From Fatwa to fabulism

Book review of LANGUAGES OF TRUTH: Essays 2003-2020

The venerable novelist Salman Rushdie’s new essay collection, Languages of Truth, has big ambitions. As its subtitle suggests, it aims to tackle this still-young century’s political and cultural upheaval. Mr Rushdie spreads his arms wide here, embracing everything from the novels of Philip Roth to the death of Osama bin Laden to the art of Kara Walker, in an attempt to convey a sense of the challenges that those 18 years have presented to Western literary culture. But in trying to get his arms around so much so indiscriminately, Mr Rushdie serves up a confused vision of this century, presenting