Enchantress of Florence

I finished reading Enchantress of Florence yesterday afternoon, while Nova was taking her second nap of the day. It was a good day for napping and reading, dark and rainy as Ireland's reputation, and much colder than August should be.  I am proud of myself for having finished the book in less than a month, which shouldn't be much of an accomplishment but it's the most I've read in a single month since Nova was born.

Enchantress of Florence is by far the best book I've read this year, with the possible exception of Good Night, Gorilla. I also enjoyed it more than other Rushdie books I've read, namely The Moor's Last Sigh and the first 2/3 of Satanic Verses.  I loved the juxtaposition of Mughal India and Renaissance Florence, and the fluid boundaries between art, life, and death that characterize the story's world. It was, of course, beautifully written, but I never felt like the plot got lost in flowery description. 

I should get around to finishing Satanic Verses, and read Midnight's Children one of these years.

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