Original language:
English Translated from: English
Authors: Rushdie, Salman
Translated by: Žalytė, Danguolė
ISBN: 9986-02-866-3
Published in: Vilnius
Published on: 2000
Publisher: Alma littera
\”Shame\” was released in 1983. It is a story about the life of Omar Khayyam. About the boy who was born from one of three sisters, who lived in Nishapur, somewhere in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. None of the sisters did not want to reveal to the world whose child is Omar. When he was born all sisters agreed that they will raise him together. The boy never knew his true mother and father. Sisters after the father’s death locked themselves in fortress and promised each other never to …return to society. Necessary products were delivered by servants with special lift to the second floor, where sisters lived. Sisters, who raised Omar in isolated world wanted to educate him, so that he wouldn’t know what shame is.
He was \”fed\” with literature, which he could found in the large grandfather’s bookshelf.. When he was young he already could speak several languages and became a self-taught scientist. But he knows that if he will stay with his mothers he will not have normal life. Therefore, on the 12th birthday Omar Khayyam asked his mothers a single wish – to release him from this terrible house. Although with big mothers’s objections the boy\’s desire was satisfied, he started to go to school, where he became interested in medicine and become immunologian. The book discusses about the truth, authenticity, shame and impudence – themes that influenced the protagonist O. Khayyam. The novel was written based on real events. Often the stories in the book interweave, the writer tells about life of Omar Khayyam, and then start talking about 1970 -1993 years, when Pakistan had new free elections and Hello Bhutan daughter Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minister. For the reader who does not know the facts of Pakistan\’s historic policy at that time, this book will be hard to read, but this will not prevent the reader to go back to those times in Pakistan.
Novel \”Shame\” is the third Indian writer‘s- Salman Rushdie\’s book. Often this work is called allegory of Pakistan. This book is forbidden in Pakistan because of writter‘s criticism of the country\’s politicians. This book is awarded the French Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger – a prestigious award for the best foreign book.
All S. Rushdie\’s creation is attributed to the Magic realism. \”In complicated and multiphased plots interweave of Eastern and Western cultures, mythological and religious symbols. Within one or more characters fates often tells the whole country, nation, religion, history, political upheavals, eras change\”.