A post in which I rave about Salman Rushdie but do not write a book review

I had a series of interesting gchat conversations yesterday, beginning at 3:00a.m. when I’d accidentally left gmail up (no, Mom, I was not awake):

3:05 AM Amy: reading some Rushdie these days?

11:44 AM Andrew: ok, what are satanic verses

 me: hahaha

11:45 AM it's a book by Salman Rushdie

 Andrew: right

  has Boston turned you to the dark side?

 me: no, it's for my literature class.

  it's actually a phenomenal book so far, my favorite in the class

 Andrew: interesting, would you recommed it?

 me: yes I would.

12:15 PM Matt: you're reading the satanic verses?

 me: yes I am

12:16 PM Matt: i was gonna make that my next book!

  you like it so far?

 me: haha, awesome.

  yeah, I really do

1:43 PM Angela: satanic verses?

1:46 PM me: haha, it's a book

  for my literature class

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_satanic_verses

2:33 PM Michael: SATANIC VERSES?

 me: a book for my literature class

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_satanic_verses

2:34 PM Michael: NO THANKS

2:36 PM me: haha

  I forgot, you don't like to read

10:43 PM Calvin: alliegm "Satanic Verses"

  hilarious

 me: hahaha

  that gchat status has prompted more conversations than anything else ever has.

10:44 PM Calvin: i can imagine

  hilarious when people don't know

10:45 PM me: oh it is

I guess that’s what happens when your status looks like this:

 Really though, in the last 48 hours Salman Rushdie has overtaken my life, and if I didn’t have a real job I would sit and read all day. This book is so dense, but it’s rich and engaging and amazingly done. Pop culture, religion, literature, political figures, mountains, historical events, current (then) events, all are referenced and alluded to up the wazoo. And it’s all done with amazing prose that I just can’t describe so I won’t begin to try.

Man. A little bit in love with Salman Rushdie. At least his mastery of language anyway.

Read it. And if you think you don’t have time to invest in this book, which I do understand, then read The Shelter of the World. Lovely short story that gives a small taste of his abilities as a writer.