Review: Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The subject matter is appalling, but very funny, as the blurbs say, like early Woody Allen. I can't tell you much about it without giving the plot away. Underneath all the humour are some serious ideas for consideration. What if she had survived? What difference did the new edition make? I know that makes no sense unless you've read the book, but I don't want to give anything away. There was the odd saggy moment, but it's a quick read and full of startling ideas, great Jewish humour and... well read it!

Review: Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie

It took me a good while to read this, pressure of work and all that. I'm not complaining about the length, unlike some reviewers. Rushdie, thanks to a not so subtle media campaign over the years, along with Martin Amis, seems to be one of those authors it's ok to be nasty about. Recent publications of a "takedown" of this book suggest that, in spite of everything that was revealed in Leveson, people will be obeying the Daily Mail in this for a good while. It's almost a "here is an Asian-looking person it's ok to hate" situation. Not that I'm saying he's perfect. But who is? The people who attack him? Those who say the silly man brought all this on himself by writing a book?
Here is a British citizen, writing a book with some satirical content, with a good deal of learning on the subject material, who was given a death sentence by some foreign power. British security forces protected him, kept him in hiding, while much of the media, many politicians decided that he wasn't worth protecting, preferring instead to appease extremists.
Anyway, the book! It's well written and honest. Yes, Rushdie does a fair bit of name-dropping, seems to compare himself with writers possibly greater than himself and has trouble staying faithful. But he has an important story to tell and he tells it very well. Some reviewers complain that not much happens, but as he was in hiding I'm not sure what could be done about that. This is Torquay, no plains of the Serengeti visible. He argues his case very strongly and is very moving towards the end, so stick with it!
I came across Fury in a bookshop a couple of days ago. It was published on the day of the 9/11 attacks, with a cover of a skyscraper with a black cloud over it.
So this is vital stuff. I might not agree with everything Rushdie says, but I defend his right to say it and write books. If he had any of my taxes to guard him, he's welcome!