A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini
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Book Reviews of A Thousand Splendid Suns
Book Review: An Eloquent, Educational, but Heartwrenching Book
Summary: 5 Stars
A Thousand Splendid Suns shares the same poignant prose that brought Khaled Hosseini so much well-deserved praise for The Kite Runner. It is a colorful as well as heartwrenching novel; one that captures your mind and will not let it go. It tells the complex story of two women and how life in Afghanistan profoundly affects who they are, their relationship with one another, and their relationship with the world.
1000 Suns is vividly relayed with eloquence and suspense, making it hard to put the book down. It twists your heart with pain for the main characters and will not let it go as you realize that the fate of these women was not and is not so very different from women who live out their lives daily under the existing conditions of Afghanistan. Hosseini has a special gift for weaving the mundane subtleties of life into the background of the Soviet invasion, the chaotic civil war, the eventual misogynistic Taliban rule. The women are helpless to change their fate as they suffer at the hands of a cruel husband and a paternalistic society that provides them with no means of recourse.
I recommend this book with mixed emotion. Thin themes of personal dignity sporadically provide relief from the series of hardships that fill the lives of these women. But, the overarching theme of abuse, loss of dignity, and a life destroyed by events that were inescapable largely because of gender and status makes for a difficult read. It is definitely a book that everyone will grow from - just don't take on vacation.
Book Review: Spectacular
Summary: 5 Stars
This novel was truly fantastic. I haven't read "The Kite Runner", so I really didn't have any preconceived notions of the author. I will definitely be checking out "The Kite Runner" and any future work from him, though.
The book interweaves two stories, both about young women in Afghanistan, both in different times, but both with tumultuous lives. First is Mariam, a girl who lives with her single mother because her father doesn't want people to know he had a bastard daughter. He visits her once a week, but it soon dawns on Mariam that she is unloved by her dad. She decides to visit him for herself, and when she returns, all hell breaks lose.
Second is Laila, my personal favorite. Laila is even younger than Mariam, but more fiesty and seemingly more intelligent. She lives with both her parents, goes to school, has a semi-boyfriend, and has friends. Her two brothers are off fighting in the war, though, and she feels as if her mom doesn't take notice of her at all. This doesn't seem like much, but I can't go farther without revealing too much for a first-time reader.
Basically, all I can say is you need to read this book. It's easily attainable, so there's no excuse not to. It's a good amount of pages, but it flies by so quickly it's hard to believe you've read over 400 pages.
I, actually, wasn't really interested at first, but with all the rave reviews from... well, everyone, it was hard not to read it at some point, so I did.
READ IT! You will most certainly not regret it.
Book Review: Rich in detail and moving
Summary: 5 Stars
****1/2
Well-deserving of its success. A Thousand Splendid Suns has a bit of a storybook quality, thrusting two Afghan women from drastically different backgrounds together in virtual imprisonment under a tyrant of a man, but it's also a rich window into daily life over several decades in a country that once had hopes of modernization, but became devastated by war and locked in the iron grip of fundamentalist Taliban rulers, under whom women were all but stripped of rights.
For Western readers who know little about Afghanistan, or growing up female in that part of the world, this novel provides a vivid tour of a reality very different from our own, one filled with oppression, despair, heartbreak, horror, and profound unfairness. Yet, Hosseini tells his tale with simple, unassuming honesty, and like the most (genuinely) inspiring writers, locates beauty, hope, and love amid the darkness. The novel's day-by-day and year-by-year sweep through the intertwined histories of his two protagonists and Afghanistan itself, is absorbing and full of story. And his sympathy for all his characters, even the villains, gives it a lasting resonance as a reflection on the capacity of all people for both goodness and harm, and a tribute to the part of the human spirit that won't surrender to those who rule by fear.
I can't compare this book to the Kite Runner, which I haven't read, but I think it stands powerfully on its own. Only the most jaded or incurious readers, I think, will be unmoved.
Book Review: Makes you thankful for all that you have and see the beauty that can be found in a good simple life.
Summary: 4 Stars
Hosseini does it again with this often dark tale that ultimately leaves you exhausted with emotion. I usually do not read books for the second time unless there is about a decade between readings, but I found this one at the library for 50 cents and could not hold back.
Hosseini's characters come alive with such color and emotion that you find yourself so engaged that you have a hard time putting the book down.
The main character, Mariam, follows a life of increasing pain but finds a way to embrace the love that falls into her lap. With an honest heart she finds love and understanding in the children of her husbands new and younger wife.
Through the toughest wartime nightmares you could imagine you find that even when things are tough love and family are what life is all about. If you do not have love then you have nothing. This fact was displayed clearly when Mariam eagerly gives all for her younger "sister" (co-wife).
I learned a lot about life by reading this book and also thought about what makes one happy. Sometimes I may see or think of people that are poor or living in a war torn place, but when all is said and done, the one I might pitty is the one in the mirror. Life is truly what we make it and many "Americans" who chase the dollar and electronic/chemical distractions are the ones who have it all backwards or the ones who really need the pity.
This story may change your life; give it a try.
Book Review: An Amazing Journey
Summary: 4 Stars
Did you think The Kite Runner was an amazing book? Do you feel like it was one worth taking the time to read? Well, you're in for yet another surprise! Khaled Hosseini recently came out with a book similar to The Kite Runner called, A Thousand Splendid Suns. This book will almost bring tears into your eyes and at times, make your jaw drop in astonishment and utter shock. A Thousand Splendid Suns can be claimed a worthy novel due to its powerful emotions, descriptive actions, and connection to history.
The novel contains many strong emotions that the reader can imagine. My heart wanted to comfort Mariam when Jalil betrays her and treats her as if she wasn't even his own daughter. The way Hosseini portrays Mariam's character, a young girl who is merely a product of a mistake, truly conveys the role of women in Afghanistan during the time period. I wanted to take Mariam and provide her with a real home as opposed to the "home" she is thrown in through Jalil. I could feel the brutal hits from Rasheed that Mariam got. It was almost as if the hits were on my skin. Through this novel, the strong oppression of women is seen. The audience can feel what emotions were like for people in Afghanistan in the worst situations. Many people blame a whole country or race for attacking the U.S, however, it is only a certain group that makes other countries along with the people of their own suffer and go through extreme brutality.