Shalimar the Clown

Shalimar the Clown is a 2005 novel written by Salman Rushdie, who also wrote The Satanic Verses and Midnight's Children. Shalimar was published in September 2005 and has attracted significant attention, comparable to his earlier publications, particularly The Moor's Last Sigh and Midnight's Children. Shalimar the Clown derives its name from Shalimar Gardens, in the vicinity of Srinagar, one of several Mughal Gardens, which were laid out in severa... more

Shalimar the Clown is a 2005 novel written by Salman Rushdie, who also wrote The Satanic Verses and Midnight's Children. Shalimar was published in September 2005 and has attracted significant attention, comparable to his earlier publications, particularly The Moor's Last Sigh and Midnight's Children. Shalimar the Clown derives its name from Shalimar Gardens, in the vicinity of Srinagar, one of several Mughal Gardens, which were laid out in several parts of undivided India when the Mughals reigned over the subcontinent. Shalimar is the name of one of the characters featured in the novel. Shalimar the Clown was one of the finalists for the 2005 Whitbread Book Awards. The novel is based partly in a small town in the Indian region of Kashmir. The town itself is imaginary, but it is located in an accurate geographic location not far from Srinagar. The title refers to a character in the story, a Kashmiri villager named Shalimar, who performs a tightrope act for amusement. The central... less