I’m more of a reader than a listener, but that’s changed recently. I decided to give “Knife” a go on Audible after earning a credit from an Amazon purchase (lucky me).
I wanted to do right by my quarterly reading list from January, which included this book alongside others like “Until August” and “Grief is for People.” It feels pertinent to mention that I’ve made decent progress on the list, as I may publish the next quarterly list any day now!
But let’s get to the heart of it. I’ve actually listened to “Knife” twice now, spending a total of 9 hours engrossed in the harrowing recounting of a brutal act that cost Salman Rushdie his sense of normalcy, his life, and an eye.
Rushdie’s voice is calm and measured, but his words are raging.
He begins with the incident at the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York, where he was on stage, about to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm. Suddenly, a man in black emerged from nowhere and started knifing him repeatedly. Rushdie never names his assailant, instead referring to him simply as ‘A’. He recounts how he stood transfixed for a few seconds, as did the onlookers, all dazed by the unrealness of it all. Rushdie goes on to explain in great detail his treatment, the heroes who ensured he survived – his co-panelists, members of the audience, doctors, nurses, and his partner.
He talks about foreshadowing, both as a literary device and its real-life significance.
The aftermath of the attack is described as searingly as the attack itself, and you can’t help but envision yourself being there, experiencing it yourself. Talk about foreshadowing.
I’ve always been intrigued by the tales of survivors of violence of any kind. What were they experiencing at the time of the attack? What about their lives after it, and their wounds – visible and invisible? Through “Knife,” Salman Rushdie has answered most of these questions, including whether he would ever want to forgive ‘A’.
Give it a read, folks!
Fingers in symphony 