What I love about Rushdie's other books is the mysticism. The magic. That was missing here. There were many beautiful ideas, interesting thoughts, and compelling passages, but they didn't gel. The running backstory was the Obama years, followed by the 2016 election. While I share Rushdie's contempt for trump, that part would've made more sense in essays or something. I didn't feel it added to the story. Maybe even a bit gratuitous. The main plot I guess was weakened by the side plots rather than being enhanced.