The Moor's Last Sigh
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2006) |
ISBN 0-679-74466-5 | | |
Preceded by | The Satanic Verses | |
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Followed by | The Ground Beneath Her Feet |
The Moor's Last Sigh is the fifth novel by
Title and influences
The title is taken from the story of Boabdil, the last Moorish king of Granada, who is also mentioned frequently in the book. The spot from which Boabdil last looked upon Granada after surrendering is known as Puerto del Suspiro del Moro ("Pass of the Moor's Sigh"). The mother of the narrator and an artist friend of the mother's each make a painting which they call "The Moor's Last Sigh".
The book draws on a variety of real historical figures and events, including Boabdil's surrender of Granada, the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the 1993 Bombay bombings, the gangster and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, as well as modern Indian political entities like Bal Thackeray and the Shiv Sena. Salman Rushdie mentions William Babington Macauley in this novel.
Plot details
The Moor's Last Sigh traces four generations of the narrator's family and the ultimate effects upon the narrator. The narrator, Moraes Zogoiby, traces his family's beginnings down through time to his own lifetime. Moraes, who is called "Moor" throughout the book, is an exceptional character, whose physical body ages twice as fast as a normal person's does and also has a deformed hand. The book also focuses heavily on the Moor's relationships with the women in his life, including his mother Aurora, who is a famous national artist; his first female tutor; his three older sisters, Ina, Minnie and Mynah; and his first love, a charismatic, demented sculptor named Uma.
Awards and nominations
The book won the
The cover artwork for this book is by Dennis Leigh, more widely known as musician and multi-media artist John Foxx.
Critical reception
Reviewing the novel in the
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 9780415979184. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
- ^ "Doomed in Bombay". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^
"100 'most inspiring' novels revealed by BBC Arts". BBC News. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
The reveal kickstarts the BBC's year-long celebration of literature.