‘We have been wimpish about defending our ideas’
Salman Rushdie tells Matthew d’Ancona that the idea at the heart of his new novel set in 16th-century Florence and India is that universal values exist and require robust champions
The Rushdie Affair was the terrible warning that most of the world ignored: some, outrageously, blamed the author himself for his predicament, not grasping the scale, depth and ferocity of what he was up against. He was the canary down the mine into which the whole world tumbled on September 11.
His geopolitical pessimism is perfectly understandable. But his own story, if it has a moral, points in a different direction: towards recovery, hope and indomitable creativity. His books, no less than his personal resilience, are his triumph over despair and intolerance, and this is one of his very best.
‘We tell ourselves into being, don’t we?’ he says. ‘I think that is one of the great reasons for stories. I mean, we are the storytelling animal, there is no other creature on earth that tells itself stories in order to understand who it is. This is what we do, we’ve always done it, whether they are religious stories or personal stories, or tall stories, or lies, or useful stories, we live by telling each other and telling ourselves the stories of ourselves.’ Which is why, in spite of all that he has been through, and all that he fears is to come, there is a smile on his face.
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Harry
April 10th, 2008 2:44pmGood interview.
Rushdie is full of common sense.
Roy
April 12th, 2008 9:25amHow true!
Ramesh Raghuvanshi
April 15th, 2008 5:56pmIs Rushdie wish fulfilment come in to reality?I think his reading of history is very weak.First history telling us that war, volience are partand parcel of mankind.Reason is clear, all war fought for selfish reason.Which thing man most afraid? Death. No one can conquire the death.Try to save ourlife every creature struggle,and that is main reason for volience and war.So Mr. Rushdie write as many novels try your best to bring hormany in the world. Be remember= Man think GOD laugh