Customer Rating:  
Summary: a light, readable book giving a window into Nicaragua
Comment: Like one of the other reviewers I have never felt tempted to try reading Rushdie's work. I stumbled across this title when searching for English languauge books on Nicaragua. It looked sufficiently short in length so I took the chance.
The book is a series of cameos and linked events Rushdie experienced during a visit to Nicaragua in 1986 sponsored by the Sandinista government. He introduces us to several different characters in a very personal style from the President to a midwife on the inaccessible caribbean coast. He clearly likes the country and people and respects what the Sandinistas were trying to do, but without being unquestioning of some of the policies.
The style, with short chapters based around different characters or incidents reminded me in some way of a factual version of VS Naipaul's novel 'Miguel Street'.
It is particularly interesting to read at the moment since in January 2007 Daniel Ortega finally was re-elected President of Nicaragua, for the first time since Rushdie wrote his book. There was still vocal US opposition to Ortega prior to the elections. Also Rushdie in his book has an interview with Violeta Chamorra, who was the editor of one of the main censored newspapers under the Sandinistas. She was fiercely anti-Sandinista and later became President herself, although Rushdie could not have known that would happen when he wrote the book - so it was interesting to read his assessment of her.
Rushdie admits the book is his subjective view on a trip he made. It never pretends to be a history book. He combines Nicaraguan poetry with the text.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Simple, Beautiful Portrait of A Country In The Midst of The Hurricane
Comment: Having never read a Rushdie novel I bought this slim volume on a whim as the topic sounded interesting and not the kind of book I would associate with the author. Part travelogue, part study of a country in the midst of a political tug-of-war, Rushdie's erudition shines through within a surprisingly easy writing style. His prose is simple yet beautiful and, in places, extremely funny.
The highly-charged subject matter (the politics of Nicaragua post-Revolution) is approached in a relaxed manner which nevertheless is highly critical of American interference. Rushdie comes across not as a mindless cheerleader for the Sandinistas but as a clear-sighted intellectual examining and falling in love with the new Nicaragua.
Rushdie's self-deprecating humour and clear passion for the subject matter make this book a delightful read which completely challenged my perception of the author as inaccessible and verbose.
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