Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20628 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Synopsis
Omar Khayyam Shakil had three mothers who shared the symptoms of pregnancy, as they did everything else, inseparably. At their six breasts, Omar was warned against all feelings and nuances of shame. It was training which would prove useful when he left his mothers' fortress (via the dumb-waiter) to face his shameless future...As captivating fairy-tale, devastating political satire and exquisite, uproarious entertainment, "Shame" is a novel without rival.

Customer Reviews

Irritating, dull and tedious....
Possibly it is because I have not read Rushdie before or possibly because his is just a style that doesn't work for me but I had such a hard time getting into this book and did not enjoy Rushdie's writing at all. It, to me, felt so over the top, his prose full of the unneccessary as if he is trying to let us know just how many clever words he knows so we figure out what an amazing writer he is. I just found it really irritating as I usually do when people use ten words to tell us something they could just as easily do in five. I have a Masters degree in English so it's not that I didn't understand what he was on about I just found it annoying, grating and the story did not capture me at all. This is the first book in a long time that I have started and given up on without finishing. I think if you like Rushdie you'll probably love this, if like me, you prefer a more economical style then you might find it hard going.

Pakistani Politics a la Rushdie
An interesting tale of Pakistan, and one that is still relevant today especially in the aftermath of the Bhutto assassination. Bhutto appears in the book as the Virgin Ironpants and doesn't receive a favourable reception. However few characters in this novel do, when reading this one can feel Rushdie's vitreous hatred for almost everybody.

The story tells of Pakistan between its military coups. Whilst all names have been changed and personalities turned into charactures it is still easy to see for anyone with a passing knowledge of Pakistani history to see who they represent. For all Rushdie's faults, of which there are many, no one can deny his skill as a writer. He writing is exceptional and his books contain many humorous incedents.

A little dull
This book is very well written, but fails to hold the reader captive. I short, it is a little dull. I read all but the last twenty pages. It did not seem worth the effort.