Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

This was perhaps the most original novel I've ever read.  At times it reminded me much of Dickens with his multiplicity of characters and meandering plot, but also like King concerning his obsession with darkness and his ability to tell stories through the eyes of children.

But the book's deep originality came from its overarching story, that of the children born at the exact moment (or shortly after) of India's independence.  The children of Midnight's Children become the hopes of India for a better future, but one by one, slowly over time, those children (and the metaphorical hopes they represent) die and wither away.

Protagonist Saleem, born exactly at midnight, represents a literal India, with his body slowly cracking over time as India's hopes erode.

Forces work to destroy Saleem and the other children, but a generation of new children, I suppose the grandchildren of midnight, live on, representing continued hope for the long-term wellness and prosperity of India.

It's a fabulous story in its conception, if perhaps a little longer than it needed to be for my taste (again, the Dicken's reference holds up).

But a fabulous book nonetheless.  

Written more than 40 years ago, early in Rushdie's career, I'm curious to find out how his writing evolves over the decades.  I'm sure I will be back for more.