Memoirs are prickly to evaluate. Essentially designed to cover one aspect or period of the author’s life, they can often become meandering mini autobiographies. Does not getting a pony as a kid really have anything to do saving the Queen from pirates? And is the topic worthy of our time—there’s a thin line between this has to be a book and maybe that should have been left in your journal. Sometimes it is too soon or the perspective too narrow or the narrative sparkless or is lacking the significant insight to be a compelling read. Happy to say, none of that is true here. Rushdie’s writing reflects the free associative way his mind works and displays a self-aware sense of humor. Compellingly dramatic and personal, KNIFE was written to process Salman Rushdie’s having been stabbed 15 times live on stage and the ensuing trauma and improbable recovery. The mechanics of his working through understanding what happened and recovering are often on display—including an extended imagined conversation with his attacker that is at times uncomfortable and fascinating and sometimes feels silly but was a way to move toward understanding. He also talks about his life as a writer providing certain tools of recovery. My only reproach of the work would be the ending. As well contemplated and digested as much of KNIFE feels, the last portion felt kind of rushed and unacknowledged—as if written off the cuff as it was happening instead of in repose. Perhaps the events of the end were too close to publication for proper reflection. Definitely worth reading and hoping it will spur my long delayed foray into his fiction. ( )

Very good. ( )

Frank and insightful.

The region I call home was thrust into the global spotlight for a ghastly reason on August 12, 2022. Renowned author Salman Rushdie was savagely attacked by an accused terrorist as he was about to deliver an address at the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York. In a tragic irony, the theme of his speech focused on our nation as a safe haven for exiled writers.
Rushdie writes that “Knife” is his effort to “own what happened” and to “answer violence with art.”
It’s a powerful and thought-provoking memoir. Anyone familiar with Rushdie’s prose won’t be surprised that it’s also a masterfully written book that is clearly oozing with honesty. I understand why some critics grumble that Rushdie, who was 75 at time of the attack, occasionally seems to “wallow” in being a victim. Then again, he nearly lost his life after being stabbed 15 times in the span of 27 seconds, endured excruciating pain and suffered permanent debilitating injuries that has left him “a one-eyed man in a two-eyed world. I would have liked it if Rushdie had spent a bit more time reflecting on the fatwa that followed the release of his controversial “The Satanic Verses” in the late 1980s, but I also realize this would be old news to many readers.
I admire how Rushdie skillfully wove into his narrative relevant morsels from dozens of other literary works, movies and even comic strips that span many eras.
“Knife” is a compelling biography that touches on trauma, freedom of expression and our ability to not only survive — but to thrive — in the face of adversity. ( )

Clear and compelling writing. Big questions are not about life and death, rather about living and freedom. And love. ( )