging and well-written, with a rare balance of literary mastery and entertainment. Readers appreciate Rushdie's skillful use of language and verbal fireworks that draw them into the story.

"...Modern classic and truly enjoyable. It strikes that rare balance of literary mastery while being entertaining and just enjoyable." Read more

"...Shame” possesses a complicated and yet aureate style of writing, the blend of magical realism, mythology, religion, oral literature, and other..." Read more

"Shame met all my expectations. Rushdie writes in a lyrical way that draws the reader into the story...." Read more

"In my opinion, this is the best book written by Mr. Rushdie. Rushdie's sentences make even the most mundane details memorable...." Read more

8 customers mention "Enjoyment"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it interesting and well worth reading for its history lesson. The book makes even mundane details memorable, making it a good assigned reading. Readers praise the author's writing style and consider it one of his best works.

"...Modern classic and truly enjoyable. It strikes that rare balance of literary mastery while being entertaining and just enjoyable." Read more

"...Rushdie's sentences make even the most mundane details memorable. Once you start reading the book, it is hard to put it down!" Read more

"...The whole book was a downer, but well worth the read for the history lesson." Read more

"...mythological drama, Salman Rushdie teases, captures, and satisfies his readers interest...." Read more

8 customers mention "Narrative style"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the narrative style. They find it complex and intricate, with a blend of magical realism, mythology, religion, oral literature, and a mystical and Daliesque world. The book is described as an example of metafiction, with Rushdie often interrupting the narrative. Readers appreciate the combination of history, metaphysics, and prose that elevates the imaginative world.

"...Indian and English literature, it allows him to create this bold, imaginary world and still preserves his courage and responsibility to accept all..." Read more

"...in the ballpark of what they have come to expect, a mystical and daliesque world, full of shape shifting and jumps back and forth in time and space...." Read more

"...This book is also an example of metafiction; Rushdie will often interrupt the story to remind readers this book is fictional and the leaders fake...." Read more

"...The combination of history, metaphysics, and prose uniquely elevate the quality of literature Rushdie can produce and this is but one example of that..." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters rich and sophisticated, with many serving as an allegory to Pakistani politicians.

"...I cannot recommend this book enough! The characters are rich and plot lines sophisticated...." Read more

"...Rushdie uses the elaborate intricacies among characters and fuse these fantasies together with the Pakistani reality...." Read more

"...Many of the characters serve as an allegory to Pakistani politicians. Rushdie's writing style is unlike any other's I have read...." Read more

8 customers mention "Story complexity"3 positive5 negative

Customers have different views on the story complexity. Some find the characters rich and plot lines sophisticated, allowing them to immerse themselves in the thrilling storyline. Others mention that the story is disjointed with timelines jumping around, making it difficult to follow.

"Extremely well written as expected but the story was a bit below his best shot." Read more

"...The characters are rich and plot lines sophisticated. I cannot even put into words how much this booked touched and impressed me...." Read more

"...The story is disjointed with timelines jumping all over the place. As much as I just didn’t care about the plot, the worst part was the writing...." Read more

"It’s a complex and intricate novel but uneven at times. Many shimmering moments and lines, but it’s easy to get disoriented and lost...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2014
    Absolute perfection. What a complex and gorgeous tour de force. I cannot recommend this book enough! The characters are rich and plot lines sophisticated. I cannot even put into words how much this booked touched and impressed me. Modern classic and truly enjoyable. It strikes that rare balance of literary mastery while being entertaining and just enjoyable.
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2014
    “Shame” by Salman Rushdie is a story that is fabricated based on an imaginary country – a dream that eventually crumbles. Rushdie uses the elaborate intricacies among characters and fuse these fantasies together with the Pakistani reality. It is essentially a historical escapade being narrated both allusively and fictitiously. The plot centers around the personal enmities and bad blood between the two family clans: Harappa and Hyder. This actually is an indirect insinuation to the partitioning of the Indian subcontinent and the situation in Pakistan that was characterized by turbulence and intranquility in its modern history. According to Rushdie, irrational religion and political violence are the driving forces in society where the culture of shame and shamelessness is originated. Through this novel, we see how the process of a modern country is being established and how it eventually self-destructs. “Shame” possesses a complicated and yet aureate style of writing, the blend of magical realism, mythology, religion, oral literature, and other elements. It is established in the Indian subcontinent where there is a unshakable, ingrained cultural background. Because of the fact that Rushdie is both deeply and equally implicated in Indian and English literature, it allows him to create this bold, imaginary world and still preserves his courage and responsibility to accept all the ramifications.

    The setting of “Shame” is quite exotic and distant. Undoubtedly, the depiction of utopianism is in existence and full of madness in the novel, and Rushdie has indirectly placed some irony and sarcasm towards civilization itself. He is accused of misrepresenting Pakistani history, and basically vilifying the Islamic faith. In the beginning, he narrates a very odd story in which the three sisters in the town of Q have established an agreement that they will sleep in one room and endure the same consequences and shame. Even when one of them is pregnant, the other two simultaneously show signs of pregnancy. Their son Omar Shakil is the outcome of their actions. Here, we see the structural background of allegory: the three people are sisters and yet are dissimilar creating a fat Omar Shakil – the structure of the Holy Trinity is very close who the Rushdie is – being nourished by India, Pakistan, and England.
    In the real world, the word shame leads the reader to connect to the word disgrace in which people feel embarrassed. Rushdie's “Shame” wants to unearth the origin of such concept. According to him, there are two kinds of violence that create shame and shamelessness: psychological impact of religion and the every day political violence. Rushdie endows “shame” as a resisting power, a hidden power, to disintegrate the fictional country that is supported by religion and political violence. It is cyclical that a country that is built based on shame will be crumbled too because of it. However, the reality is more cruel because even if a utopia is eradicated, there will be another one established because violence follows the principle of shame.
    9 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2016
    Shame met all my expectations. Rushdie writes in a lyrical way that draws the reader into the story. Also, his wry since of humor compels the reader to stay involved with the story.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2014
    In my opinion, this is the best book written by Mr. Rushdie. Rushdie's sentences make even the most mundane details memorable. Once you start reading the book, it is hard to put it down!
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2022
    It’s a complex and intricate novel but uneven at times. Many shimmering moments and lines, but it’s easy to get disoriented and lost. Quite graphic too so def not for young ones. For fans of his other works, it is probably right in the ballpark of what they have come to expect, a mystical and daliesque world, full of shape shifting and jumps back and forth in time and space. For first time readers of him, I would not recommend.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2020
    Incredibly written, each sentence evokes a different thought. Taken one way, brought back again another, a story weaved as intricately as one of Rani's shawls.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2023
    All the books I am getting the pages are wavy, why?

    I just ordered a bunch of different books from different people. and they are all weather damaged. The pages (both hard back and paperback) are wavy, which happens when the books are in a moist area too long.

    And two where left o u t s i d e in the rain, the d r i v e r never told me they where there. And the books where only protracted by a thin paper.

    But I do not recall which two books it was.

    But all the books the pages are wavy.

    The paper the books are made out of are cheap ad will not last long, if they are already deformed - all the books should be new.

    I have not yet read any of the books as I have heavy books sitting on top of them all trying to flatten the books
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2020
    Rushdie has his fingers right on the pulse of Muslim society, in Pakistan and elsewhere.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Abhijeet Singh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Paper quality is fine
    Reviewed in India on January 17, 2021
    Paper quality is good and received the delivery in time.
    If you want to know more about the book.. check it on Goodreads
    Customer image
    Abhijeet Singh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Paper quality is fine
    Reviewed in India on January 17, 2021
    Paper quality is good and received the delivery in time.
    If you want to know more about the book.. check it on Goodreads
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  • Venera Rogers
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very actual
    Reviewed in France on June 1, 2020
    A book to read. A page turner.
  • Raikoh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great, fascinating read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2020
    This is the second time I’ve tried reading this book, and I finally managed to get through it.

    A story that is part semi-historical and part fantasy, it tells the story of Pakistan through two families as they come together, fall apart, come back together, in a realistic chain of political and romantic events. At times difficult to read, but overall it absorbed me completely.

    My only quibble is with this kindle edition and some errors that the proof-readers missed. The use of 1 (Ones) instead of the capital I. The last three chapters bore more spelling errors of names and other words (weire instead of we’re, which is implied by the context). It’s nothing that can’t be figured out which I done, but breaks the immersion in the story for a moment.

    Despite this, I have to give this book a 5 star rating. I don’t do this often, but books rarely impress me as much as this, and possibly not since Yuya Sato’s Dendera. I would definitely recommend this book.
  • AC Morris
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good item for father’s Day
    Reviewed in Canada on June 20, 2018
    Gift for dad in law he loved it
  • Client amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bien
    Reviewed in France on February 13, 2021
    Je recommande

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