19 Comments
User's avatar
Louis Bruno's avatar

I think that no matter what, people need to push aside the bullshit and talk to each other face to face and say, "Do you hate me? Da you want to fight me?" That's how I feel when it comes to Twitter. Everything on Twitter moves on hypersonic speeds and there's no room for forgiveness. It's getting old. I enjoy a little teasing here and there. But when people send you letters with anthrax over beating them in a game of Call of Duty, this is not about discussion anymore. But this story should help everyone learn to get along, hopefully. You don't have to move in with your enemies, but learn to have unemotional disagreements. And to get people cancelled or fired, is not the way of moving the needle. Maybe I'm just bullshitting myself, but it's odd to me. Is this odd for anyone else?

Expand full comment
TAR's avatar

Enjoyed reading this. How refreshing to read about people who could be honest about each other's work, and yet get along famously by agreeing to disagree. Feels like this could not happen anymore?

Expand full comment
Minimeh's avatar

Mr. Rushdie, what makes a book 'good' for you? Additionally, what makes a book 'great' apart from 'good'?

Expand full comment
Cate Meredith's avatar

Brilliant. Do you think you will ever write something about Christopher Hitchens?

Expand full comment
Jonah Dunch's avatar

What a delightful story! It gives me hope that, perhaps even in the time of social media, we might be able to befriend our critics and those we criticize.

Expand full comment
Manu's avatar

A nice piece that brings the past with a whiff of freshness.. Waiting to read more

Expand full comment
A Collection of Coincidences's avatar

This is a profound lesson we all need to learn. We can love and respect each other even if we disagree.

Expand full comment
Andreu's avatar

Well, Vargas Llosa is not right-wing anymore, hes' gone far-right as he's openly arguing that we do not need to care about free elections but only on "voting right". And we all know what that means when coming from him.

Expand full comment
Claudia's avatar

Nice memories:-) as an Italian I love Eco! But the three of you are among my favourite writer… with a special liking for Eco though😂

Expand full comment
Sonia's avatar

God bless the two Musketeers.

Expand full comment
David Didau's avatar

Lovely story. You probably won’t remember, but maybe I met you in the green room at the Hey Festival about 10-15 years ago. I’d just seen you speak - beautifully- about the power of learning poetry by heart. You were chatting to Vince Cable and must have spotted me hovering nervously and, very generously, invited me to join your conversation.

It’s stuck in my mind ever since as an action that must have been inconsequential for you but huge for me.

Warm wishes, David

Expand full comment
Sheyma Gates P.h.D.,'s avatar

This you should know @Alan Dershowitz X is duplicated so are the many I blocked here the Turks hate you on FB they are here and @Bill Maher knows they stole another account of mine and this is the 7 th time in 100 days

Expand full comment
Sheyma Gates P.h.D.,'s avatar

Apparently Turkish Pig

Expand full comment
Moraima Garcia's avatar

There is now one Musketeer. But their words will withstand the test of time. As will yours.

Expand full comment
Valpo's avatar

That last line:(

Expand full comment