Haroun and the Sea of Stories - Salman Rushdie
Nate, who's a big fan of Rushdie, first suggested this book to me in college. It's a children's book, and it's brilliant, and Robyn and I just read it again together. Haroun's father is the Shah of Blah, the Ocean of Notions, a wonderful storyteller known throughout the land ... who wakes up one morning unable to tell a single tall tale. When Haroun accompanies his father to a political gig, he gets involved in some remarkable adventures, with characters each more outlandish than the next. Rushdie treats words the way a juggler does balls—he throws a whole bunch in the air, and somehow manages to create a beautiful spectacle without making a mess.
If you love stories, adventure, and plays on words, this is an excellent read. It's somewhat reminiscent of Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth, only less white.
Fed to jhliu's brain | October 26, 2004
