Sunday, July 8, 2012

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Review




From Goodreads: A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.
Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love, a stunning accomplishment.


Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 4./5


After reading A Kite Runner (review TBA) by Hosseini, I was adamant to get my hands on this book as soon as I could. Then, like an angel had heard my prayer, I saw the book among the hundreds my one high school teacher had in her room. Yes!! I walked into Art Class with it, having only gotten through the first chapter or so, when my Art teacher saw it and warned me not to read it. She explained a gruesome part of the book that made her cry and feel so terrible that she couldn't continue on; it sounded terrible too, but I soldiered on and prepared myself for what was coming. When it came, it wasn't as terrible as I thought, for a had some warning.

Another novel set in the troubled Afghanistan, this one covers more history, the same and past what Hosseini's first novel did. It gives outsiders a view into the many cultures of Afghanistan and it's surrounding areas. It was as much a history lesson as it was an intense story. A story about love, freedom, culture, life, and heartbreak. I felt like I was literally transported into someone else's life--not many books have succeeded in doing that for me--and I learned as much as they did in their own story.

The women, good and questionable, are so human it makes me cry and feel like we, meaning those lucky enough to live in a  world with fairness and equality, are aliens who do not deserve the amazing treatment we have. They are an inspiration. This novel is definitely one I will buy, cherish, and keep on my shelf for my own family to read.

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