Midnight’s
children
Midnight’s
Children immediately reminds the reader of two other novels
upon reading, One Hundred Years of
Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and
The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass. These
are two of the major novels of twentieth century literature and foundation
works of the genre of magical realism. Midnight’s
Children falls comfortably into the same category of importance as these
novels.
As well as magical realism Midnight’s Children also encompasses several other literary modes
such historical fiction and is considered an allegorical novel and a
postcolonial novel. Despite the complexity of categorizing, the book itself is
not difficult to read. The language and style which Rusdie employs provide an
energy which powers the entire story.
The allegory is that of the events in India leading
up to independence and what follows after. The narrator of the book is Saleem
Sinai who was born at the moment India gained independence on August 15th
1947. He and other children born within the first hour of independence are in possession
magical powers, which will be both a blessing and a curse. Events in Saleem’s
life mirror the events of India, the nation born the same time as him. The
connections of these events are so close that at times it may seem as if it is
India following Saleem’s life instead of the other way around.
The book it does not just deal with Saleem’s life
but how he came into being, so telling the story of his grandparent’s courtship
and how his parents met. As such it is filled with characters all of whom
command the spaces of the book they occupy. All of the Midnight’s Children with
their powers are not detailed but remain memorable. India itself, with all its
varied landscapes and lifestyles, forms a major part of the story.
The book
deals with Indian events but this does not mean that every reader should have
an encompassing knowledge of Indian history. The book was written in English by
an Anglo-Indian author. There is no gap in translation or cultural divides that
are too great for readers from any part of the world. Rushdie makes his
allegories but does not demand that the story cannot progress without
understanding of every reference. The novel can also work as a fantasy with
superhero powers inserted; the writing is powerful enough to work on several
levels.
.The book has remained a bestseller and is still in
print today. It is in every sense of the term, popular, not just with academics
but with the public. A book that has won such a large number of prizes can seen
intimidating, in most cases for good reason. Readers of Midnight’s Children can have no such fear. The book transcends so
many genres and is written with such wit and style that it is impossible not to
enjoy.
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