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 The first edition | |
| Author | Salman Rushdie |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction novel |
| Publisher | Random House |
Publication date | 1995 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | |
| ISBN | 0-679-74466-5 |
| Preceded by | The Satanic Verses |
| Followed by | The Ground Beneath Her Feet |
The Moor's Last Sigh is the fifth novel by Salman Rushdie, published in 1995. It is set in the Indian cities of Bombay and Cochin.
The title is taken from the story of Boabdil, the last Moorish king of Granada, who is also mentioned frequently in the book. The spot from which Boabdil last looked upon Granada after surrendering is known as Puerto del Suspiro del Moro ("Pass of the Moor's Sigh"). The mother of the narrator and an artist friend of the mother's each make a painting which they call "The Moor's Last Sigh".
The book draws on a variety of real historical figures and events, including Boabdil's surrender of Granada, the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the 1993 Bombay bombings, the gangster and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, as well as modern Indian political entities like Bal Thackeray and the Shiv Sena. Salman Rushdie mentions Thomas Babington Macaulay in this novel.
The Moor's Last Sigh traces four generations of the narrator's family and the ultimate effects upon the narrator. The narrator, Moraes Zogoiby, traces his family's beginnings down through time to his own lifetime. Moraes, who is called "Moor" throughout the book, is an exceptional character, whose physical body ages twice as fast as a normal person's does and also has a deformed hand. The book also focuses heavily on the Moor's relationships with the women in his life, including his mother Aurora, who is a famous national artist; his first female tutor; his three older sisters, Ina, Minnie and Mynah; and his first love, a charismatic, demented sculptor named Uma.
The book won the Whitbread Prize for 'Best novel' in 1995, [1] and the Aristeion Prize in 1996. The book was also shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1995. [1]
The cover artwork for this book is by Dennis Leigh, more widely known as musician and multi-media artist John Foxx.
Reviewing the novel in the New York Times upon its publication, Norman Rush wrote, "[T]his novel, looked at as a work of literary art, is a triumph, an intricate and deceptive one.... So, another brave and dazzling fable from Salman Rushdie, one that meets the test of civic usefulness -- broadly conceived -- as certainly as it fulfills the requirements of true art." [2] On 5 November 2019 BBC Arts included The Moor's Last Sigh on its list of the 100 most influential novels. [3]
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Abu Abdallah Muhammad XII, known in Europe as Boabdil, was the 22nd and last Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada in Iberia.
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The Granada War, also called Spanish Christian–Muslim War of 1481–1492, was a series of military campaigns between 1481 and 1492 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, against the Nasrid dynasty's Emirate of Granada. It ended with the defeat of Granada and its annexation by Castile, ending the last remnant of Islamic rule on the Iberian peninsula.
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The Sigh of the Moor is an oil-on-canvas painting of Muhammad XII, (Boabdil), last Nasrid Emir of Granada. It was painted in the late 19th century by the Spanish artist Francisco Pradilla Ortiz. The painting depicts Boabdil, having ceded Granada to the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella, turning to take a last look at the city he has lost, before going into exile.
Boabdil's Farewell to Granada(French: L'Adieu du roi Boabdil à Grenade) is an oil-on-canvas painting by Alfred Dehodencq. It was first exhibited at the Salon of 1869 and is currently in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay.
The reveal kickstarts the BBC's year-long celebration of literature.
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