A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini has done a wonderful job of writting such a gripping story. I have not read the Kite Runner as yet but A Thousand Splendid Suns is an amazing story of War,love, betrayal, pain, endurance, tolerance, duty,faith,cruelty,maternal sacrifice,sadness and so much more. Mariam and Laila are two simple women with courage way beyond their years. This book is so simple to read and told, I...more

Khaled Hosseini has done a wonderful job of writting such a gripping story. I have not read the Kite Runner as yet but A Thousand Splendid Suns is an amazing story of War,love, betrayal, pain, endurance, tolerance, duty,faith,cruelty,maternal sacrifice,sadness and so much more. Mariam and Laila are two simple women with courage way beyond their years. This book is so simple to read and told, I feel through the eyes of the two characters with innocense that shows thier young age while they go through so much turmoil in their lives yet the maturity and honesty of their thoughts and actions are conveyed with such an impact that it sometimes makes it hard to breath. This book has certainly evoked a lot of emotions - not all good when you read about the innocent lives lost during war and how it impacts the family, not when you read about young Mariam and Laila going through so much hardship and cruelty and know that blissfully in our own part of the world, we complain that our husbands don't help to wash the dishes...The simplicity with which the story is told is also very effective because it almost makes you feel as though you are there seeing it all and yet feel so helpless... it was also a sad and painful read at times but a reality that we have now come to hear so often. The courage of the two women in the book is amazing - I tried very hard and succeeded in most cases not to cry but simply couldn't help myself when Mariam was executed - her entire life flashing before her and the unfairness of all that she went through of her simple wishes before she died - to "see Laila again,wished to hear the clangor of her laugh, to sit with her once more for a pot of chai and leftover halwa under a starlit sky..". When Laila goes to visit the place where Mariam grew up at the end, is also beautifully depicted. Again, a moment where I had to hold back tears when you see the differences in the childhood each woman had. The circumstances that brought them together later and the bond that they created, to then last a lifetime. I think Khaled Hosseini has done an amazing job and I can't wait to read the Kite Runner now.   hide

A huge fan of Hosseini's " The Kite Runner," I was excited to learn of his follow-up. I was hoping it would give me a glimpse into the lives of Muslim women in a world dominated by men and on that point, it more than delivered. Something that I found completely lacking in reading "Lolita in Tehran." A bit disjointed, especially in comparison to "The Kite...more

A huge fan of Hosseini's " The Kite Runner," I was excited to learn of his follow-up. I was hoping it would give me a glimpse into the lives of Muslim women in a world dominated by men and on that point, it more than delivered. Something that I found completely lacking in reading "Lolita in Tehran." A bit disjointed, especially in comparison to "The Kite Runner," "Suns" opens with a bang, slumps in the middle and grabs hold of your heartstrings in the final stretch. Unlike Hosseini's first book, my attention most definitely waned during the inevitable politics as I found myself skimming over the who's who in order to get back to the tale – my interest was really on the interpersonal relationships, most especially between the women. The individual stories of Mariam and Laila, broken up into their own chapters until their lives intersect, was fascinating and I often found myself in awe that their hearts, souls and minds were the product of a male author. Reading "Suns" I found myself thanking my lucky stars that I was born in a free society where my talent, opinions, and contributions are not only acknowledged but encouraged. Overall, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is a winning tale of inner strength of women living with oppression and the sacrifices we make for those we love.   hide

There are some things a new mom treasures: a chance to use the washroom in peace and at least five hours of uninterrupted sleep. I chose to forego the latter, however, once I delved into Khaled Hosseini’s latest work. The story is about two women a generation apart who are brought together by war and loss. But woven into the background is the terror that's taken place in Afghanistan over...more

There are some things a new mom treasures: a chance to use the washroom in peace and at least five hours of uninterrupted sleep. I chose to forego the latter, however, once I delved into Khaled Hosseini’s latest work. The story is about two women a generation apart who are brought together by war and loss. But woven into the background is the terror that's taken place in Afghanistan over the last 30 years. The book is a work of fiction but convoys, checkpoints, the whistling of bombs overhead and death are everyday occurrences in that country. “Every Afghan story is marked by death and loss and unimaginable grief,” thinks Laila near the book’s end. “And yet . . . people find a way to survive, to go on.” How true those words are today. I also found it interesting to learn how women are treated in conservative Islamic societies. It can’t be too far of a stretch of the imagination to assume a great deal of real women share Mariam and Laila’s hopeless struggle to have a decent life at the hands of a brutal husband in an unforgiving society. In many ways, it’s a sad and heart-wrenching book but it has its bright spots that will have your heart leaping for joy. Family and friendship sustain these women and in the end love conquers all.   hide

Yet another amazing book from the writer Khalid Housani. Truly a roller coaster of emotions. The book is not only the story of two women but story of a war torn country, which has for the past few decades been imposed by foreigners as well as their own countrymen. I lived in Peshawar and although I cannot claim to understand the pain and suffering of these people, I have seen them first hand and...more

Yet another amazing book from the writer Khalid Housani. Truly a roller coaster of emotions. The book is not only the story of two women but story of a war torn country, which has for the past few decades been imposed by foreigners as well as their own countrymen. I lived in Peshawar and although I cannot claim to understand the pain and suffering of these people, I have seen them first hand and am a sad witness to all turmoil of Afghan refuges. I made so many afghan friend and every one them had a sad story behind them. Khalid has done justice to this nation by telling the story of this nation in such an effective way that no matter who you are and where ever you live, you can relate to these people. Even if you have lived your life beside river thames or under the Eiffel tower, you can feel the bullet ridden walls of Kabul and the people living a difficult life among them. I truly enjoyed this book.   hide

Khalid Hosseini has again done a marvellous job by writing the Masterpieces for the second time. I haven't yet gone through all of the book reviews that have so far been written, but I must admit that the novel has altogether taught me a lot of things besides telling of the sufferings,love touching its heights at the time when people were after each other's life, not wanting to spare...more

Khalid Hosseini has again done a marvellous job by writing the Masterpieces for the second time. I haven't yet gone through all of the book reviews that have so far been written, but I must admit that the novel has altogether taught me a lot of things besides telling of the sufferings,love touching its heights at the time when people were after each other's life, not wanting to spare anyone for the sins they had never committed. The story revolves beautifully around two neighbors who later became a family. Their story that started with hostility ended up in a dying love for each other,leaving the notion that one kind word can break the mountains into rivers. Mariam, who lived a disgraced life of a Harami died a brave death. The story teaches that one wrong action of ours can spoil the entire life. She trusted her father blindly and had to pay a heavy price for that matter. The story twisted from thereon and she never saw any happy moments ever again until Aziza joined her. Laila could not save herself and her beauty from the eyes of Rasheed, again reminding the readers that there are wolves around in disguise. However, this should in no way mean that Islam is unfair to women. Islam is that modern religion that gave woman a liberty to propose to a guy for marriage that she finds suitable for herself. It allowed her to breathe and live unlike the pre-Islmaic society where she would be burried alive. It rose her to those standards that now Paradise lies under her feet. The novel is an emotional yet a true story of many. The eyes do become moist when reading about the life in Afghanistan and the killing of innocent people, of the partings and reunions. I rate this novel as the best of the year.   hide

"One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls." I love the title that Hosseini chose - so beautiful and poignant, rich with meaning. Once I started reading, I was hooked. Hosseini painted a vivid picture of what life as a woman in Afghanistan was like - the struggle between tradition and liberalization,...more

"One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls." I love the title that Hosseini chose - so beautiful and poignant, rich with meaning. Once I started reading, I was hooked. Hosseini painted a vivid picture of what life as a woman in Afghanistan was like - the struggle between tradition and liberalization, how civil war and political upheaval caused massive backward shifts in womens' rights. Watching the lives of the two protagonists unfold, I chafed at the injustices they faced and empathized with the harsh hand that life had dealt them. I found their continued deep love for their country admirable, despite the hardship they were forced to endure. Ultimately, it was the inner strength displayed by these women and their ability to rise above adversity that made this book such a powerful and inspirational read.   hide

I've been looking forward to Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns". One would think that I would know by know that best-selling books that are mega-hits among people not known as readers are not going to be awesome books. Well, what can I say? I'm a perpetual optimist, I guess. "Splendid Suns" was not exactly a disappointment, but it was not exactly a masterpiece, either. I'm in no rush to...more

I've been looking forward to Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns". One would think that I would know by know that best-selling books that are mega-hits among people not known as readers are not going to be awesome books. Well, what can I say? I'm a perpetual optimist, I guess. "Splendid Suns" was not exactly a disappointment, but it was not exactly a masterpiece, either. I'm in no rush to go pick up "Kite Runner," the book that really made Hosseini famous."Splendid Suns" tells the story of women in Afghanistan from the mid '70s to the early '00s through the lives of two women, Mariam and Laila, who I imagine we are supposed to believe are "average." The book would be a whole lot better and more convincing if it didn't try to encompass every important event in Afghanistan in 30 years and every possible outcome for women in nearly every ethnic group in every possible family situation during this time. Who knew that two women could be so representative? Amazing! The writing is prosaic, and the women convincing (even when the plot is not) and their lives are touching. I admit it, I even felt some wet eyes near the end. The men in the story are not nearly as convincing, and are pretty shallowly portrayed as straw men- demons, heroes, scholars- easy to peg from their first appearance.The book is worth its weight to flush out the day-to-day lives of the people I have been reading about in non-fiction portrayals of these tumultuous and fairly awful years in Afghanistan. War is real, Hosseini reminds the reader, and Mariam, Laila, and their families are (token) people who give us glimpses into it.   hide

kite-runner-turned-daytime-drama, complete with characters coming back from the dead. plot completely reliant on the deaths of major characters and those around them. hosseini's imagined worlds (kite runner included) lack any sense of chaos: they seem overly and overtly planned by an author obsessed with tying every loose end and relating every character/storyline to one another. the world's...more

kite-runner-turned-daytime-drama, complete with characters coming back from the dead. plot completely reliant on the deaths of major characters and those around them. hosseini's imagined worlds (kite runner included) lack any sense of chaos: they seem overly and overtly planned by an author obsessed with tying every loose end and relating every character/storyline to one another. the world's not that small and tidy, mr. hosseini. take woolf's words, for example: "there was something final about him: he left half his sentences unfinished." author fails to appreciate the finality of ambiguity and we're left a book too clean to be real life. i will give him one thing, though: unlike the kite runner, his newest novel at least doesn't explicate its own metaphors. however, it does use the same plot devices as its predecessor: suicide and its effect on family; messages sent from beyond the grave. it also recycles settings and scenes: remember the KR's orphanage? remember the stoning in the stadium? all here, back again! all that aside, he's a product of b-level blockbuster hollywood, and if you're a sucker for sappy movies, here's a book that reads much like one. a good beach read for weekday afternoons after some young and the restless, but that's about it.   hide

Khaled Hosseini’s portrayal of fiction is not just of a world out of terms (Afghanistan which is first plagued by conflict with the Soviets and then a civil war) but also families surviving the unnatural formations prevalent within their homes.A surfeit of disorder, guns and bombs on streets. The insensitive and patriarchal cultures inside the afghan homes create a sense of degradation...more

Khaled Hosseini’s portrayal of fiction is not just of a world out of terms (Afghanistan which is first plagued by conflict with the Soviets and then a civil war) but also families surviving the unnatural formations prevalent within their homes.A surfeit of disorder, guns and bombs on streets. The insensitive and patriarchal cultures inside the afghan homes create a sense of degradation and despair. Personally I feel A Thousand Splendid Suns bhel-purifies some of the conflict-generating formulas of his bestselling debut novel but the characterization is definitely better (that’s what I felt…it was just more descriptive). The formation of a pair of boys overseen by a powerful father-figure of The Kite Runner is replaced in A Thousand Splendid Suns by a pair of women in thrall to a sinister husband so you can see the similarity, but what also thought provokes you into this book is the narrative and content the story has to offer.I sympathize with both Mariam and Laila but found the character of Rasheed straight out of a Bollywood film. Personally I enjoyed it more than The Kite Runner and consider his latest novel to be an extremely readable fare.   hide