Book Review: Knife (Salman Rushdie)
Book Review: Knife by Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie’s “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder” is a poignant and introspective memoir that offers a raw, unflinching account of the author’s near-fatal stabbing in August 2022. This work serves as both a testament to Rushdie’s resilience and a profound exploration of the aftermath of violence, weaving together personal narrative, philosophical musings, and literary craftsmanship.
Reading Knife by Salman Rushdie on my work break. (Via our Instagram – The Beer Thrillers)
Narrative Structure and Style
Rushdie employs a chronological approach to recount the events surrounding the attack and his subsequent recovery. The opening chapter, with its chilling precision, stands out as some of the most compelling prose in Rushdie’s oeuvre. His description of the assailant as “a sort of time traveler, a murderous ghost from the past” encapsulates the surreal nature of the incident and its connection to the long-standing fatwa against him. The author’s trademark wit and sardonic humor are evident throughout the text, even in the face of grave circumstances. Rushdie’s decision to refer to his attacker simply as “the A” (for Assassin, Assailant, or Asinine) demonstrates his refusal to grant his would-be killer undue significance while simultaneously showcasing his linguistic playfulness.
Thematic Exploration
Violence and Its Aftermath
At its core, “Knife” is an examination of the physical and psychological repercussions of violence. Rushdie’s detailed account of his injuries and recovery process serves not only as a personal narrative but also as a universal exploration of trauma. His observation that “in the presence of serious injuries, your body’s privacy ceases to exist” speaks to the vulnerability and loss of autonomy experienced by victims of violence.
Identity and Resilience
The memoir grapples with questions of identity in the face of life-altering events. Rushdie’s struggle to reconcile his pre-attack self with his post-attack reality is palpable throughout the text. His determination to “reclaim his life” and his defiant stance of living “like a free man” underscore themes of resilience and the indomitable human spirit.
The Role of Art in Healing
Rushdie’s decision to “answer violence with art” is a central theme of the book. The act of writing itself becomes a form of therapy and reclamation, allowing the author to process his trauma and assert control over his narrative. This aspect of the memoir reinforces the power of literature as a tool for healing and understanding.
Literary Techniques and Devices
One of the most intriguing aspects of “Knife” is Rushdie’s use of imagined conversations with his attacker. While these sections have been criticized by some as the least potent part of the book, they serve an important function in exploring the author’s need for understanding and closure. These fictional dialogues allow Rushdie to confront questions of motivation and ideology that would otherwise remain unanswered. The author’s use of metaphor is particularly striking, especially in his treatment of the titular knife. By describing the knife as “morally neutral in itself,” Rushdie invites readers to consider broader questions about the nature of violence and human agency.
Critical Analysis
While “Knife” is undoubtedly a powerful and moving account, it is not without its flaws. The book’s structure can feel somewhat disjointed at times, with Rushdie seeming to struggle with the balance between personal narrative and broader philosophical musings. Additionally, the imagined conversations with the attacker, while conceptually interesting, occasionally veer into territory that feels forced or contrived. However, these minor shortcomings are overshadowed by the memoir’s overall impact. Rushdie’s ability to transform a deeply personal trauma into a work of literature that speaks to universal themes of resilience, freedom, and the power of art is truly remarkable.
Conclusion
“Knife” stands as a significant addition to Rushdie’s body of work, offering readers a glimpse into the mind of one of contemporary literature’s most influential figures as he grapples with mortality and the aftermath of violence. More than just a personal account, this memoir serves as a meditation on the enduring conflict between forces of fanaticism and those of artistic freedom. In confronting his own brush with death, Rushdie has created a work that reaffirms the vital importance of literature in our understanding of the human experience.
My GoodReads Rating: ****
GoodReads Global Average Rating: 4.06 (as 0f 7.18.24)
My LibraryThing Rating: ****1/4
Knife by Salman Rushdie
Knife by Salman Rushdie (cover via GoodReads)
The back of the book blurb:
From internationally renowned writer and Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie, a searing, deeply personal account of enduring—and surviving—an attempt on his life thirty years after the fatwa that was ordered against him
On the morning of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man in black—black clothes, black mask—rushed down the aisle toward him, wielding a knife. His first thought: So it’s you. Here you are.
What followed was a horrific act of violence that shook the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, and in unforgettable detail, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath, as well as his journey toward physical recovery and the healing that was made possible by the love and support of his wife, Eliza, his family, his army of doctors and physical therapists, and his community of readers worldwide.
Knife is Rushdie at the peak of his powers, writing with urgency, with gravity, with unflinching honesty. It is also a deeply moving reminder of literature’s capacity to make sense of the unthinkable, an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art—and finding the strength to stand up again.
The Attack on August 12, 2022
On August 12, 2022, at approximately 10:47 a.m. EDT, Salman Rushdie was about to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York when tragedy struck. As Rushdie prepared to speak about the United States as a safe haven for exiled writers, an assailant rushed the stage and launched a vicious attack.
The attacker, later identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar from Fairview, New Jersey, stabbed Rushdie multiple times. The assault was brutal and persistent, with Matar continuing his attack even as several people attempted to restrain him. In total, Rushdie suffered fifteen stab wounds to various parts of his body, including his face, neck, abdomen, chest, and right eye.
Henry Reese, the co-founder of City of Asylum who was on stage to interview Rushdie, was also injured in the attack, sustaining a shallow knife wound and bruising near his right eye. The swift response of a New York state trooper and a sheriff’s deputy present at the event led to Matar’s immediate arrest.
The aftermath of the attack was dire. Rushdie was quickly airlifted to UPMC Hamot, a hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he underwent emergency surgery. Initially, his condition was critical, with Rushdie on a ventilator and facing potential loss of an eye, liver damage, and severed nerves in one arm. Despite the severity of his injuries, Rushdie’s resilience shone through. By August 13, he had been taken off the ventilator and was able to speak. However, the attack left lasting impacts, including the loss of sight in his right eye and limited use of his left hand.
This horrific incident brought renewed attention to the longstanding threats against Rushdie, which began with the 1989 fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini following the publication of “The Satanic Verses”. The attack, occurring decades after the initial threats, served as a stark reminder of the enduring nature of extremist ideologies and the ongoing risks faced by writers who challenge religious and political norms.
See articles:
- Stabbing of Salman Rushdie (Wikipedia)
- Salman Rushdie (Wikipedia)
- Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder (Wikipedia)
- Satanic Verses Controversy (Wikipedia)
Legacy of Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie in 2024 (via The Atlantic)
Literary Legacy
Rushdie’s contribution to literature is profound and enduring. His novels, particularly “Midnight’s Children,” have redefined the boundaries of magical realism and postcolonial literature. The Booker Prize committee recognized the lasting importance of his work as early as 1981, describing “Midnight’s Children” as “a work of extraordinary ambition and abundance” and “of amazing imaginative fertility as well as of political courage”.
Champion of Free Speech
Perhaps Rushdie’s most significant legacy lies in his unwavering commitment to free speech and artistic freedom. The controversy surrounding “The Satanic Verses” and the subsequent fatwa against him thrust Rushdie into the role of a symbol for freedom of expression. His refusal to be silenced in the face of threats and persecution has inspired writers and artists worldwide to tackle controversial themes and push the boundaries of acceptable discourse.
Cultural Impact
Rushdie’s influence extends beyond the literary world. He has played a crucial role in changing perceptions of South Asian writers and culture in the West. As one of the first desi authors to achieve widespread recognition in Europe and North America, Rushdie helped pave the way for greater representation and understanding of South Asian perspectives in global literature.
Academic and Critical Recognition
Rushdie’s work has become a staple in academic studies of postcolonial literature. Scholars have extensively analyzed his exploration of postcolonial identity and cultural hybridity, recognizing the profound insights his novels offer into the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity in a globalized world.
Ongoing Relevance
Even in his later works, Rushdie continues to address contemporary issues. His novel “Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights” (2015) explores themes of transnationalism and cosmopolitanism, demonstrating his ability to evolve and remain relevant in changing times. Rushdie’s perspective on the role of literature in society remains influential, with his assertion that the job of the modern writer is “to try and open up the universe to show people all of its possibilities”.
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