Several of us are reading / will begin reading this novel. If anyone else has read this controversial book or if anyone would like to join in, we're hoping to discuss this book next month.

I found a cool website that serves as a guide/companion. It's very detailed, but helps explain some of the vocabulary in the book. The Satanic Verses

just wondering, could someone explain what this is a little more please?

this might help Rach.

Wiki article on Satanic Verses

thanks dude.

Ok, I had to buy a second copy of this after looking all over (to no avail) for my first copy. Anyone ready to start reading?
(Or perhaps everyone else is already halfway through and am I the last to start?) Regardless, I am going begin reading it tomorrow.

I'm about 2/3 through. I'm not exactly on a speed mission though.

Did anyone find the study guide I found to be helpful?

I am very excited to use the study guide as I go along and I've already peeked at the intro. It looks great and thanks for posting it!
How do you like the book so far? (without spoilers!)

I like this book. I can understand a bit why Rushdie doesn't like bing compared to Gabo. The guide helped with a lot of the reading, because the story takes off on several tangents.

I've read the first two sections. I like reading the plot summaries from the study guide (to make sure I understood the basic plot!) and browse the page notes. The first two sections do seem completely different from one another aside from the character of Gibreel. I am curious to see where it heads in the next section.

The first time I attempted reading this I had no prior knowledge about Muhammad. Just before starting this book again, I read Karen Armstrong's book Muhammod: A Prophet for our time. I now know very basic knowledge about Muhammad and for me helps the reading of this book to be more meaningful and understandable.

It seems like Rushdie in the second section (Mahound) is taking the stories surrounding Muhammad and blending them into his own fictional story. It is quite intriguing...

I started the section Ellowen Deeowen and was disappointed that I cannot seem to get onto the study guide tonight. I am really enjoying and relying on it as I read the book.

I was reading info about the book on Wikipedia tonight instead. Wow...I cannot believe the stir this book has caused. I am hoping to understand the controversy a bit better after reading it. The time-line is unbelieveable...

Weird that link isn't working. I just checked it and it worked for me. Here is the link again, if you'd like to bookmark it: http://www.wsu.edu/%7Ebrians/anglophone/sa...s/contents.html

As for the controversy, I'm actually in that section right now - Section VI: Return to Jahilia. This is where the blasphemous parts about Mahound (Mohammad) are written.

I thought they were written in the second chapter of the book called Mahound, but then I couldn't really find anything that would warrent such criticsm.

I've read this twice- once in the year after it came out, and somewhere again in the last 3. I remember the controversy of the time- when the Iyatollah (no, I'm not at all certain of the spelling) putting a price on his head- then appearing on stage with U2 (Bono's arm around him when Bono was running around as Macphisto- dissemble as you will). I think its a good read- thought provoking, comparable his own version of Kevin Smith's "Dogma."

In hindsight, Satanic Verses may live up to its controversy, but its no where near the marvelous work that The Ground Beneath Her Feet is.

my dos sentavos

D.M.

I finished. Did anyone else? What are your thoughts?

There were so many different subplots and characters. I am getting more adjusted to reading things that move around from story to story. His style did remind me
of One Hundred Years of Solitude, perhaps b/c I haven't read anything close to those two books before.

The study guide was wonderful! I am not sure if I have a lot to say about it. I am glad I read it and would like to read East, West next when I go back to reading
something by him.

I'm just starting into The Ground Beneath Her Feet. I know several folks mentioned that one.

So interesting, I just picked up a signed first edition copy of Shalimar the Clown this week at a used bookstore. Kind of fun, since I missed the opportunity to get him to sign my copy of Satanic Verses when I saw him speak over a year ago.