Soft launch
A certain author soft-launched his book into stores a week ago, just like with that tale of Kashmir and a clown. (Finding a new Rushdie unannounced is like discovering garlic naan in your freezer.) And The Enchantress of Florence is good so far. It reminds me of The Moor’s Last Sigh, though he’s lost some of his panoramic complexity and is reduced to a tale of literal magick, sexual unguents and dazzle. His Jodha or celeb-chasing lifestyle just took it out of him.
You’ve got the fabric pattern, the desi-ish colors, the gold leaf accents, the post-orgasmic woman on the cover. Only this time it’s equally Florentine as Mughal. The typesetting is in lovely Bembo, true, but the pages aren’t rough-cut. They’re saving on cost either because the author has determined fans who need no such sensual enticements, or because his last didn’t sell.
I’m happy for it in any form. It’s been two years since I got Rushdie’d.
Previously: Mojo returned, The Enchantress of Florence
on Friday, May 30th, 2008, 9:45 pm in Literature, Salman Rushdie › 
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I *just* finished the third chapter/section and hope to get through it this weekend. I look forward to your review!
YOU GOT IT? Where, pray tell…
At the Coop, but Amazon and the local libraries have it too.
Rushdie’s prose and writing and subject matter is in its own way is as predictable, mechanical, cliched and unispired as that of Jhumpa Lahiri.
Discuss.
thanks Manish, I will go to borders this weekend and see if they have it here in Indy..
I thought the release of this book was june end or july along with Rana dasguptas novel solo which Iam waiting to read..
from the excerpts of this new Rushdies novel I read from the preview u posted 2-3 months back, in those 3-4 chapters I read the novel seems to have too much of unnecessary sexual references and too much of dazzle which is so unnatural of Rushdie’s novel..I wonder how much of this novel is a literary treat..
but still cant let go any Rushdies novel so will read it..I love this interesting offbeat characters and characterization and his literary style..