Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
The novel tells the story of Saleem Sinai, who was born at the exact moment when India gained its independence. As a result, he shares a mystical connection with other children born at the same time, all of whom possess unique, magical abilities. As Saleem grows up, his life mirrors the political and cultural changes happening in his country, from the partition of India and Pakistan, to the Bangladesh War of Independence. The story is a blend of historical fiction and magical realism, exploring themes of identity, fate, and the power of storytelling.
The 41st greatest book of all time
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This book is on the following lists:
- 2nd on The Greatest 20th Century Novels (Waterstone)
- 3rd on Top 10 British, Irish or Commonwealth Novels from 1980 to 2005 (The Observer)
- 3rd on The 50 best books of the past 100 years (The Times)
- 5th on The Ideal Library (Book)
- 8th on The Indian Fiction Top 25 (Jerry Pinto, Indian poet and novelist)
- 25th on Waterstone's Books of the Century (LibraryThing)
- 28th on Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books (Harvard Book Store)
- 35th on 50 Classics You Must Read Before You Die (Gyldendal (Denmark Publisher))
- 41st on 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction (Larry McCaffery)
- 43rd on 100 Best Books (Montana State University)
- 44th on The Greatest Books of All Time (Reader's Digest)
- 46th on The 100 Greatest British Novels (BBC)
- 53rd on Top 100 World Literature Titles (Perfection Learning)
- 58th on Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels (Entertainment Weekly)
- 67th on In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels (ThisRecording.com)
- 71st on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- 76th on My Favourite Book - Australian Big Read (Australian Big Read)
- 90th on The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels (Modern Library)
- 94th on The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read (Telegraph)
- 100th on The Big Read (BBC)
- 100th on Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels (Radcliffe Publishing Course)
- 100th on Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century (Le Monde)
- 203rd on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime (Amazon.com (UK))
- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- 100 Best Novels Written in English (The Guardian)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Parade)
- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime (Amazon.com (USA))
- James Tait Black Memorial Prize: Fiction (James Tait Black Memorial Prize)
- Third World Novels… The Top 10 (New Internationalist)
- The 80 Books Every Man Should Read (Esquire)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels (TIME Magazine)
- Zeit Literaturkanon (https://www.librarything.com/award/335/ZEIT-Literaturkanon)
- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years (BookList)
- Top 100 Works in World Literature (Norwegian Book Clubs, with the Norwegian Nobel Institute)
- Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers (French literary magazine Transfuge)
- Daily Telegraph's 100 Books of the Century, 1900-1999 (Daily Telegraph)
- 25 acclaimed international writers choose 25 of the best books from the last 25 years (Wasafiri Magazine)
- The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950 (The Modern Library (Book))
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- Best Books Ever (bookdepository.com)
- Man Booker Prize (Man Booker Prize)