Book Review
Feb. 23rd, 2020 07:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariThe Enchantress of Florence
by Salman Rushdie
This novel takes place both in the late 16th century India, and earlier 16th century Florence. During Jalaluddin Akbar's reign as Mughal emperor, a roguish European stranger arrives at court, claiming to be Akbar's relative, the son of his lost great aunt Qara Koz. As the stranger spins his tale of his father's and Qara Koz's lives in India and Florence. Akbar navigates the intrigues of his court and ponders the philosophical implications of the stranger's story.
Rushdie's narrative reads a lot like one of the Arabian Nights or Bocaccio's Decameron. It's enchanting and lively and a joy to read. The tale within a tale structure is very successful, and I especially liked how details in one tale were mirrored in the other. I also enjoyed the characters - especially Akbar and Qara Koz. I could wish that Rushdie was a little less focused on the women's physicality and sexuality and didn't entirely define them in terms of their relationships to the main male characters. Throughout, using both the characters and the plot, Rushdie explores themes of the role of storytelling and imagination in creating reality and destiny.
by Salman Rushdie
This novel takes place both in the late 16th century India, and earlier 16th century Florence. During Jalaluddin Akbar's reign as Mughal emperor, a roguish European stranger arrives at court, claiming to be Akbar's relative, the son of his lost great aunt Qara Koz. As the stranger spins his tale of his father's and Qara Koz's lives in India and Florence. Akbar navigates the intrigues of his court and ponders the philosophical implications of the stranger's story.
Rushdie's narrative reads a lot like one of the Arabian Nights or Bocaccio's Decameron. It's enchanting and lively and a joy to read. The tale within a tale structure is very successful, and I especially liked how details in one tale were mirrored in the other. I also enjoyed the characters - especially Akbar and Qara Koz. I could wish that Rushdie was a little less focused on the women's physicality and sexuality and didn't entirely define them in terms of their relationships to the main male characters. Throughout, using both the characters and the plot, Rushdie explores themes of the role of storytelling and imagination in creating reality and destiny.
