I like side stories the best.

I thoroughly enjoyed Satanic Verses, all things considered. As far as storytelling goes, it's somewhat complicated, following the stories of Gibreel and Saladin in modern London, the stories of their relationships, and then the side stories of the two prophets in Ayesha and Mahound. It's beautiful and tragic in the end, watching Gibreel fall into madness and destruction while Saladin rediscovers his identity as an Indian and makes his peace with his family. So many of the lives that touch Gibreel and Saladin's are shattered, and forced to rebuild. The images of the Angel and the Devil spark riots and race wars in London, and after all the destruction caused, lives must be rebuilt, identities rediscovered, and the world in whole appears unchanged, but the nuances of life are different now, perhaps only slightly, but different.

After reading some criticisms about the subject, I find that most critics look at this novel as an intelligent and wonderful view of the immigrant experience and feelings of alienation. It's easy to see that, how people leave home to make a new life, and the next generation takes the opportunity to fully assimilate to a new life and reject the family background. Even as the rejection happens, it never seems to last and a return to the old ways comes somewhat inevitably, but adapted to fit the new environment.
This is the great power of cultural exchange: the second generation takes the lessons and traditions of the old world and merges with the standards of the new world. The United States has always been an interesting example of how cultures collide and combine, not always (or ever) smoothly, but we've reached the point where the German tradition of Christmas trees is standard, everyone is Irish one day of the year, Chinese take-out is as common as pizza delivery, and every time I go out for food with friends I end up at the local Thai place or Chipotle. It continues through music, film, politics; nearly every facet of life has become integrated, and without a single raised eyebrow.

As much as I enjoy the immigrant experience, I really can't say too much about it. I'm third-generation, and until I carry-out my plan of moving to Europe I won't have any personal stories of immigration. I would like to take some time and space to discuss the story of Baal the poet.

As far as side stories in Satanic Verses go, Baal is my favorite. The first time we see this satirical poet, he's hired to attempt to undermine the growing power of the prophet Mahound. He's somewhat successful, but not enough to destroy the new faith. When Mahound returns and conquers the city of Jahilla, Baal hides in a brothel, and with the help of the prostitutes manages to create problems for the prophet through a physically satire. So much of the Jahilla stories rely on the power of words and dreams to claim control. Baal is not the greatest man of the city, but he has influence through the power of his words. Having read Shelley's "Defense of Poesy", I have come to have a greater respect for poets as the "unsung legislators of the world." Poets don't hold the traditionally recognized posts of power, but single works can impact the world. I cite Ginsberg's "Howl" as a prime example; a defining work of the beat generation. Perhaps not as widely read as it should be, it's a phenomenal work and the subject of an obscenity trial, but more on that later. Mahound as a prophet attempts to change the world through words, but is not above bloodshed. Baal uses his words to hurt, and manages as well as he can, but does the most damage once he gets the prostitutes to help. Poetry and satire are not limited to the written word- actions speak louder after all, and cut the deepest. Even as Baal dies for his actions, he still manages to force people to think about what they have done, and asks that everyone keep thinking rather than blindly following a man who makes arbitrary decisions backed up by an angel.

Back to the subject of obscenity, I happen to think that all works that go on trial for obscenity are the most fun to read. Satanic Verses is no stranger to controversy: in 1989 a fatwa was ordered on Rushdie for blasphemy, and several translators of the text were attacked or killed. Although not exactly an obscenity trial, it's a book of controversy, and a really wonderful one. I'm all for controversy in my texts. The best way to think is to be challenged to reconsider the way the world is. If anything, obscenity trials only increase awareness of books and encourage more people to read for the thrill of doing something wicked, and if reasons are given for the bans, even better. Improves the reading because now you know what to look for in the text.

i suppose what this comes down to is the realization that Satanic Verses is one of those novels that seems too complicated to attempt to understand in a short time, but has the great advantage of having so many layers of meaning to discuss. I've enjoyed the book immensely, and will probably list it among my favorites for the rest of my life, and probably return to it again and again in an effort to improve my understanding.