Who is not afraid/fond of Salman Rushdie?

I have only read one of his books, and in fact never finished it because I did find it a bit "heavy going" at that time, but now seeing this discussion, I will dig the book out and read it right through this time. So, ashjoe, thanks very much for reminding me of this author. Of course the huge amount of publicity, mostly negative as you say, he received would have contributed enormously to the popularity of his books. The publicity he and his books received was priceless I believe and he certainly could never have paid the amount it would have cost for all of that. He was on Radio as well as Television Talk or Chat Shows, Magazines, Books and Newspapers all over the world, and many people rushed out to buy his books based on that. However in saying that, I do not think he could have survived as an author past that first book (or maybe the second one) had he not been a good interesting writer. Of course some people will always buy a book based on what they hear and read, but they seldom go back for anymore after that unless they actually enjoy the writings. Of course in this instance, the fact that the fatwa was issued on him would have meant people wanted to know what he had to say, but again that is only once. Thanks again for reminding me of this author, ashjoe, and now all I need to do is find the time to read his books. It might be that I will wait till we go on holidays in a few months, as then I will have plenty of time to sit back, read and relax. :)