Knife
Meditations After an Attempted Murder
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4.2 • 130 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie, a searing, deeply personal account of enduring—and surviving—an attempt on his life thirty years after the fatwa that was ordered against him
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Time, NPR, Town & Country, New York Post, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews
On the morning of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man in black—black clothes, black mask—rushed down the aisle toward him, wielding a knife. His first thought: So it’s you. Here you are.
What followed was a horrific act of violence that shook the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, and in unforgettable detail, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath, as well as his journey toward physical recovery and the healing that was made possible by the love and support of his wife, Eliza, his family, his army of doctors and physical therapists, and his community of readers worldwide.
Knife is Rushdie at the peak of his powers, writing with urgency, with gravity, with unflinching honesty. It is also a deeply moving reminder of literature’s capacity to make sense of the unthinkable, an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art—and finding the strength to stand up again.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A brush with death sets off this gripping memoir from literary legend Salman Rushdie. As Rushdie was about to speak at a 2022 event on artistic freedom, he was shockingly attacked by a man who stabbed him repeatedly. Reflecting on the traumatic event with depth and clarity, Rushdie ponders the impact of his work on the world—especially after a fatwa was issued against him following the publication of his controversial book The Satanic Verses. Through introspection and critical commentary, he confronts both his assailant and the world’s reaction to the attack, revealing much about the ongoing struggle for free expression in the process. Rushdie brilliantly blends political and cultural analysis with personal anecdotes as he examines the intersections between art and extremism. Guided by a steadfast commitment to the power of the written word, Knife is an essential listen for readers and writers everywhere.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rushdie follows Victory City with a forceful and surprisingly good-humored account of the 2022 knife attack that nearly killed him. At a speaking engagement in Chautaqua, N.Y., a 24-year-old man Rushdie refers to only as "A" rushed the stage where he was speaking and stabbed him multiple times, including in the eye. Authorities swiftly connected the assault to the fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini after Rushdie published The Satanic Verses in 1988. Rushdie chronicles the year following the attack, during which he recovered from liver damage, the removal of part of his small intestine, and the loss of his right eye. Though he writes of being plagued by nightmares and gory memories of the assault, Rushdie's wit shines through ("Let me offer this piece of advice to you, gentle reader: if you can avoid having your eyelid sewn shut... avoid it"). Just as arresting is an imagined conversation with A, which sees Rushdie trying to parse his attacker's religious convictions. By the time the narrative comes full circle, with Rushdie speaking on the same Chautaqua stage a year later, he's opened a fascinating window into perhaps the most vulnerable period of his life. It's a rewarding tale of resilience.
Customer Reviews
Worth It
I liked this book, not least because it was short. An essay about how 27 seconds can both forever alter and not alter a life. Rushdie’s view of existence is worth reading. There are strong lines throughout. And, his humor is intact. You feel like you’re reading a great letter from a good friend.
Inspiring and so personal
This man’s bravery and optimism after all the challenges faced gives hope to me to face the inevitable End…however it comes, with Love. Wonderful book.
Knife
Two thumbs down. Not interested in a book primarily about an old man who scored with a young woman. Yuck.