_________________________________________________________________
                                      
   
                             The Moor's Last Sigh
                                       
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
     * _To_: Multiple recipients of list SASIALIT
       <[5]SASIALIT@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
     * _Subject_: The Moor's Last Sigh
     * _From_: Subir Grewal <[6]grewals@ACF2.NYU.EDU>
     * _Date_: Sun, 5 May 1996 12:41:16 -0400
     * _In-Reply-To_: <[7]9605021451.AA22222@oolite.austin.ibm.com>
     * _Reply-To_: Joined Trill <[8]hostmaster@trill-home.com>
     * _Sender_: SASIALIT -- Literature of South Asia and the Indian
       diaspora <[9]SASIALIT@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
       
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----


Minor problems with mailer upgrades have kept me from reading SASIALIT for
the past couple of weeks, which is probably why I didn't jump into the
library discussion with phasers on, but on to the Moor.

I hope I won't be spoiling things for people who haven't read the book,
but I really don't feel like inserting spoiler space.  If you are
concerned about learning too much of the "plot" it may be better not to
read on.

If there's one overwhelming feeling I came away with after reading the
book it was weariness/sadness, but that really doesn't say much.  Despite
Aurora's zest there seemed to be just too many broken promises to bear for
too long.  To set it in Cochin's Jewtown and then have a character who's
aging twice as fast probably has something to do with it.  Decay is
pervasive in the novel whether its the Alhambra or the Moor (BTW, anyone
else sense the novel is chock-full of architecture, Uh, Rushdie discovers
structuralism eh.).  But Dilly is absolutely wonderful, he obviously hit a
nerve there.  Wonder how many "smugglers are really bad" story-books
Rushdie read?  Nice bohemian circle built around Aurora, but I really
couldn't stand her dancing at Ganesh Chaturthi, but outrageous things are
only fun when you're doing them.  The jacket of my copy has a photo of
Rushdie with his fingers curled up, RSI for him as well?

I'll stop now, really should get back to that paper I have to write.

hostmaster@trill-home.com * Trills 4 thrills * Blue-Ribbon * Lynx 2.5
Abstainer, n.:
        A weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a
pleasure.  -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.2

iQB1AwUBMYzaNRwDKqi8Iu65AQGfLQL/ec3d4bQUEOfY7gdFEHSfvDvyyhq3N1dm
hfTmt3MkPNU6OzIurlj2UGYctkfV+fG1wQZVc1GDqvYcpJoDWL/ZLnVLOM0xG/8x
5jXL6Z69u1rPGDA+HKb+83XHfknXfs3h
=93HJ
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----