Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 2,434 ratings

Price: 17.72

Last update: 01-10-2025


Top reviews from the United States

Karen A. Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars An American story of survival and love
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2024
Salman Rushdie writes with such strength and depth. He shows the world he has survived and shares his success with everyone who played a part. Even as his body struggled to mend, his brilliance and intellectual level remained in tact.
I have read countless stories of survival against all odds and have witnessed several examples. Salman, while painting a portrait of the events, made you want to be more educated; more conscious of the world around us; more open to the possibilities of life.
To anyone who may be considering choosing this book, please make this choice. You will come to know a truly compassionate and resilient man who has had the great fortune to find the love of his life. That is the message of the book entitle The Knife.
C. Wakefield
5.0 out of 5 stars a life revisited
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2024
I had not read any of Salman Rushdie’s books before I saw and bought Knife. Of course I knew who he was and the fatwa but those were passing stories which did not touch my world.
What a mistake I made but I have time to ready it and read more. Rushdie’s story flows with grace and a strong truth as to the facts of his attack and the aftermath but is never sentimental nor cloying. There’s no begging for sympathy, no oh poor me. But beautifully crafted sentences which flow back and forward through the relevant parts of his life to the well set conclusion. All may be forgiven, made peace perhaps but certainly not forgotten.
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed the account of attack and aftermath but....
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024
The first five chapters of the book are well-written and captivating (about 130 pages). I couldn't put it down. Chapters 6-8 (about 1/3 of the book) had some interesting elements. However, the imagined conversation between Rushdie and his assailant felt contrived; though we get good insight into Rushdies' beliefs, creating a conversation with the attacker was unnecessary and tiresome.
I also agree with other reviewers about Rushdie's constant literary references (most of which add little to the story) and his need to point out how accomplished and connected he is. We know, Salman. We know.
Ashok
5.0 out of 5 stars spellbinding
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2024
What an amazing, spellbinding and moving read. The triumph of the human spirit even in the face of near death and debilitating injury is eloquently and profoundly captured in this visceral book which is destined to be a classic.
Ruth Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wise and Revealing Account of a Senseless Act
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2024
I have loved reading Salman Rushdie since my first recommended book - Haroun and the Sea of Stories. I can say I loved him as a writer and knew little of him as a person. When the fatwa was declared I was horrified as most rational people would be, knowing that those who threatened him had no understanding of the novel or the author’s sense of fun and humour. Since reading the heartwarming and intelligent account of survival and rebuilding of a life after such a heinous and stupid, yes stupid, attack I feel I also love the author as a person. Please read this book if you need to be moved and uplifted.
FH
3.0 out of 5 stars An authentic and reflective memoir of battling intolerance
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2024
KNIFE: Meditations After an Attempted Murder | Salman Rushdie, Random House (2024) 224p

Salman Rushdie’s "KNIFE" emerges not merely as a memoir following a profound personal crisis but as a meditative, philosophical exploration of violence, survival, and the indomitable spirit of the word against the sword. With "KNIFE," Rushdie again demonstrates why he remains one of our most crucial voices against the fascism of certainty.

Rushdie’s self-reflections are neither deep nor profound. He is a much better writer than he is a thinker. His orthodox critical theory genuflections grow tiresome. But as a survivor on the front lines in the battle for free minds, he’s a hero.

The book’s 224 pages are not just a recounting of the horrific attack on Rushdie but introspection and interrogation of the forces that continue to shape our discourse around freedom of speech and extremism.
Was
In "KNIFE," Rushdie’s narrative weaves through the personal and the universal, tying his near-fatal encounter to the ongoing global struggle against authoritarianism and fanaticism. His prose, as ever, is sharp, incisive, and earnest. He doesn’t just recount the event but uses it as a lens to scrutinize the nature of hate, the burden of fear, and the courage it takes to speak one's truth in the face of potential annihilation.

Rushdie’s latest work is compelling in its refusal to concede to despair. His meditations on the knife, both as a physical object that nearly ended his life and as a symbol of broader cultural and religious conflicts, serve as a poignant reminder of the stakes involved in the battle for artistic and intellectual liberty.

Rushdie also addresses a particularly controversial aspect surrounding the aftermath of his attack— reactions like that of ex-President Jimmy Carter, whom Rushdie correctly notes offered an undue defense of his assailant.

Rushdie's engagement with Carter's stance is a rebuttal and a deeper inquiry into how narratives are shaped after violence against public figures. He questions the implications of empathizing with a perpetrator of violence and the danger of diminishing the severity of such acts through well-intended yet misdirected advocacy.

The irony of Rushdie, a member of the established woke literati, getting attacked by a terrorist and then having his fellow travelers defend them does not get a robust reflection. It does not prompt Rushdie to consider that his worldview has helped radicalize, not subvert, the attacker.

In conclusion, "KNIFE" is a significant cultural and literary contribution that deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone who values the power of the written word to challenge, transform, and transcend even the most dire circumstances.
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FH
3.0 out of 5 stars An authentic and reflective memoir of battling intolerance
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2024
KNIFE: Meditations After an Attempted Murder | Salman Rushdie, Random House (2024) 224p

Salman Rushdie’s "KNIFE" emerges not merely as a memoir following a profound personal crisis but as a meditative, philosophical exploration of violence, survival, and the indomitable spirit of the word against the sword. With "KNIFE," Rushdie again demonstrates why he remains one of our most crucial voices against the fascism of certainty.

Rushdie’s self-reflections are neither deep nor profound. He is a much better writer than he is a thinker. His orthodox critical theory genuflections grow tiresome. But as a survivor on the front lines in the battle for free minds, he’s a hero.

The book’s 224 pages are not just a recounting of the horrific attack on Rushdie but introspection and interrogation of the forces that continue to shape our discourse around freedom of speech and extremism.
Was
In "KNIFE," Rushdie’s narrative weaves through the personal and the universal, tying his near-fatal encounter to the ongoing global struggle against authoritarianism and fanaticism. His prose, as ever, is sharp, incisive, and earnest. He doesn’t just recount the event but uses it as a lens to scrutinize the nature of hate, the burden of fear, and the courage it takes to speak one's truth in the face of potential annihilation.

Rushdie’s latest work is compelling in its refusal to concede to despair. His meditations on the knife, both as a physical object that nearly ended his life and as a symbol of broader cultural and religious conflicts, serve as a poignant reminder of the stakes involved in the battle for artistic and intellectual liberty.

Rushdie also addresses a particularly controversial aspect surrounding the aftermath of his attack— reactions like that of ex-President Jimmy Carter, whom Rushdie correctly notes offered an undue defense of his assailant.

Rushdie's engagement with Carter's stance is a rebuttal and a deeper inquiry into how narratives are shaped after violence against public figures. He questions the implications of empathizing with a perpetrator of violence and the danger of diminishing the severity of such acts through well-intended yet misdirected advocacy.

The irony of Rushdie, a member of the established woke literati, getting attacked by a terrorist and then having his fellow travelers defend them does not get a robust reflection. It does not prompt Rushdie to consider that his worldview has helped radicalize, not subvert, the attacker.

In conclusion, "KNIFE" is a significant cultural and literary contribution that deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone who values the power of the written word to challenge, transform, and transcend even the most dire circumstances.
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Elenora R. Sabin
5.0 out of 5 stars A Riveting Account of a Tragic Event
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2024
Salman Rushdie's account of the assassination attempt on his life is stark and truthful in his depiction of the horrific event that came so close to ending his life, yet he manages to infuse it with his customary humor and include a tender love story as well. I found the book, which is not long, impossible to put down until I had read every bit of this incredible yet true tale and Rushdie's philosophical view of the assassin's motivation.
yupikwolf
4.0 out of 5 stars hmmm
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2024
Lots of thoughts brought up and terror of what humanity is capable of.
I felt Rushdie wrote very well about his physical recovery but the ending, and I honestly don’t know if this because of me, seemed forced. However, that completely understandable.

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