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The Enchantress of Florence

By Salman Rushdie

(43)

| Mass Market Paperback | 9780099532569

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Book Review: The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie Share

Wow. The Enchantress of Florence is one of those books that I would go out of my way and recommend. It’s just a gem of good writing, and the reader would definitely be put under a spell as he reads this magnificent piece of work. This is the second b ... (read full critics)

blogcritics published on Tue, 14 Jun 2011

Tales of a fabulist traveller

The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie Cape £18.99 pp386 No novelist understands the possibilities and perils of globalisation more acutely than Salman Rushdie. At its best, his fiction has always denied any fixed geographical vantage; there i ... (read full critics)

guardian.co.uk published on Fri, 24 Sep 2010

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7 Reviews

1 person find this helpful

Enchanting

The only three books by Salman Rushdie I've read so far are three of the most complete and fascinating works I've ever experienced. The Enchantress of Florence is magic in so many ways. The language: beautifully looking for words to capture the mind and the soul without being boring or difficult to ... (continue)

The only three books by Salman Rushdie I've read so far are three of the most complete and fascinating works I've ever experienced. The Enchantress of Florence is magic in so many ways. The language: beautifully looking for words to capture the mind and the soul without being boring or difficult to grasp. The characters: almost as if from another world completely even with their well known names; Their feelings, deeds, dreams so alive that you hardly believe to be fictional. The story: enchanting like a spell that hits you in the heart and makes you fall in love with every sentence. The reader ends up craving for more, looking forward to reading every word, slowly, like savouring a wonderful meal. Smelling, tasting, touching and even hearing pure beauty. Amazing is far too small a word to define it. Though I must confess I was rather disappointed not only by the abrupt end of the tale but also because my mind and heart were waiting for something different, even if I could not possibly describe or say what it is. In any case, a splendid book.

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Katia Guido said on Oct 14, 2010 | Add your feedback

This is a fairytale for grown ups.

This is a fairytale for grown ups. That the shortest and simplest opinion I could give you about this book. However, it would be too short and too simple for such an enchanting story.
Before I started reading I saw this quote from a review on the backside cover of the book, which said: 'My first d ... (continue)

This is a fairytale for grown ups. That the shortest and simplest opinion I could give you about this book. However, it would be too short and too simple for such an enchanting story.
Before I started reading I saw this quote from a review on the backside cover of the book, which said: 'My first desire on finishing it was to go back and re-read it. ... " Catherine Lockerbie, Scotsman. My first thought on someone wanting to re-read a book right after completing it was, "that's a bit foolish I think. I've never had this feeling after finishing a book." Yes, wanting the story to continue or wanting to know more about what happens to the person(s) in the story in the future, that feeling I did have, but never an urge to re-read it. And yet (you what I'm about to say, but I'm going to say it anyway), it was exactly what I thought. The story was finished. So there was no urge to wonder about what could/would happen next. But I sure as hell wanted to submerge myself again in this fantastic Indian or Italian (or even Ottoman) world described by Rushdie. I have to admit that both India and Italy are two of my favourite countries to visit. Nonetheless, I think that even people unfamiliar with these countries will love the versions of these countries through the eyes of Rushdie's characters.
Rushdie let's his characters philosophize about sociology, spirituality, love, passion, war and the way they want to be part of future history like they are talking and thinking about the history of the past. He makes his characters real, dangerous and even likeable (even when they aren't likeable).
Definitely on of my favourite books.

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Armand said on Mar 28, 2011 | Add your feedback

Masterpiece of Storytelling

I loved this book, mostly because I love Rushdie's storytelling. This novel is a rich tapestry of interweaving plotlines, and at the end the mystery is left deliciously unsolved. As always, Rushdie's writing is vivid, humorous and wonderful.

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currerbell said on Oct 28, 2010 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

Interesting but complicated

I would call this book interesting rather than beautiful. Salman Rushdie can make come together different worlds: Western Europe, more specifically Florence, the East (more specifically the old Moghol and the "New" World. Reading the book, one surely is impressed by his capacity to bring together su ... (continue)

I would call this book interesting rather than beautiful. Salman Rushdie can make come together different worlds: Western Europe, more specifically Florence, the East (more specifically the old Moghol and the "New" World. Reading the book, one surely is impressed by his capacity to bring together such a different worlds. They don't even seem so far away one from another, and that makes the modern reader hope for a better, multicultural world.
I liked the mystery that exists on the real identity of the protagonist. Until the end I was curious to find out who he really was.
But the book isn't easy. It is not recommendable to read it when young children interrupt you frequently (as was my case). It isn't easy to get completely carried away by it, because one has to keep concentrated on the story. So maybe Rushdie just was too much of a good researcher and genius to really make me enjoy this book.

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Sara said on Apr 15, 2010 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

While I was reading this book, I kept on thinking that this stuff about Arcalia and Angelica and the three giants reminded me of something...
When it finally came to my mind I told myself a couple of time that I'm an idiot, and I understood that we are less than a step away from masterpiece.

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Leanan_Sidhe said on Feb 5, 2010 | Add your feedback

my impression is that he writes so well that he gets so lazy about everything else: the plot is a mess, full of anachronisms and it goes in circles way too much. but what i find really annoying is his representation of women. he seems to adore writing the word "whore", must give him some kind of kic ... (continue)

my impression is that he writes so well that he gets so lazy about everything else: the plot is a mess, full of anachronisms and it goes in circles way too much. but what i find really annoying is his representation of women. he seems to adore writing the word "whore", must give him some kind of kick. otherwise they are either beautiful and very beddable, or old and past their prime or... not much else, really. so much for the enchantress. i kept thinking that this was a terrible waste, all this talent and no story, no attempt at creating something that goes a bit deeper, female characters a little more credible... very disappointed.

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ilariainthelibrary said on Jan 29, 2010 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback