A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.24 You Save: $9.76 (61%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.24 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of A Thousand Splendid Suns
Book Review: Not the same as The Kite Runner
Summary: 5 Stars
I personally enjoyed "A Thousand Splendid Suns" more so than "The Kite Runner." This could have something to do with the fact that I read his second bestseller first, or maybe that I have some personal experience that linked me to the characters. Either way, there's a lot of people who would disagree with me.
However, many of those who disagree do so because they were semi-expecting "A Thousand Splendid Suns" to be the same. Clearly, Hosseini's choice of characters in his second book affected the storytelling. Amir's voice is not the same as those of the women in this novel, which I assume would affect the tone and writing. Also, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" tries to develop several characters (Mariam and Laila) in different time periods, unlike "The Kite Runner," where the main focus throughout the entirety of novel is on Amir and Hassan.
Predictable as this book might be, it is far from being cheesy and it truly touches the heartstrings. I began reading this to pass a few hours on a transatlantic flight and I was unable to put the book down it was so good. Needless to say, I arrived at my destination completely sleep-deprived. It as a gripping and depressing story, but in my opinion, a very in-depth glimpse into that type of hardship and the unseen effects of war on the human spirit and on culture.
Book Review: An Unexpected Read
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently had to read this novel for a Book Club in a graduate level reading class I am taking. This novel was not my first choice on the list, but I am so grateful that I had a chance to read it.
The story - not real, but as close to it as possible - takes the reader into the lives of Mariam and Laila and shows the ties they create as they deal with love, loss, domestic violence, and the unfortunate circumstances for women in Afghanistan. The themes of sacrifice and friendship are present throughout the entire novel, especially during the most shocking of scenes. This novel touched me very deeply as it opened my eyes to what life for women is like in other countries and cultures. There were times during the novel where I became so angry that I threw it across my room and did not read it for a day or so. There were times when I cried because I was so moved by the struggles the women encountered. I cannot think of another novel that I have read in the last decade that has caused me to have such genuine responses.
As mentioned, I am so grateful that I had to read this book and meet with others to discuss it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone - I think there is something in it that everyone can relate to in some way, shape, or form. Kudos to the author, and thank you.
Book Review: amazing book
Summary: 4 Stars
An amazing story of heart ache and endurance, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini is a beautiful book about two women trying to survive in war torn Afghanistan. Once you begin, this book will be impossible to put down until the very last word. As the story switches between two heroic, empowered, and hopeful characters and the characters lives become unexpectedly intertwined, the reader is pulled into a suffering Afghanistan, given a broader sense of the world, and made to feel helplessly connected to the anguish that these women are somehow able to tolerate.
This book is beautifully written and has wonderful themes of love, survival, and humanity that come full circle in the end of the book. With each passing page, the reader becomes entwined in the lives of these women and starts hoping for their futures. This story also has plot twists that will shock you and make you keep reading, no matter how late at night it is.
Each page as tantalizing as the next, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khalad Hosseini is a stunningly touching book that thrills, moves, and inspires the reader as well as provides a worldly view of an entirely different culture then our own. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good story and amazing characters.
Book Review: A Ying Yang
Summary: 4 Stars
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a book that will grip you from the first page forward. This book, written by Hosseini, portrays the picture of coming of age in a modern time period. This book, gives a perspective on Afghanistan life. The book beautifully portrays the story of two women, as two loose ends waiting to become a beautiful quilt. The story also portrays friendship in a very honorable manner. Laila's friendship with Mariam proved that love and friendship have no boundaries. This book portrays a teenager's point of view of a real friendship versus a superficial one. For example, Mariam is obsessed with her dad's `love' to her. As time passes by, Mariam recognizes the people who mean a lot to her, to the point of dying for their freedom. Even though this book is a wonderfully written book, there are some flaws to it. The overload of twists and turns make the plot too complicated, making it hard for the reader to understand. Also, some of the concepts get old throughout the book. The overwhelming amount of depression and sadness, can take you to the point where the story drags you along with it. The characters are so depressed to the point where there is nothing positive in their lives. Overall, this book was a decent story, but some flaws made the story long and depressing.Book Review: Brutal and heartrending
Summary: 4 Stars
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Like The Kite Runner, this novel is a moving tribute to Khaled Hosseni's ancestral homeland; but unlike the first novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns is weighted down with unrelenting tragedy. The brutal story of two women suffering repeated loss and abuse in the war-torn, male-dominated world of 1980s - early 2000s Afghanistan is tough to get through. There is little light in this novel, which gave the book a heaviness I found suffocating.
In fact, I almost put it down 200 pages in; but I kept going because I knew the writer had so many important things to say. But it wasn't just the message, it was Hosseini's ability to dig dip into personal pathos and lift from it a story as powerful as his first novel.
I didn't "enjoy" this novel as much as The Kite Runner, but I have to give Hosseini credit for telling the story of Afghanistan in such a bold and humane way, for telling the story of those souls who have little voice for themselves.
Difficult and dark, this novel is also beautiful in its own way -- particularly the final thirty pages or so, where once again we see that human beings are capable of expressing profound love and compassion even in the midst of unspeakable brutality.