The Little Prince is perhaps the most loved and most widely read book in the West after the Bible. The book has been translated into more than 180 languages and sold more than 80 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books ever. This is a voyage of discovery that compares to reading Siddhartha by Herman Hesse without the sexual experiences. As with many of the great books of philosophy and religion a proper comprehension of the wisdom contained requires a child’s faith, acceptance and willingness to suspend disbelief.

I’ve sometimes assumed that Rushdie is more in the news for the supernumerary amount of death threats that are leveled against him rather than for his literary talents. But Haroun and the Sea of Stories, the only book I’ve read by him (supposedly a children’s book!) is one that I read, enjoyed and kept aside [...]