Rushdie Haunted by his unholy Ghosts — Page 71
71 C H A P T E R E L E V E N : S A L M A N R US H DI E - T H E M A K I NG OF A N O GR E Before I look at The Satanic Verses objectively, it will be impor- tant to briefly glance at Salman Rushdie’s previous works and notice a progression of literary style, thought and obsession that propelled into the formation of the infamous novel. The style, it will be noticed, is that of confusion and disarray; the thoughts are mainly political and religious; and the obsessions are certainly of a sexual nature with coarse usage of foul language. What is apparent from all Rushdie’s novels is his wild imagina- tion, which knows no bound and it is this wild streak that appeals, in a weird sense, to most Western readers who seem to love the extra-ordinary and the sensational; and if this is interspersed at regular intervals with sex and sensuality, then the Western reader especially, is hooked. It certainly is a sign of the times that the West, in particular, is obsessed with sex of any kind; the more bizarre, the better. By reading his novels the reader is left a trail of clues and puz- zles that on reflection piece together to form a twisted and perverted mind which crosses the borders of decency, time and time again with unashamed regularity. By reading his novels also, one is easily able to perceive his thoughts about religion, politics, sex, and so on; and what also surfaces is his arrogance and his fears. . . . The books previous to The Satanic Verses are a sort of prior excuse and a prior apology for his later infamous work. This will become more apparent as I briefly discuss the contents of his earlier books in sequence.