Midnight's Children

a novel

by Salman Rushdie

Paperback, 533 pages

English language

Published Feb. 11, 2012 by Vintage Canada.

ISBN:: 978-0-345-80748-9
OCLC Number:: 805879855

Greeted by fireworks displays, cheering crowds, and Prime Minister Nehru himself, Saleem Sinai is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the very moment of India's independence. Saleem grows up to learn the ominous consequences of this coincidence. His every act is mirrored and magnified in events that sway the course of national affairs, his health and well-being are inextricably bound to those of his nation; his life is inseparable, at times indistinguishable, from the history of his country. Perhaps the most remarkable are the telepathic powers linking him with India's 1,000 other "midnight's children," all born in that initial hour and endowed with magical gifts.

This novel is an once a fascinating family saga and an astonishing evocation of a vast land and its people--a brilliant incarnation of the universal human comedy. Over twenty-five years after its publication, Midnight's Children stands apart as both an epochal work of fiction and a brilliant performance by one of the great literary voices of our time. --back cover

47 editions

Acton reviewed Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Review of "Midnight's Children" on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This celebrated novel has been reviewed so many times already that mine will seem superfluous. So, these are simply some thoughts I had...

Rushdie's use of magical realism and humor soften what is actually a devastatingly sad story. Having Saleem tell his story to another person (Padma) makes it possible for Rushdie to occasionally remind his readers of what has come before without sounding redundant. The story also skips around in time, and involves many people. It's a family saga and historical novel which handles religion, politics, love, hate, envy, revenge,caste, food, poverty, fear, and hope. There are many fascinating tales contained within this novel.

Rushdie has an intriguing storytelling style, the way he weaves all of Saleem's past lives together into the entire tapestry of one man's life. In the beginning, when Saleem first starts to tell his stories to Padma, I assumed that he was an old man. …