3-3.25 starsIt was nice to read a book inspired by Indian folklore as I don't get to read much of it. The best thing I could say about this book is what an imaginative read Mr. Salman Rushdie wrote. I liked how there was a bit of everything in this book: war, fantastical creatures, hint of romance that isn't the main thing in the story, family bonds tested, and friendships made. A lot of the places, creatures, and names of the characters are based on real Hindi words and places. It had some pret...

I am plotting a fairly unusual course around Rushdie's works. I absolutely loved last years Booker prize-nominated Quichotte and the next logical step would probably be Midnight's Children instead of which I have gone for Rushdie's adventure tale for children. Not being a child I probably can't rate this fairly as a work of children's literature. As an adult reader, I was pretty underwhelmed, I might even go so far as to say I actively disliked it. It is important to note I loathe allegory a...

Charming, magical, hilarious. Haroun and the Sea of Stories feels like a fairy tale, moves like a fantasy adventure, and reads like literary fiction. It's absolutely appropriate and delightful for all ages. The prose is gorgeous.

Hurrah for diverse books, before I say another word. I loved how this book drew on Pakistani/Muslim stories and imagery, and I enjoyed the company of its young protagonist. I'm sure younger readers will too. I was interested to see how Rushdie would adapt his style, and it seems he did so by indulging his taste for cliché and word play as much and as fantastically as possible. The magic in this fantasy yarn is all rooted in language; figures of speech come to life and behave unpredictably, metap...

there is something about a story written for an adult audience as myth or child's tale that i love. it seems to be more concise, concentrated, and make the simplicity of good vs. bad, and having a moral seem beautiful rather than simplistic. maybe that is because dualities were more pristine as a child. rushdie's earlier works never captured me; "midnite's children" seem windy and ornate with insufficient structure to hold up the explainations. "haroun" is still written with all the mastery that...

A fantastically preposterous carpet ride with magicians, genies and goblins. An oceanic library of stories aimed primarily at children, but also likely to please adults who haven't yet succumbed to cynicism and whose imaginations haven't yet withered on life's vine. Riotous, hugely imaginative and funny to its core. Those of you who have young children, read this out loud to them at bedtime, for you will get just as much fun out of it as they will!

Great kid's story - my son loved it. I thought that the language was clever and creative and enjoyed the pace. The characters were engaging, funny and a joy to follow. If you have a kid that is between 8 and 10 years old, they will love reading this book with you I am sure.

Read at my girl's behest in, I think, 500BCE. A delight of a tale! Rushdie wrote the 2019 Booker shortlister Quichotte, which I disliked as much as I liked this book. I wonder if the audience focus of the two accounts for the disparity of response?

A delightful fairytale, told by a master. As a children’s book it deserves to be a classic, but in the end that’s what it is: a children’s book. Of course everything gets a very special meaning because of what had just happened to the writer when he wrote this and the book can even be interpreted as an admirably lighthearted answer to the grimness of the fatwa, including a heartbreaking dedication to his son, but I’m afraid I’m too old to fully appreciate the deliberate naivety.

Everything was going well in Haroun's life until his mother left with the neighbour and Rachid, his father and king of storytellers, lost his temper. But Rachid has contracts to respect: the 1st is a disaster, and Haroun fears the worst for the 2nd. But during the night preceding this fatal day, Haroun discovers the marvellous world of the sea of ​​tales where he will live extraordinary adventures. Rachid found inspiration and Haroun (and his city) the joy of living;It is a wonderful story that

I'm surprised that Viking listed this as a children's literature. There's nothing risque in it of course, and it is structured a little like Alice in Wonderland, but I think it will appeal to both children and adults with its playful style and malleable language. There are a lot of puns, rhymes and plentiful wordplay.Rushdie is ceaselessly inventive, and his stories within stories are both traditionally complex, and compulsively readable. I quite like the central symbol of the source for all the...

A rollicking story, perfect for a 12 year old (for whom it was written). Chock full of action, magic and word play. Plentimaw fish in the sea? Baddies and goodies, heroic maneuvers, hoopoe birds, and the importance of decisions by consensus.And lots of Dad jokes: “VOTE BUTTOO! WHO’S THE ONE FOR YOU? - NOT JUST ONE, BUTTOO!”

Salman Rushdie wrote this book for his son, when he wasn't able to be with him. Its a book of fairytales describing the adventures of a father (who used to be a storyteller) and his son. There is a lot of impression from other books such as 1001 Arabian Nights, and other writers' and books' are also hinted in the story. The fun level is not so high but it is still an entertaining activity to read this book together with children.

" What's the use of stories that aren't even true? "I'm not quite sure why I picked this up (it's a children's book, and my "child" was 21 last week - perhaps I'm hankering for times past), but I'm glad I did. It has the powerful mythical feel of traditional fairy tales, with plenty of nods to classics, and a political undercurrent that tells of the time he wrote it.It would be perfect to read to a child of around 7 to 10, over a couple of weeks (twelve equal chapters), but as a solo adult, I

"What's the use of stories that aren't even true"?This is a classified as a children's book...perfect to read to an 8-10 year old. Yet..now that I've read it ..( chucking..,smiling...moved...and enriched)...I can't wait 'to play' now with this novel. It's to be read over and over. Storytelling with your friends. Want to lie back and be read to by a close friend while sitting under a tree? Or ..are you the 'ham' who loves to read to an active listener? This book is filled with imagination--so why...

"The Satanic Verses" bent my brain funny. I thought Rushdie had some good prose, the ideas were interesting, but the surrealism combined with moments of silliness made for an odd mix, and in the end I left satisfied but disoriented, like I'd eaten an exotic meal."Haroun and the Sea of Stories" was Rushdie's attempt to write a children's book for the son he was estranged from. There's a certain sadness to the tone of the book, wherein a storyteller loses his ability to do his job, and his son mus...

Writers are not easy people to live with: Dickens, Henry Miller, Naipaul... the list is long. But when you read a book like Haroun and the Sea of Stories, you find yourself wishing there was a writer in the family! Imagine a book written exclusively for you, a poem dedicated to you- & centuries later people wondering 'Who was the Dark Lady of the Sonnets?', 'who was Lucy/Fanny Browne?' & so on!Rushdie had dedicated his 'Midnight's Children' to his first-born Zafar, & he wanted another book writt...

Salman Rushdie blew my mind with his magnum opus Midnight’s Children. I’ve been an ardent fan of him since I first read it last year. Then I read the allegedly blasphemous The Satanic Verses, which turned out to be quite a good book thought it was at first a tumultuous experience. I waited with bated breath for his memoir Joseph Anton, which I, unsurprisingly, devoured. And with Haroun, Rushdie has blown my mind again. Rushdie wrote Haroun for his son during the fatwa. It’s quite incredible that...

This is a kids book that really is just for kids. I know the editors' reviews tell you that it will change your life, change the world, or something else great. But, trust me, it's just a cute story.Haroun's dad is a story teller. His life is happy until one day his mom leaves him and his dad and his dad can no longer tell stories. This puts the mat risk of losing everything because that's how they maek their money. They are invited to tell stories on behalf of politicians, and the night before

i hate this book!!!!!!!!!!! it's so bad- what with its unneccasary capitalization, cheesy, overdramatic-ness, and just plain being weird. ugh, so bad!!!!!!!!!!!!