This Saturday afternoon, three editions of the book topped Amazon’s book sales barometer.
The attack on Salman Rushdie, who was stabbed in the United States, renewed public interest in the author’s work, notably his novel published in 1988 satanic verses, which earned him death threats for 30 years and whose sales were up on Saturday. This book is the source of the fatwa declared against him by Iran since 1989.
On Saturday afternoon, three editions of the book topped Amazon’s Book Sales Barometer, which tracks the books with the fastest sales growth in the past 24 hours. And the writer’s very first bestseller, The Midnight Childrenranked fourth.
The attack, which sent shockwaves around the world and international condemnation, took place in a small town in New York state, United States, on Friday.
Since then, in the emblematic New York bookstore Strand Bookstore, several books have been sold on site, not to mention online sales. “People came and were looking for any of his writings, they wanted to know what we had“, told AFP Katie Silvernail, department manager in this store, which sells both new and used books.
“Some of our younger employees had never heard of him, so it was interesting to have conversations with them yesterday, after customers came for his books, about who he was and how he influenced the literary world“, she explained. “Honestly, I think a lot of people just came here yesterday to talk about how they felt, and what happened.“, she confided. On Twitter, users also called to buy the works of Salman Rushdie as a sign of solidarity.
satanic verses relates the adventures of two Indians whose plane is the target of a terrorist attack, and who arrive on an English beach. The first took the form of an archangel, the second of the devil.
Read alsoSalman Rushdie: return to a cumbersome fatwa
During the story, the author gives prostitutes the names of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad. He also creates the figure of a prophet, Mahound, who, under the influence of Lucifer, seems to admit that one can pray to gods other than Allah, before recognizing his error.
Salman Rushdie, stabbed in the neck and abdomen, remained hospitalized in Pennsylvania on Saturday in serious condition.
SEE ALSO – Assault on Salman Rushdie: Iraniansvery happy to hear the news»