Sir Salman Rushdie's ratings of other authors' work go viral

A still from the film adaptation of Harper Lee's classic novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' - which Rushdie gave a three out of ten. Photo / supplied

The Booker Prize-winning author says he was 'only fooling around' when he reviewed books on a public forum he believed was private.

Sir Salman Rushdie, the Booker Prize-winning author, has accidentally shared his book tastes with the world, after reviewing books on a public forum he believed was private.

Rushdie said he was "only fooling around" with his ratings, after awarding some of the best-loved works in the English language a meagre one star.

According to a Sunday newspaper, the author had been rating novels on Goodreads, the popular review forum, under the assumption his settings were private.

After being caught out by readers, he is said to have blamed his novice approach to social media, later saying he was merely "experimenting" with the site.

Sir Salman Rushdie. Photo / AP

Rushdie, who won the Booker Prize for Midnight's Children and had a fatwa placed upon him upon the publication of The Satanic Verses, awarded Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis one star, and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird just three.

Martin Amis, his friend and peer, was awarded three stars for his 1984 novel Money, while A House for Mr Biswas by V?S Naipaul was given five.

When challenged by members of the site, Rushdie is reported to have said: "I'm so clumsy in this new world of social media sometimes.

"I thought these rankings were a private thing designed to tell the site what sort of book to recommend to me, or not recommend.

"Turns out they are public. Stupid me."

He added: "Well, I don't like the work of Kingsley Amis, there it is. I don't have to explain or justify. It's allowed," he wrote.

He later told The Independent on Sunday: "I was just fooling around, experimenting with the site. Pls don't take [the ratings] seriously."

- Independent