Shalimar the Clown and a different style of writing

Honestly out of all the books that we have read in class, and that I have read in other classes or independently, the main plot (apart from the historical background) of The book Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie, did not impress me much, it seemed a little played out and predictable . The guy that was once great, innocent and wonderful and then is betrayed by a beautiful woman, and kills the man with whom she had an affair (as a means of revenge) or viceversa. However, the writing style presents an interesting challenge to one as a reader. It is so complex and poetic that it is almost impossible to follow, it seems to be mostly written in the passive voice (which is not very common) and it contains so many adjectives that constantly throw one off the main story, and enhance the character's integrity and/or rationality. Also, it presents an amazing imagery and metaphoric language that intensify the emotions of Shalimar as a young man. Rushdie is so successful in his narration that it makes the feelings become almost personal "Standing before him, oiled of skin and with wildflowers scenting the carefully braided hair [...] was the girl he loved, waiting for him to make her a woman and in doing so make himself a man" (Rushdie 60). I thought this specific moment is so enticing, it displays the climax of the innocent and naive love story between Shalimar and Boonyi Kaul, and it places the reader in this mood of expectancy that when she tells him "if that was it" (Salman 61) it is just heartbreaking.