Book Review: Victory City By Salman Rushdie

 Victory City 

By Salman Rushdie 

Published Year: 2023 (Penguin Random House)

Page count: 338 pages 

Medium Used: Paperback 

Genre : Fantasy, History, Mythology, Magical Realism, 2024-read 

Rating : 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this book so much. It reads like fiction but feels real enough to believe. Except some parts that are wild and incredulous. I think the character of Pampa Kampana is flawless and solid. Salman Rushdie seemed to have done lot of research and reading into the Hindu Mythology and Indian customs, beliefs and faiths. There is no element of satire in this. Only wide eyed admiration and adoration to what people hold dear. I wish there would come other books like this one and I get to read them to my heart’s content. 

A city is built from the magical seeds of a woman and destroyed couple of centuries later. She dies with the City – more like, vanishes when the city faces it’s absolute destruction/annihilation. She lives all the while in a younger body and maintains an enviable age defying personality. She becomes the poet and scribe recording all the major events that have taken place in the lifetime of the city she helped create. We see how people and their attitudes change with the kings and the forces that are driving them. It’s a splendid read.