Knife

Meditations After an Attempted Murder

By: Salman Rushdie

Narrated by: Salman Rushdie

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie, a searing, deeply personal account of enduring—and surviving—an attempt on his life thirty years after the fatwa that was ordered against him

On the morning of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man in black—black clothes, black mask—rushed down the aisle toward him, wielding a knife. His first thought: So it’s you. Here you are.

What followed was a horrific act of violence that shook the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, and in unforgettable detail, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath, as well as his journey toward physical recovery and the healing that was made possible by the love and support of his wife, Eliza, his family, his army of doctors and physical therapists, and his community of readers worldwide.

Knife is Rushdie at the peak of his powers, writing with urgency, with gravity, with unflinching honesty. It is also a deeply moving reminder of literature’s capacity to make sense of the unthinkable, an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art—and finding the strength to stand up again.

©2024 Salman Rushdie (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Candid, plain-spoken and gripping . . . Knife is a clarifying book. It reminds us of the threats the free world faces. It reminds us of the things worth fighting for.”—The New York Times

“Knife isn’t so much about pondering imminent death than it is an affirmation—an insistence—on returning to life.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“The subject—the idea for which Rushdie nearly died—is the freedom to say what he wants . . . Rushdie survived, but he has too many scars to be certain that the idea will. This book is his way of fighting back.”—The Atlantic

Interesting!

A personal and very interesting look into the aftermath of the attack on Rushdie, as well as being a lovely description of his relationship with his wife. Having only read a couple of his books and being too young to remember much of the media coverage of the fatwa, the book did require some background-google'ing at times. however, it did an overall good job at being possible to follow without dwelling too much time on the past.

I was surprised at how much I liked Rushdie's depiction of his attacker: While it could be argued that being depicted by an author of Rushdie's caliber is an honor, one cannot help but cheer at the absolute *burn* it is to tell someone that they seem so irrelevant, that the version of you they made up, is more interesting than the real one.

Odd title for a love story

An engrossing look into the inner workings of the mind of this brilliant author. But, still an odd title for a love story.

A love story!

A beautiful love story. A victory of love and light against darkness. Full of witty remarks, earnest and humorous simultaneously, a feast! Thank you SR.

Rushdie is a treasure

I’ve loved his books all my life, but Knife offered a wonderfully intimate and unique glimpse into his mind in and around the terrifying attack. It’s above all else a love story, and he is unflinching unapologetic about that. This brazenness - given his age and the number of marriages in his wake - was so refreshing it cracked open my calcified heart ever so slightly. Is that uncomfortable feeling I’m having hope? Rushdie is a magician!

Powerful Writing

Reminiscent of Capote’s “In Cold Blood”. It encompasses all realms of human emotion from a powerful first person narrative.

An immensely personal memoir

One of our true treasures of literature opens a window into his personal journey with the unjustifiable violence that comes with lunatic ideology and does so with such grace, humility and humor, it is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Thank you, Mr. Rushdie. I can’t wait to purchase your next book!

Hearing Salman Rushdie’s Voice

This book contains the best defense of the necessity of Art which I have ever heard. Thank you and I am so glad that you are still with us.

The story he needs to tell spoken in his own voice

This is a somber tale of survival. It's no spoiler to say the attack on Rushdie was heinous and his subsequent recovery bittersweet. He needed to write this book but this isn't how he wants to be known in the world. He wants to be known for his fiction writing. That's mostly how I think of him. But I also think of him as having a strong will and a good heart. He'll have to live with that.

Fairly Interesting meditations from the author

Solid reflections from the author of his attack and some interesting literary references. Best parts are reflections on the attacker including an imaginary dialogue between the two. A good portion of the book is on describing the nature of the injuries and conversations with doctors, which is much less interesting.

Excellent Listen!

I've been a fan of Rusdie's writing over the past 25 years, met him at a book event in 2008 and shook his hand. I was shocked at the news of this attack and after listening to his memoir Joseph Anton (about 5 months before his attack) I was pleased to see Knife as a necessary though unfortunate follow up.

Chapters 1 and 6 (where he has a fictional conversation with his attacker) were standouts.

Highly recommend for anyone following this man's journey through existence!