Salman Rushdie prefers not to immerse himself in the works of others when working on his own. “When I write fiction, I don't usually read it. I don't really want other people's voices to get into my head,” Rushdie said recently. That's not to say that other writers' books aren't an important part of his process—posing questions, providing instructions, and offering character models. He recently joined us to discuss several works that have guided his writing, including a novella published in “Eleventh hour,” his latest book, released this week. His remarks have been edited and condensed.
The Master and Margarita
by Mikhail Bulgakov
In the mid-eighties I began to think about what eventually became “Satanic Verses” I knew the book would intertwine stories, but wasn't sure how, and a friend suggested I read Bulgakov, thinking he might help.
“The Master and Margarita” tells the story of the Devil’s arrival in Moscow with his surrealist friends. This storyline is also a satirical portrait of the literary world of the time, where the Devil seemed particularly concerned with causing trouble. There is also a cursed love story of sorts that follows the novel's protagonists, a disillusioned writer and the woman he loves.
What I liked about The Master and Margarita was that, first of all, it was funny, and I wanted everything I did to have a strong comic element. Bulgakov's book is a funny novel about very serious things, and I have always liked books like this – “Günter Grass.”Tin drum” also fits into that category. But it was also very helpful for me as a guide on how to weave my stories together. It helped me overcome a hurdle in terms of form.
American
Franz Kafka
This was Kafka's first attempt at writing a novel, but he never finished it. It's about a character named Karl Rossman who was exiled to America, mainly because he apparently got a maid pregnant. He is full of optimism, but America does not treat him very well. Towards the end, he takes a job with a mysterious organization called the Oklahoma Nature Theatre. What the organization does is never explained, but Carl boards a train with his friend to go to Oklahoma, and that's where the novel ends.
Kafka himself never came to America, but he liked travel books. His understanding of the country was obtained second-hand. The scenery Carl sees from the train is unlike anything one might encounter on such a journey. He's in a kind of imaginary America in which he goes to imaginary Oklahoma. But the idea is that in Oklahoma, Kafka wanted Karl to find some kind of solution, some kind of – and this is unusual for Kafka – happy ending.
There's a short story in The Eleventh Hour called “Oklahoma” that uses Oklahoma as a metaphor for, I think, happiness. It explores some of the questions that arise from Kafka's book. If you disappear, will you find your Oklahoma? In life, we all look for something that brings us confidence and peace. Do we find it or not? And do you really have to leave your life to find it? Or is this another mistake?
Candide
from Voltaire
My connection with this man also has a long history. When I was at boarding school in England, I didn't know much French at first, but then I had a magic teacher, Mr. Lewis, who taught us Candide, and I suddenly found myself at the top of the class.
