67 pages 2 hours read

Salman Rushdie

Midnight's Children

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1981

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Midnight’s Children follows Saleem Sinai, born at the exact moment of India's independence on August 15, 1947. Saleem discovers he has magical powers and can communicate with other children born in the same hour, all of whom possess unique abilities. His life intertwines with significant historical events in India and Pakistan, exploring themes of identity, politics, and family. The novel includes references to physical violence and wartime atrocities.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children is celebrated for its rich narrative and inventive prose, blending magical realism with Indian history. While praised for its creativity and depth, some readers find its complex structure and dense storytelling challenging. Overall, it remains a significant and thought-provoking work in modern literature.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Midnight's Children?

A reader who enjoys Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie likely appreciates multi-generational family sagas, magical realism, and rich historical narratives. Fans of Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude and Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things will find this book equally captivating and thought-provoking.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Genre

Magical Realism

Historical Fiction

Indian Literature

Period

Colonialism / Postcolonialism

Asian Literature

Themes

Society: Colonialism

Relationships: Family

Topics

Poverty

Class

History: World