Knife: Book Review

Today we will be reviewing Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie. Keep reading to find out what we thought of this memoir by Rushdie about a knife attack he survived. 

On of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was onstage, getting ready to give a lecture when a man in black clothing rushed the stage towards Rushdie with a knife and started attacking him. Rushdie tried defending himself as best as he could with his bare hands until the attacker was finally subdued by audience members. 

This book talks about the attack and everything Rushdie went through as he struggled for his life. Rushdie revisits the day that changed his life and scarred him, leaving him blind in one eye as a result. 

After such an attack, many people wouldn’t want to share their traumatic experience. But Rushdie uses writing to come to terms with this horrific attack and how he was able to move on. He holds nothing back as he finally shares it all in one of the best biographies I have read. 

Commentary

It is impossible to imagine what Rushdie went through and even when you read this book, you realize that there are a lot of stuff unsaid. Days, months, and years that Rushdie had to lay in bed, recovering, traveling to various doctors, worrying about his constant safety and whether there is another attacker waiting for him. 

An attack like this can lead to retreating into your head but Rushdie does the complete opposite. By writing about his experience, he takes control of the traumatic event and shows us that the power of love wins out in the end. 

If you had to read one memoir this year, I would recommend this one. Rushdie is a brilliant writer and his thoughts are concise and his knowledge is impeccable. He references many instances of writers being attacked and that he is one of many people that have been targeted over the centuries. 

Conclusion

When I picked up this book, I did not know what to expect. But I was very surprised at how positive and enjoyable this book was. I expected something depressing and this is novel is anything but that. Rushdie shares the darkest day of his life and he does it poetically, showcasing that is how we get up again that defines who we are. 

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