Haroun and the Sea of Stories - Rushdie

This was my first experience reading Rushdie's work. I found Haroun, as a character, to be delightful. I think Rushdie was able to portray a character with youthful innocence, yet, a grown perspective on life. I feel that the importance of fantasy and fiction lies, not only its ability to provide escape, but also in its ability to relate to reality. For instance, Rushdie used his real-life experiences growing up in post-colonial India, to create a fantasy novel. At first glance, the novel appears light and child-like. But, to delve deeper, Haroun is torn between two opposites: fiction and reality. He grasps, by the novel's end, that both the real and make-believe can co-exist together. This can be paralleled to Rushdie's own life, in regards to religion and politics. He can write fiction (with a message) as a means of escape from the turmoil/conflict of certain Eastern religions. Yet, he must face the reality that there is no relief for religious conflict in the near future.