Rushdie and Tragedy

The Moor's Last Sigh? The first novel to come out of Salman Rushdie after the Iranian government issued a death sentence against him for allegedly blaspheming the Koran. The Moor in the title though, refers to Moares Zogoiby, the last surviving scion of a dynasty of Cochinese spice merchants and crime lords.

Yes. And? He accounts his life,which consists of evolving family fortunes, power, secrecy, and love amidst a chaotic India.

What happens? Moraes was born physically precocious; in fact, he ages at twice the normal rate. From then on, much of the story revolves around Moraes' mother, Aurora, descendant of Vasco da Gama, heiress to a spice company, and artist. It is she who gives Moraes the name "Moor," and while the subjects of her paintings vary, she returns again and again to a recurring theme: Sultan Boabdil, the last of the Moors to rule the legendary Alhambra in Spain. When expelled by Ferdinand and Isabella, he pauses for one last look back and sighs and weeps. Aurora uses her son as the model for her "Moor" series, tying him to her personal vision. She becomes the filter through which her family sees the world.

In the end? As Moraes eloquently said, "There is no more to tell."

What did you think? The book has Rushdie written all over it: the dramatic, lyrical prose, Indian magic realism, tragedy interlaced with humor. Do read it, for real lovers of literature.