Salman Rushdie Reading Quotations

I grew up reading 'The Jungle Books' and loving them.

A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return.

Both are responsible. But I know when I write a book it's my name on the book, so I stand or fall by what I sign. And so must she.

Reading is a very different thing than performing. In fact, one of the things I think that doesn't work in books on tape is if the person doing the reading "acts" too much; it becomes irritating to you listening to it.

I can walk into a bookshop and point out a number of books that I find very unattractive in what they say. But it doesn't occur to me to burn the bookshop down. If you don't like a book, read another book. If you start reading a book and you decide you don't like it, nobody is telling you to finish it.

I grew up kissing books and bread.

Be sure that you go to the author to get at his meaning, not to find yours.

I write books I'd enjoy reading, I'm the reader standing behind my shoulder.

The thing about literature is that, yes, there are kind of tides of fashion, you know; people come in and out of fashion; writers who are very celebrated fall into, you know, people you know stop reading them, and then it comes back again.

My first novel - the novel I wrote before 'Midnight's Children' - feels, to me, now, very - I mean, I get embarrassed when I see people reading it. You know, there are some people who, bizarrely, like it. Which I'm, you know, I'm happy for.

I don't think people cry reading 'Midnight's Children,' but a lot of people seem to cry watching the movie.

People are always telling me that they've seen people reading my books on the subway, or the beach, or whenever.