“A poet's work', he answers. 'To name the unnamable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world and stop it from going to sleep.' And if rivers of blood flow from the cuts his verses inflict, then they will nourish him.”
The Satanic Verses is a complex and controversial novel that delves into the lives of various characters, including a man accused of assassinating the Prophet Muhammad. The story intertwines their personal narratives with broader discussions about religious beliefs, cultural misunderstandings, and the nature of truth. The novel is known for its exploration of the line between reality and imagination, and its portrayal of the complexities of human relationships and the impact of religious fervor on individual lives. more
Salman Rushdie (born June 19, 1947) is a British-Indian novelist and essayist. Known for his magical realism style, his novel Midnight's Children won the Booker Prize in 1981. His works often explore themes of cultural conflict, religion, and politics. In 1988, his novel The Satanic Verses sparked global controversy, leading to a fatwa issued by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini calling for his assassination. Rushdie spent years in hiding under police protection. He remains a prominent voice in contemporary English literature, celebrated for his literary innovation and defense of free expression. more
“shouldn't a god have blood to lose”
“remember / they love their blood / even as they retch / at the smell of it”
“So…there’s blood all over your kitchen, and it’s not my fault.” Oh, fuck.”
“There is no shortage of dead people in graveyards that got there through blood clots.”
“I became wary of medical blood and urine tests and came to regard them as very misleading.”