The Satanic VersesThe Satanic Verses
Score Classic
What it's about
A hijacked plane explodes over the English Channel, and two Indian actors fall from the sky and survive: Gibreel, a Bollywood superstar, who begins to turn into the archangel Gabriel, and Saladin, a man who has worked hard to become English, who begins to grow horns and hooves. Their story in London is interwoven with dreams, including one about the founding of a religion.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and was a Booker finalist. Its dream sequences led Iran's leader to call for Rushdie's death, making it one of the most famous books of the century.
You'll love it if you liked
Midnight's Children
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder
The Master and MargaritaGood to know
It's long and dense, with many digressions. Some Muslims consider parts of it blasphemous.
By the numbers
- Readers3 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics32 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller65 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #341 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #641 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2225 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
More by Salman Rushdie
Midnight's Children
QuichotteKnife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder
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Quick answers
Is The Satanic Verses worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and was a Booker finalist. It ranks #2,225 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 61.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Satanic Verses about?
A hijacked plane explodes over the English Channel, and two Indian actors fall from the sky and survive: Gibreel, a Bollywood superstar, who begins to turn into the archangel Gabriel, and Saladin, a man who has worked hard to become English, who begins to grow horns and hooves. Their story in London is interwoven with dreams, including one about the founding of a religion.
How long does it take to read The Satanic Verses?
About 14 hours (580 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Satanic Verses?
If you liked it, try Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie or The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.