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啸懈谢褟写邪 褋懈褟泄薪懈 褋谢褗薪褑邪
袦邪褉懈邪屑 械 薪械蟹邪泻芯薪薪邪褌邪 写褗褖械褉褟 薪邪 蟹邪屑芯卸械薪 斜懈蟹薪械褋屑械薪, 锌褉懈薪褍写械薪邪 薪邪 锌械褌薪邪泄褋械褌 谐芯写懈薪懈 写邪 褋械 芯屑褗卸懈 蟹邪 屑薪芯谐芯 锌芯-胁褗蟹褉邪褋褌薪懈褟 芯褌 薪械褟 袪邪褕懈写. 小谢械写 泻邪褌芯 褉邪蟹斜懈褉邪, 褔械 袦邪褉懈邪屑 薪械 屑芯卸械 写邪 懈屑邪 写械褑邪, 褌芯泄 蟹邪锌芯褔胁邪 写邪 褋械 写褗褉卸懈 卸械褋褌芯泻芯 褋 薪械褟 懈 褋懈 胁蟹械屑邪 胁褌芯褉邪 褋褗锌褉褍谐邪 鈥� 屑谢邪写邪褌邪 袥邪泄谢邪. 小 胁褉械屑械褌芯 写胁械褌械 卸械薪懈 褋械 褋锌褉懈褟褌械谢褟胁邪褌, 芯斜械写懈薪械薪懈 芯褌 械写薪邪-械写懈薪褋褌胁械薪邪 褑械谢 鈥� 写邪 褋械 锌褉械斜芯褉褟褌 褋 袪邪褕懈写 懈 写邪 懈蟹胁芯褞胁邪褌 褌邪泻邪 卸邪写褍胁邪薪邪褌邪 褋胁芯斜芯写邪.
364 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
39669 people are currently reading
987632 people want to read
About the author
Khaled Hosseini
27听books159k听followersHosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. In 1970 Hosseini and his family moved to Iran where his father worked for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Tehran. In 1973 Hosseini's family returned to Kabul, and Hosseini's youngest brother was born in July of that year.
In 1976, when Hosseini was 11 years old, Hosseini's father obtained a job in Paris, France, and moved the family there. They were unable to return to Afghanistan because of the Saur Revolution in which the PDPA communist party seized power through a bloody coup in April 1978. Instead, a year after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, in 1980 they sought political asylum in the United States and made their residence in San Jose, California.
Hosseini graduated from Independence High School in San Jose in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1988. The following year, he entered the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, where he earned his M.D. in 1993. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 1996. He practiced medicine for over ten years, until a year and a half after the release of The Kite Runner.
Hosseini is currently a Goodwill Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He has been working to provide humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan through the Khaled Hosseini Foundation. The concept for the foundation was inspired by the trip to Afghanistan that Hosseini made in 2007 with UNHCR.
He lives in Northern California with his wife, Roya, and their two children (Harris and Farah).
In 1976, when Hosseini was 11 years old, Hosseini's father obtained a job in Paris, France, and moved the family there. They were unable to return to Afghanistan because of the Saur Revolution in which the PDPA communist party seized power through a bloody coup in April 1978. Instead, a year after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, in 1980 they sought political asylum in the United States and made their residence in San Jose, California.
Hosseini graduated from Independence High School in San Jose in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1988. The following year, he entered the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, where he earned his M.D. in 1993. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 1996. He practiced medicine for over ten years, until a year and a half after the release of The Kite Runner.
Hosseini is currently a Goodwill Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He has been working to provide humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan through the Khaled Hosseini Foundation. The concept for the foundation was inspired by the trip to Afghanistan that Hosseini made in 2007 with UNHCR.
He lives in Northern California with his wife, Roya, and their two children (Harris and Farah).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87,169 reviews
July 1, 2011
Like diamonds and roses hidden under bomb rubble, this is a story of intense beauty and strength buried under the surface of the cruel and capricious life imposed upon two Afghani women.
She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. That all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. As a reminder of how people like us suffer, she'd said. How quietly we endure all that falls upon us.Staggeringly beautiful and deep and rich and sad and frightening and infuriating. There鈥檚 a lot I want to say about this book and so I cry your pardon if this review is a bit of a rambler. You should definitely read this book. I鈥檒l probably repeat this again, but I want to make sure I don鈥檛 forget to say it. Buy the book and read it.
I love good historical fiction, especially when set in places and/or periods of which I am not very familiar. Afghanistan certainly fit that description, which makes me feel a significant amount of personal shame given how intertwined the country has been with the history of the U.S. over the last 30 years. That same time frame is also the primary focus of the novel so I feel like I got a real taste of the history of this mysterious time.
That said, the historical events described in the novel are merely spice for the narrative and are clearly not the entr茅e at this literary feast. However, I would likely recommend this book for the historical component alone even if I didn鈥檛 like the rest of the novel鈥h, but I did so much like the rest of the novel.
The story revolves around two women, Mariam and Laila, born 20 years apart, but whose lives are intertwined through the events of the novel. Mariam (born in 1959) is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy merchant named Jalil who has 3 wives and 9 鈥渓egitimate鈥� children. Mariam鈥檚 mother, Nana, was a servant in Jalil鈥檚 house whose affair with Jalil resulted in Mariam. As you might expect, the 3 wives were less than enthused and Nana and Mariam were forced to live on the outskirts of town, making Nana a bitter often cruel person to Mariam.
The other main character is Laila (born in 1978) who lives in the same area as Mariam. Laila鈥檚 story begins with her close friendship with a boy named Tariq who loses a leg to a Soviet land mine when he鈥檚 5 years old. Years later, with Kabul under constant rocket attacks, Laila鈥檚 family decides to leave the city. During an emotional farewell, Laila and Tariq make love. Later, as her family is preparing to depart Kabul, a rocket kills her parents and severely injures Laila.
I don鈥檛 want to spoil the plot by giving away too many details, so let me just say that through a series of mostly tragic circumstances, Mariam and Laila both end up married to a serious scumbag named Rasheed. I want to clarify that last remark because I think it goes to the most chilling aspect of the novel for me. One of the novel鈥檚 primary strengths is the bright light the author shines on the nasty way women are treated in countries like Afghanistan.
Now not being knowledgeable enough about the culture to make a well-informed analysis, I strongly suspect that the character of Rasheed, while made somewhat worse for dramatic effect, is close enough to what was 鈥渢he norm鈥� as to be positively sickening. Thus, when I say scumbag (which I whole-heartedly mean), part of the emotional impact of Rasheed鈥檚 actions came from my not seeing them as cartoonish, but as part of an 鈥渋nstitutional evil鈥� that was all too common.
Bottom-line, Rasheed is an ignorant, mean-spirited, petty little pile of assbarf who will make even the most serene and passive reader feel like loading the .45 with hollow points and performing a gunpowder enema on his sorry, wretched chair cushion.
Anyway, once Mariam and Laila find themselves together, the story deepens as these two women slowly learn first to live with each other and later to depend upon each other as they face almost daily challenges, mostly from their abusive husband.
She lived in fear of his shifting moods, his volatile temperament, his insistence on steering even mundane exchanges down a confrontational path that, on occasion, he would resolve with punches, slaps, kicks, and sometimes try to make amends for with polluted apologies, and sometimes not.The lives of these women is an epic journey in every sense of the word and I felt like I was on a journey of my own as I road along with them.
While there is much of darkness and pain throughout the book, Hosseini never allows the emotional tone of the story to descend in melodrama. There is little self-pity or wallowing in grief. There is pain, there is loss but there is no surrender. Instead, these women absorb tremendous blows (both figuratively and literally) and continue to live.
There is a great passage near the end of the book that I am going to hide with a spoiler because it reveals the final fate of one of the characters, but it is simply a perfect summation of the strength and dignity that is the heart of this story. This is a gorgeous, beautiful story that is made all the more so by its tremendous importance.
Read it鈥�.you will be happy you did. 5.0 Stars. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!
P.S. I listened to the audio version of this as read by Atossa Leoni and she was brilliant. If you listen to audio books, this is definitely one where the narrator enhances the experience of the novel.
August 16, 2021
"A face of grievances unspoken, burdens gone unprotested, a destiny submitted to and endured."
This must have been the longest time I had waited to review a fiction after finishing the book. Even after a week, I still haven't fully recuperated from the emotional blow of A Thousand Splendid Suns... Painful, heartbreaking, but quite beautiful in a very sad way. Hosseini has improved upon what he did with Kite Runner, if that's even possible, in every conceivable way imaginable to give the reader another masterpiece! I loved every little thing about this book.
"Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman."
When I finished Kite Runner before, it became clear how impactful Hosseini's story telling is: It was tragic yet beautiful in a unique way. I had thought I was prepared to pretty much anything the author could throw at me after that. But A Thousand Splendid Suns, for me, was a far more difficult read. Unlike in Kite Runner, Hosseini does not hold back when it comes to unfolding Mariam and Laila's story. Saying that reading through the abuse and other privations of the two protagonists was shocking would be a huge understatement. Everything felt too real to be consoled otherwise. In the Afterwards section, I did come across about Hosseini's work in UNHCR, and maybe it's his firsthand experience that made the portrayal this authentic.
"It's our lot in life, Mariam. Women like us. We endure. It's all we have."
The author continues to use his simple, and straightforward writing style which suits perfectly to the atmosphere he creates in these stories. But, even if one finds the writing style to be lacking in flavor, when the story telling is this good, most would never be bothered by anything else. And when you add Hosseini's flawless character development, it's impossible not to fall in love with this book. But where I saw the most significant improvement is in the plot, which stole the spotlight away from character department. The life story of the two protagonists -Mariam and Laila- allows the reader to peak in to a couple of lives heavily affected not only by war, but their journey amidst various domestic difficulties, providing the reader with another unique opportunity to empathize with Afghan people, and specifically from a woman's point of view this time. Instead of coming across hateful stories about Taliban and terrorism in general, it's enlightening to see the events from a perspective like this, which enables any reader to understand the bitter reality, along with the fact that countless thousands of people are experiencing worse circumstances in such countries. Even though it is fiction, I think it's commendable, and remarkable, what Hosseini does with these stories, as they help shift any reader's opinion about the people who are affected by wars in such countries.
"People, she believed now, shouldn't be allowed to have new children if they'd already given away all their love to their old ones. It wasn't fair."
Everything else that was good about Kite Runner is still here, from pace, flow of events, and handling of emotions to the ending. Oh, that ending! I rarely admire a sad ending, but Hosseini is definitely the exception. During the middle part of the book, even though I loved everything, I didn't see myself giving a rating higher than 4-stars, but the concluding chapters broke me down and changed everything. Now I feel like there aren't enough starts to do justice.
"As she closed her eyes, it was not regret any longer but a sensation of abundant peace that washed over her."
"One last time, Mariam did as she was told."
It's not every day that I get to shelf two consecutive books from the same author as all-time-favorites. Honestly, I was not expecting this to be better than the first, and thought there might even be some repetitiveness. This is anything but that! If you loved Kite Runner, it is most likely that you will have an even better reading experience with this ATSS. However, be warned that the emotional impact this delivers is far more profound, leaving one with tears for quite a while. Unlike with Kite Runner, the luxury of hiding the despicable actions of villains, which left many horrific events to readers' imagination, is gone. But at the end of the day, just like with Kite Runner, it's worth every second... it's worth the heartbreak... it's worth evert tear... Another must-read-for-all from Hosseini.
"A young Mariam is sitting at the table making a doll by the glow of an oil lamp. She's humming something. Her face is smooth and youthful, her hair washed, combed back. She has all her teeth."
This must have been the longest time I had waited to review a fiction after finishing the book. Even after a week, I still haven't fully recuperated from the emotional blow of A Thousand Splendid Suns... Painful, heartbreaking, but quite beautiful in a very sad way. Hosseini has improved upon what he did with Kite Runner, if that's even possible, in every conceivable way imaginable to give the reader another masterpiece! I loved every little thing about this book.
"Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman."
When I finished Kite Runner before, it became clear how impactful Hosseini's story telling is: It was tragic yet beautiful in a unique way. I had thought I was prepared to pretty much anything the author could throw at me after that. But A Thousand Splendid Suns, for me, was a far more difficult read. Unlike in Kite Runner, Hosseini does not hold back when it comes to unfolding Mariam and Laila's story. Saying that reading through the abuse and other privations of the two protagonists was shocking would be a huge understatement. Everything felt too real to be consoled otherwise. In the Afterwards section, I did come across about Hosseini's work in UNHCR, and maybe it's his firsthand experience that made the portrayal this authentic.
"It's our lot in life, Mariam. Women like us. We endure. It's all we have."
The author continues to use his simple, and straightforward writing style which suits perfectly to the atmosphere he creates in these stories. But, even if one finds the writing style to be lacking in flavor, when the story telling is this good, most would never be bothered by anything else. And when you add Hosseini's flawless character development, it's impossible not to fall in love with this book. But where I saw the most significant improvement is in the plot, which stole the spotlight away from character department. The life story of the two protagonists -Mariam and Laila- allows the reader to peak in to a couple of lives heavily affected not only by war, but their journey amidst various domestic difficulties, providing the reader with another unique opportunity to empathize with Afghan people, and specifically from a woman's point of view this time. Instead of coming across hateful stories about Taliban and terrorism in general, it's enlightening to see the events from a perspective like this, which enables any reader to understand the bitter reality, along with the fact that countless thousands of people are experiencing worse circumstances in such countries. Even though it is fiction, I think it's commendable, and remarkable, what Hosseini does with these stories, as they help shift any reader's opinion about the people who are affected by wars in such countries.
"People, she believed now, shouldn't be allowed to have new children if they'd already given away all their love to their old ones. It wasn't fair."
Everything else that was good about Kite Runner is still here, from pace, flow of events, and handling of emotions to the ending. Oh, that ending! I rarely admire a sad ending, but Hosseini is definitely the exception. During the middle part of the book, even though I loved everything, I didn't see myself giving a rating higher than 4-stars, but the concluding chapters broke me down and changed everything. Now I feel like there aren't enough starts to do justice.
"As she closed her eyes, it was not regret any longer but a sensation of abundant peace that washed over her."
"One last time, Mariam did as she was told."
It's not every day that I get to shelf two consecutive books from the same author as all-time-favorites. Honestly, I was not expecting this to be better than the first, and thought there might even be some repetitiveness. This is anything but that! If you loved Kite Runner, it is most likely that you will have an even better reading experience with this ATSS. However, be warned that the emotional impact this delivers is far more profound, leaving one with tears for quite a while. Unlike with Kite Runner, the luxury of hiding the despicable actions of villains, which left many horrific events to readers' imagination, is gone. But at the end of the day, just like with Kite Runner, it's worth every second... it's worth the heartbreak... it's worth evert tear... Another must-read-for-all from Hosseini.
"A young Mariam is sitting at the table making a doll by the glow of an oil lamp. She's humming something. Her face is smooth and youthful, her hair washed, combed back. She has all her teeth."
"The little girl looks up. Puts down the doll. Smiles. Laila jo?"
January 27, 2008
For the last two months I have been putting off reading this book. For starters, I bought the book at an airport in Taiwan, which meant it didn't have a due date which meant it took a backseat to many books that I didn't have the luxury of reading whenever.
Additionally, because I've heard so much about this book already, I almost didn't want to read it at all. I've heard that it's depressing, that it's not as good as The Kite Runner, and that it's basically a novel about the brutal treatment of women in Afghanistan.
You know when you read a book or see a film that has had great reviews and you finish feeling disappointed because it didn't live up to the hype? My experience reading this book was the complete opposite. I loved it. I didn't feel the message of the book was one of brutality or depression, but of hope and the toughness of the human spirit.
There are plenty of awful scenes to lend credence to its reputation. While the story's time frame spans thirty years, the main focus of the novel are two woman, a generation apart, whose lives cross as they become the wives of the same man, Rasheed. The elder, Mariam, was born to a servant woman out of wedlock and is raised in banishment, ignorance and eventual rejection during the years the Afghani government was controlled by the communists. She finds herself forced to marry a much older man after her mother commits suicide. Laila, fifteen years younger and raised by intellectual parents, enters the marriage under much different circumstances. Alone after a bomb destroys her home and kills her parents, and pregnant by her childhood love who has fled the country, she marries Rasheed in a desperate attempt to save her unborn child.
The writing engrossed me. Much like the Kite Runner, Hosseini magically puts the reader in the city, neighborhood and house of his characters. Much to his credit, I found myself torn between wanting to yell at Laila to hush up, so that she'd avoid another beating, and kicking Rasheed myself, because he is a despicable brute.
Mariam, one of the most tragic characters in literature, makes this book what it is; a story of love and strenghth. She, who didn't have an easy day in her life, allows herself to be touched by the love of Laila and her children. In return, she performs the ultimate act of love and saves a family.
I appreciate Hosseini's portrayal of a part of the world that is under so much scrutiny lately. Afghanistan, and the city of Kabul where the story takes place, have a long history of wars and occupations which result in a great chasm between different ethnic tribes, Islam, economic classes and gender. Hosseini uses this novel to tell the story of Afghani women and the hardships that face them with each regime change.
As a woman, I feel blessed to have been given confidence and opportunities. I truly cannot imagine what it would be like to live under the conditions the women in this book live under. I am grateful to be born to the family I was born to and in a country which allows me to live the kind of life I choose.
Miram and Laila didn't have the opportunities or support that I have. And yet they survived. They endured and they reached out to others, despite their circumstances. In this, Hosseini redeems all of Afghanistan by showing these two women's humanity. He shows that in a place whose beauty was written about in a 17th century poem, where "One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs and the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls" is a city that can become illuminated once again.
Additionally, because I've heard so much about this book already, I almost didn't want to read it at all. I've heard that it's depressing, that it's not as good as The Kite Runner, and that it's basically a novel about the brutal treatment of women in Afghanistan.
You know when you read a book or see a film that has had great reviews and you finish feeling disappointed because it didn't live up to the hype? My experience reading this book was the complete opposite. I loved it. I didn't feel the message of the book was one of brutality or depression, but of hope and the toughness of the human spirit.
There are plenty of awful scenes to lend credence to its reputation. While the story's time frame spans thirty years, the main focus of the novel are two woman, a generation apart, whose lives cross as they become the wives of the same man, Rasheed. The elder, Mariam, was born to a servant woman out of wedlock and is raised in banishment, ignorance and eventual rejection during the years the Afghani government was controlled by the communists. She finds herself forced to marry a much older man after her mother commits suicide. Laila, fifteen years younger and raised by intellectual parents, enters the marriage under much different circumstances. Alone after a bomb destroys her home and kills her parents, and pregnant by her childhood love who has fled the country, she marries Rasheed in a desperate attempt to save her unborn child.
The writing engrossed me. Much like the Kite Runner, Hosseini magically puts the reader in the city, neighborhood and house of his characters. Much to his credit, I found myself torn between wanting to yell at Laila to hush up, so that she'd avoid another beating, and kicking Rasheed myself, because he is a despicable brute.
Mariam, one of the most tragic characters in literature, makes this book what it is; a story of love and strenghth. She, who didn't have an easy day in her life, allows herself to be touched by the love of Laila and her children. In return, she performs the ultimate act of love and saves a family.
I appreciate Hosseini's portrayal of a part of the world that is under so much scrutiny lately. Afghanistan, and the city of Kabul where the story takes place, have a long history of wars and occupations which result in a great chasm between different ethnic tribes, Islam, economic classes and gender. Hosseini uses this novel to tell the story of Afghani women and the hardships that face them with each regime change.
As a woman, I feel blessed to have been given confidence and opportunities. I truly cannot imagine what it would be like to live under the conditions the women in this book live under. I am grateful to be born to the family I was born to and in a country which allows me to live the kind of life I choose.
Miram and Laila didn't have the opportunities or support that I have. And yet they survived. They endured and they reached out to others, despite their circumstances. In this, Hosseini redeems all of Afghanistan by showing these two women's humanity. He shows that in a place whose beauty was written about in a 17th century poem, where "One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs and the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls" is a city that can become illuminated once again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2013
August 2007
I was riding in a cab in Bombay recently, and a bookseller on foot approached me at a traffic light with a stack of books. I did my best not to look at the boy, but I couldn't help it. He was waving several books in my face and something caught my eye. I thought my glance was discreet, but he saw me look.. and it was game over. The light turned green right then and the boy starts running with the cab yelling 'Memsahib! Memsahib!'. We're picking up speed.. I'm so scared he's going to get his foot runover so I grab whatever I could from my wallet and somehow get it into his hands. In return he tosses a random book at me through the window as he's getting further & further away from the cab. I look to see what I ended up with. It was A Thousand Splendid Suns, which I was planning on buying anyways. The cab driver asked me how much I ended up giving the boy. 'A hundred and fifty rupees,' I said, which is barely $4. The cab driver says in return, 'You paid a hundred rupees too much!'. Hardly, I thought to myself. That boy worked his butt off. The best part is because the book is bootlegged it's full of typos and random fonts. Love it. In case I ever discuss the book with you and my recollection of the story is completely different from what you read, you'll know why.
January 2008
Read the book on my way to Vietnam a few days ago. Loved it, although it was missing a few pages here and there :). Coincidentally, the friend I'm traveling with brought the same book on our trip so I had access to the missing pages. (And another coincidence - our Mekong Delta guide was carrying a copy of the Kite Runner. We were like some sort of Hosseini fanclub floating down the Mekong in our longboat...haha). I have a few thoughts on this book, I'll write them out in more detail soon. I'm heading back to Bombay in a few days...maybe I'll run into another bookseller on foot :).
I was riding in a cab in Bombay recently, and a bookseller on foot approached me at a traffic light with a stack of books. I did my best not to look at the boy, but I couldn't help it. He was waving several books in my face and something caught my eye. I thought my glance was discreet, but he saw me look.. and it was game over. The light turned green right then and the boy starts running with the cab yelling 'Memsahib! Memsahib!'. We're picking up speed.. I'm so scared he's going to get his foot runover so I grab whatever I could from my wallet and somehow get it into his hands. In return he tosses a random book at me through the window as he's getting further & further away from the cab. I look to see what I ended up with. It was A Thousand Splendid Suns, which I was planning on buying anyways. The cab driver asked me how much I ended up giving the boy. 'A hundred and fifty rupees,' I said, which is barely $4. The cab driver says in return, 'You paid a hundred rupees too much!'. Hardly, I thought to myself. That boy worked his butt off. The best part is because the book is bootlegged it's full of typos and random fonts. Love it. In case I ever discuss the book with you and my recollection of the story is completely different from what you read, you'll know why.
January 2008
Read the book on my way to Vietnam a few days ago. Loved it, although it was missing a few pages here and there :). Coincidentally, the friend I'm traveling with brought the same book on our trip so I had access to the missing pages. (And another coincidence - our Mekong Delta guide was carrying a copy of the Kite Runner. We were like some sort of Hosseini fanclub floating down the Mekong in our longboat...haha). I have a few thoughts on this book, I'll write them out in more detail soon. I'm heading back to Bombay in a few days...maybe I'll run into another bookseller on foot :).
June 16, 2021
Apparently this will break my heart even more than The Kite Runner 馃
Update: It did.
Update: It did.
March 15, 2013
It's apparently becoming something of a tradition for me to trash books that are not only widely loved and praised, but were specifically recommended to me by friends. Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splended Suns," I'm sorry to say, is going to get the same treatment. (Forgive me, Rose.) "Splendid Suns" has been so widely read by this point, I won't bother recounting the story, and instead simply list my objections:
- Hosseini seems incapable of creating characters with much depth to them. E.M. Forster, in "Aspects of the Novel," talks about books having round characters and flat characters, with round ones being more like people you'd encounter in the real world, and flat ones being more of caricatures used to move a book's story along. The only character in "Splendid Suns" who approaches roundness, and he's a relatively minor character, is Mariam's father, Jalil. Everyone else is either a villain without any positive traits (Rasheed) or a hero who can do almost no wrong (Laila, Tariq, Mullah Faizullah). Even when Hosseini is depicting a child who has every right to behave badly given his circumstances (Zalmai), he can't help but depict the child as almost evil. The New York Times review of "Splendid Suns" said Hosseini "creates characters who have the simplicity and primary-colored emotions of people in a fairy tale or fable." That's pretty generous of the New York Times. I'd say Hosseini may not be able to create three-dimensional characters.
- While I appreciate Hosseini's attempt to teach a few decades of Afghan history -- a history few readers likely know in much detail -- grafting that history onto the story of one family makes for a rather creaky novel. To impart the history, Hosseini goes back and forth between giving the history through third-person narration, in Wikipedia-like prose, and putting it in his characers' mouths via dialogue -- dialogue often spoken to people who would already know the history. As a result, you sometimes get characters saying things like, "As you know, the Taliban forces men to grow their beards long and women to wear burkas." The cut-and-paste history lessons make the novel painful to read at times.
- Hosseini routinely uses "harami" (bastard) and other words from the characters' native languages in his dialogue, followed by the English translation, apparently in an attempt to bring readers closer to the Afghan culture. But it usually feels incredibly superficial, especially when the words being used aren't foreign concepts, but rather basic words -- "brother," "sister" and the like. Hosseini and his editors also seem to forget about the trope, and cut back on the use of the foreign words in the book's later chapters. I wish they had done the same throughout the book.
- The relationship between Mariam and Laila feels completely artificial. Mariam's initial hate for and jealousy of Laila never feels remotely justified, especially given how awful her husband Rasheed is anyhow, and their coming together later feels rushed and unrealistic. Even after they form a friendship, they never seem to grow quite close enough to fully explain why Laila misses Mariam so much towards the novel's conclusion. Hosseini fails to lay the groundwork needed to justify Laila's emotions in the novel's last chapters.
- Almost the entire book is unrelentingly bleak. Don't get me wrong, I understand Afghanistan wasn't exactly Disneyland over the past few decades, but I think there were more lighthearted moments in the Book of Job than in "Splendid Suns." I don't mind reading a depressing novel, but Jesus. Reading "Splendid Suns," I kept thinking of that old workplace poster: "The beatings will continue until morale improves."
I didn't completely hate "Splendid Suns" -- the story moved along nicely, and it gave me a little more insight into a culture I probably should know more about -- but I don't think I'll be following this one with "The Kite Runner." Khaled Hosseini probably doesn't need me as a reader, though. It seems he has plenty of fans.
- Hosseini seems incapable of creating characters with much depth to them. E.M. Forster, in "Aspects of the Novel," talks about books having round characters and flat characters, with round ones being more like people you'd encounter in the real world, and flat ones being more of caricatures used to move a book's story along. The only character in "Splendid Suns" who approaches roundness, and he's a relatively minor character, is Mariam's father, Jalil. Everyone else is either a villain without any positive traits (Rasheed) or a hero who can do almost no wrong (Laila, Tariq, Mullah Faizullah). Even when Hosseini is depicting a child who has every right to behave badly given his circumstances (Zalmai), he can't help but depict the child as almost evil. The New York Times review of "Splendid Suns" said Hosseini "creates characters who have the simplicity and primary-colored emotions of people in a fairy tale or fable." That's pretty generous of the New York Times. I'd say Hosseini may not be able to create three-dimensional characters.
- While I appreciate Hosseini's attempt to teach a few decades of Afghan history -- a history few readers likely know in much detail -- grafting that history onto the story of one family makes for a rather creaky novel. To impart the history, Hosseini goes back and forth between giving the history through third-person narration, in Wikipedia-like prose, and putting it in his characers' mouths via dialogue -- dialogue often spoken to people who would already know the history. As a result, you sometimes get characters saying things like, "As you know, the Taliban forces men to grow their beards long and women to wear burkas." The cut-and-paste history lessons make the novel painful to read at times.
- Hosseini routinely uses "harami" (bastard) and other words from the characters' native languages in his dialogue, followed by the English translation, apparently in an attempt to bring readers closer to the Afghan culture. But it usually feels incredibly superficial, especially when the words being used aren't foreign concepts, but rather basic words -- "brother," "sister" and the like. Hosseini and his editors also seem to forget about the trope, and cut back on the use of the foreign words in the book's later chapters. I wish they had done the same throughout the book.
- The relationship between Mariam and Laila feels completely artificial. Mariam's initial hate for and jealousy of Laila never feels remotely justified, especially given how awful her husband Rasheed is anyhow, and their coming together later feels rushed and unrealistic. Even after they form a friendship, they never seem to grow quite close enough to fully explain why Laila misses Mariam so much towards the novel's conclusion. Hosseini fails to lay the groundwork needed to justify Laila's emotions in the novel's last chapters.
- Almost the entire book is unrelentingly bleak. Don't get me wrong, I understand Afghanistan wasn't exactly Disneyland over the past few decades, but I think there were more lighthearted moments in the Book of Job than in "Splendid Suns." I don't mind reading a depressing novel, but Jesus. Reading "Splendid Suns," I kept thinking of that old workplace poster: "The beatings will continue until morale improves."
I didn't completely hate "Splendid Suns" -- the story moved along nicely, and it gave me a little more insight into a culture I probably should know more about -- but I don't think I'll be following this one with "The Kite Runner." Khaled Hosseini probably doesn't need me as a reader, though. It seems he has plenty of fans.
July 17, 2019
Amazing!
Heart-Wrenching!
Important!
In a world where people tend to make assumptions about people and places based on the news, preconceived notions, prejudice, etc., this book needs to be read. I think a good portion of the American population hears 鈥淎fghanistan鈥� and they think it is a country full or terrorists and unreasonable Muslim extremists who all band together to plot the downfall of anyone not like them. A Thousand Splendid Suns shows the progression of life in Afghanistan from the Soviet takeover in 1980s through post 9/11 Taliban control. All of this is through the eyes of two women trying to live a normal and peaceful life just like anyone in the world wants. You will see that despite the extremists and unreasonable values of some, most of the Afghani people are no different than you and me.
Hosseini is a fantastic writer. Not only is the story enthralling, but the way he writes is engaging and easy to follow. I was never bored or confused. When I was not reading the book, I was thinking about the book and could not wait to get back to it and find out what happens. Sometimes you find the perfect book where the writing just falls into place with a click 鈥� that happened with this one. While the story takes place far away and the life discussed unusual for me, he made it very approachable and understandable.
The characters were great. The ones I was rooting for I was REALLY rooting for. The ones that I despised I REALLY hated. When I get this invested in the characters, it is a sure sign of a great book!
I will end with this warning: while a great and interesting book, it is, at times, difficult to read. There are situations and scenarios that are upsetting and may trigger lots of emotion. If you are extremely sensitive, it may be difficult to make it through. But, if you can, I think it will be worth it in the end.
If you have not read this book yet, I think you should give it a try. The experience is very likely to be eye-opening and maybe even life-changing.
Heart-Wrenching!
Important!
In a world where people tend to make assumptions about people and places based on the news, preconceived notions, prejudice, etc., this book needs to be read. I think a good portion of the American population hears 鈥淎fghanistan鈥� and they think it is a country full or terrorists and unreasonable Muslim extremists who all band together to plot the downfall of anyone not like them. A Thousand Splendid Suns shows the progression of life in Afghanistan from the Soviet takeover in 1980s through post 9/11 Taliban control. All of this is through the eyes of two women trying to live a normal and peaceful life just like anyone in the world wants. You will see that despite the extremists and unreasonable values of some, most of the Afghani people are no different than you and me.
Hosseini is a fantastic writer. Not only is the story enthralling, but the way he writes is engaging and easy to follow. I was never bored or confused. When I was not reading the book, I was thinking about the book and could not wait to get back to it and find out what happens. Sometimes you find the perfect book where the writing just falls into place with a click 鈥� that happened with this one. While the story takes place far away and the life discussed unusual for me, he made it very approachable and understandable.
The characters were great. The ones I was rooting for I was REALLY rooting for. The ones that I despised I REALLY hated. When I get this invested in the characters, it is a sure sign of a great book!
I will end with this warning: while a great and interesting book, it is, at times, difficult to read. There are situations and scenarios that are upsetting and may trigger lots of emotion. If you are extremely sensitive, it may be difficult to make it through. But, if you can, I think it will be worth it in the end.
If you have not read this book yet, I think you should give it a try. The experience is very likely to be eye-opening and maybe even life-changing.
March 24, 2019
It was a warm, sunny day in Montenegro and I was about to set out on a boat trip. I felt certain that a combination of sightseeing and the people I was with would keep me from having much time to read, but I packed a book anyway just in case there was time for a chapter or two in between stops.
happened to be that book. And at the end of the day, when I staggered off that boat, blinking at my sudden exposure to reality, it wasn't because I'd been mesmerised by the stunning architecture and history lessons, no, it was because Hosseini stomped all over my heart. I'm not even sure how I found enough hours in the day to take a boat trip around Montenegro and read this entire novel, but somehow I finished this in the few hours I had... simply because I had to.
My initial reaction was a furious, teary promise to myself that I would have to give this book five stars - I think it's impossible for the mind to win a battle with the heart in that level of heat, especially when you're used to English weather. But afterwards, I managed to reclaim some of my sense and sanity, which is when I finally began to acknowledge this book's limitations.
For one thing, I think it's extremely generous to place this book in the "literary fiction" category. I am certainly no book snob (give me a delicious page-turner over some pretentious waffle any day) but I find myself comparing to another book about a country and culture I was only vaguely familiar with - - a book which I also read on my trip. The latter is a far more complex, ambitious work that brings something which, to me, felt entirely fresh and original. Hosseini's story, on the other hand, is not groundbreaking and I recognise many of the scenes and characters from other books.
What it is, however, is incredibly emotional, sad, uplifting, infuriating and memorable. It's lessons on the history of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban might be basic but they are nothing if not compelling. I came away feeling like I learned something. What I did learn was truly horrifying, it painted details into the very vague images I already had in my mind that I had gotten from various British newspapers. But I also really liked the affection for his birth country that shines through Hosseini's story; his faith in the ultimate goodness of these people who witnessed society and order crumbling around them.
The ultimate tragedy of this story, for me, is how everything could have been very different for Mariam and Laila if people had just acted a little faster, stopped worrying about their pride a little earlier, and trusted a little more. I really liked the range of emotions both women experienced and they way the author showed this. I know some readers thought it was wrong for Mariam to be jealous of Laila at first, but I actually really liked the complexity. Rasheed may be a bastard but he was the only thing in the world that she had at that point, and on some level it made sense to me that she would want to claim him for herself.
While I believe Mariam and Laila experienced complex emotions and were well-developed, Rasheed did not get the same treatment - a fact which I'm torn about. On the one hand, I think Rasheed would have been a better character if he'd been developed beyond him being the most villainous villain in all villaindom. On the other hand, I think Rasheed's evil personality offers an important distinction between him and Jalil (and the other men), one which is needed in a book that looks at the cruelties women suffer at the hands of men.
The difference between Rasheed and Jalil is important. The latter is a man who acts badly because his behaviour is shaped by the society he lives in. Rasheed, on the other hand, is a mean and violent brute who completely abuses the power handed to him as a man in this society. These differences between Rasheed, Jalil and the other men (Tariq, Laila's dad, etc.) show there is not one type of man in this society, that wife-beating is not simply a part of the culture, that even in a patriarchal society you can choose what type of man you want to be.
I admit this is far from a perfect book, but it is a good book. It's a book that seems to swallow you whole but spit you back out in pieces. And, just to mention, I keep intending to read again because I think studying it at school ruined it for me, but so far, I much prefer .
happened to be that book. And at the end of the day, when I staggered off that boat, blinking at my sudden exposure to reality, it wasn't because I'd been mesmerised by the stunning architecture and history lessons, no, it was because Hosseini stomped all over my heart. I'm not even sure how I found enough hours in the day to take a boat trip around Montenegro and read this entire novel, but somehow I finished this in the few hours I had... simply because I had to.
My initial reaction was a furious, teary promise to myself that I would have to give this book five stars - I think it's impossible for the mind to win a battle with the heart in that level of heat, especially when you're used to English weather. But afterwards, I managed to reclaim some of my sense and sanity, which is when I finally began to acknowledge this book's limitations.
For one thing, I think it's extremely generous to place this book in the "literary fiction" category. I am certainly no book snob (give me a delicious page-turner over some pretentious waffle any day) but I find myself comparing to another book about a country and culture I was only vaguely familiar with - - a book which I also read on my trip. The latter is a far more complex, ambitious work that brings something which, to me, felt entirely fresh and original. Hosseini's story, on the other hand, is not groundbreaking and I recognise many of the scenes and characters from other books.
What it is, however, is incredibly emotional, sad, uplifting, infuriating and memorable. It's lessons on the history of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban might be basic but they are nothing if not compelling. I came away feeling like I learned something. What I did learn was truly horrifying, it painted details into the very vague images I already had in my mind that I had gotten from various British newspapers. But I also really liked the affection for his birth country that shines through Hosseini's story; his faith in the ultimate goodness of these people who witnessed society and order crumbling around them.
The ultimate tragedy of this story, for me, is how everything could have been very different for Mariam and Laila if people had just acted a little faster, stopped worrying about their pride a little earlier, and trusted a little more. I really liked the range of emotions both women experienced and they way the author showed this. I know some readers thought it was wrong for Mariam to be jealous of Laila at first, but I actually really liked the complexity. Rasheed may be a bastard but he was the only thing in the world that she had at that point, and on some level it made sense to me that she would want to claim him for herself.
While I believe Mariam and Laila experienced complex emotions and were well-developed, Rasheed did not get the same treatment - a fact which I'm torn about. On the one hand, I think Rasheed would have been a better character if he'd been developed beyond him being the most villainous villain in all villaindom. On the other hand, I think Rasheed's evil personality offers an important distinction between him and Jalil (and the other men), one which is needed in a book that looks at the cruelties women suffer at the hands of men.
The difference between Rasheed and Jalil is important. The latter is a man who acts badly because his behaviour is shaped by the society he lives in. Rasheed, on the other hand, is a mean and violent brute who completely abuses the power handed to him as a man in this society. These differences between Rasheed, Jalil and the other men (Tariq, Laila's dad, etc.) show there is not one type of man in this society, that wife-beating is not simply a part of the culture, that even in a patriarchal society you can choose what type of man you want to be.
I admit this is far from a perfect book, but it is a good book. It's a book that seems to swallow you whole but spit you back out in pieces. And, just to mention, I keep intending to read again because I think studying it at school ruined it for me, but so far, I much prefer .
April 3, 2024
鉃� 鈭�/5 stars
鈥淥ne could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.鈥�
This book isn't just a read; it's an immersive experience that seized me from the opening page and refused to let go until the very end. I found myself physically unable to put it down, and even when I did, its essence lingered in my thoughts. It didn't just tell a story; it meticulously unraveled my emotions, breaking me apart, crushing my soul, and shattering my heart into fragments. This literary gem goes beyond words, leaving an enduring imprint that echoes with beauty, sorrow, and profound depth. It's more than a book; it's a journey that stays with you, etched into the very fabric of your being.
This book gracefully navigates through the landscape of pain, revealing the hidden beauty that exists even in the midst of despair. It paints a portrait where, against all odds, a glimmer of hope shines through, and within the tapestry of hate, threads of selflessness are woven. The author's skillful storytelling crafts a poignant and meaningful narrative, imprinting its impact on anyone immersed in its pages. It's a tale that not only resonates with beauty but also delves into the profound reflections on the resilience of the human spirit, making it an unforgettable journey that reverberates long after the final chapter.
This book delves into the poignant narrative of a woman's enduring struggle for basic respect in a society plagued by unattainable standards. As the story unfolds, it vividly portrays the suffering women endure due to societal expectations, it sheds light on the oppression and injustice faced by women during times of war, emphasizing the societal pressure to bear a male heir as their only means of escape. The tale unfolds with a serious tone, yet it carries a simplicity that tugs at the heart, leaving a sweet resonance that lingers long after the final page.
At its core, this story unravels the life of Mariam, born as a bastard child to a wealthy man, condemned to a lifetime of discrimination and injustice. Branded as a wretched child, she endured neglect and ignorance from her own family for 15 long years. Her path took a darker turn when she was married off to Rasheed, a man twice her age, who viewed women merely as breeding machines. Rasheed's character is portrayed as an absolute disgrace, subjecting Mariam to abuse, rape, and continuous insult due to her inability to bear children throughout their marriage.
In the face of life's unfairness towards Mariam, she emerges as one of the most kind and selfless individuals. Her resilience shines through, demonstrating that despite life's hardships, maintaining kindness and love for those who deserve it is paramount. Despite enduring betrayal from every corner of her life, Mariam remains remarkably resilient, kind, and loving. Her journey is a heart-wrenching testament to the depth of her character, evoking a profound sense of empathy for all the undeserved suffering she endured.
Enter Laila, a character whose once beautiful life takes a drastic turn due to the ravages of war, leading her to an unforeseen marriage with Rasheed. Despite initial animosity between the two women, a unique bond develops over time, offering solace in each other's company. When Rasheed's true nature is revealed upon the birth of Laila's first daughter, mistreatment ensues. In this scenario, Mariam, a beacon of kindness and gentleness, stands as a protector, consistently shielding Laila and her children from the harsh realities they face. This intricate narrative weaves a tale of resilience, unexpected alliances, and the enduring strength found in the bond between these two women.
This narrative concludes in one of the most heart-wrenching ways imaginable. Mariam, the epitome of kindness, makes the last and ultimate sacrifice for Laila and her children, granting them the opportunity for a free and happy life with Laila's love, Tariq. Anticipating the inevitable, I sensed Mariam would be the one to make this selfless sacrifice, a testament to the life that had shaped her into a remarkably kind-hearted soul.
As the story reached its culmination, my heart shattered for Mariam. Despite life's hardships, she never allowed pain to sour her spirit. Till the end, she remained as beautiful and lovely as a flower, a testament to her enduring grace. Even when life was unrelenting in its cruelty, Mariam's unwavering focus on Laila's happiness showcases the depth of her selflessness. This somber yet beautiful tale leaves a lasting imprint, celebrating the resilience and sacrificial love that defines Mariam's character.
掳藮鉃� Overall, if you're in search for a heart-wrenching masterpiece that delicately shatters your heart and crushes your soul, leaving an insatiable longing, then this might just be your perfect catch. This poignant masterpiece goes beyond mere storytelling, offering an emotional tapestry that resonates deeply. 馃拰
: 虠虁鉃� QUOTES :-
鉃� 鈥淟earn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man鈥檚 accusing finger always finds a woman. Always."
鉃� "You know.鈥�
鈥淜now what?鈥�
鈥淭hat I only have eyes for you.鈥�
鉃� 鈥淭ell her she is the noor of my eyes and the sultan of my heart. Will you do that for me?鈥�
鉃� 鈥淔or me, it ends here. There鈥檚 nothing more I want. Everything I鈥檇 ever wished for as a little girl you鈥檝e already given me."
鉃� 鈥淚鈥檒l follow you to the end of the world, Laila"
掳藮鉁毷气櫋蔀藲鉁柭�
幞 pre-read review 鉁柭�.
reading this bc I love pain 馃槶鉁嬸煆�
鈥淥ne could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.鈥�
This book isn't just a read; it's an immersive experience that seized me from the opening page and refused to let go until the very end. I found myself physically unable to put it down, and even when I did, its essence lingered in my thoughts. It didn't just tell a story; it meticulously unraveled my emotions, breaking me apart, crushing my soul, and shattering my heart into fragments. This literary gem goes beyond words, leaving an enduring imprint that echoes with beauty, sorrow, and profound depth. It's more than a book; it's a journey that stays with you, etched into the very fabric of your being.
This book gracefully navigates through the landscape of pain, revealing the hidden beauty that exists even in the midst of despair. It paints a portrait where, against all odds, a glimmer of hope shines through, and within the tapestry of hate, threads of selflessness are woven. The author's skillful storytelling crafts a poignant and meaningful narrative, imprinting its impact on anyone immersed in its pages. It's a tale that not only resonates with beauty but also delves into the profound reflections on the resilience of the human spirit, making it an unforgettable journey that reverberates long after the final chapter.
This book delves into the poignant narrative of a woman's enduring struggle for basic respect in a society plagued by unattainable standards. As the story unfolds, it vividly portrays the suffering women endure due to societal expectations, it sheds light on the oppression and injustice faced by women during times of war, emphasizing the societal pressure to bear a male heir as their only means of escape. The tale unfolds with a serious tone, yet it carries a simplicity that tugs at the heart, leaving a sweet resonance that lingers long after the final page.
At its core, this story unravels the life of Mariam, born as a bastard child to a wealthy man, condemned to a lifetime of discrimination and injustice. Branded as a wretched child, she endured neglect and ignorance from her own family for 15 long years. Her path took a darker turn when she was married off to Rasheed, a man twice her age, who viewed women merely as breeding machines. Rasheed's character is portrayed as an absolute disgrace, subjecting Mariam to abuse, rape, and continuous insult due to her inability to bear children throughout their marriage.
In the face of life's unfairness towards Mariam, she emerges as one of the most kind and selfless individuals. Her resilience shines through, demonstrating that despite life's hardships, maintaining kindness and love for those who deserve it is paramount. Despite enduring betrayal from every corner of her life, Mariam remains remarkably resilient, kind, and loving. Her journey is a heart-wrenching testament to the depth of her character, evoking a profound sense of empathy for all the undeserved suffering she endured.
Enter Laila, a character whose once beautiful life takes a drastic turn due to the ravages of war, leading her to an unforeseen marriage with Rasheed. Despite initial animosity between the two women, a unique bond develops over time, offering solace in each other's company. When Rasheed's true nature is revealed upon the birth of Laila's first daughter, mistreatment ensues. In this scenario, Mariam, a beacon of kindness and gentleness, stands as a protector, consistently shielding Laila and her children from the harsh realities they face. This intricate narrative weaves a tale of resilience, unexpected alliances, and the enduring strength found in the bond between these two women.
This narrative concludes in one of the most heart-wrenching ways imaginable. Mariam, the epitome of kindness, makes the last and ultimate sacrifice for Laila and her children, granting them the opportunity for a free and happy life with Laila's love, Tariq. Anticipating the inevitable, I sensed Mariam would be the one to make this selfless sacrifice, a testament to the life that had shaped her into a remarkably kind-hearted soul.
As the story reached its culmination, my heart shattered for Mariam. Despite life's hardships, she never allowed pain to sour her spirit. Till the end, she remained as beautiful and lovely as a flower, a testament to her enduring grace. Even when life was unrelenting in its cruelty, Mariam's unwavering focus on Laila's happiness showcases the depth of her selflessness. This somber yet beautiful tale leaves a lasting imprint, celebrating the resilience and sacrificial love that defines Mariam's character.
掳藮鉃� Overall, if you're in search for a heart-wrenching masterpiece that delicately shatters your heart and crushes your soul, leaving an insatiable longing, then this might just be your perfect catch. This poignant masterpiece goes beyond mere storytelling, offering an emotional tapestry that resonates deeply. 馃拰
: 虠虁鉃� QUOTES :-
鉃� 鈥淟earn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man鈥檚 accusing finger always finds a woman. Always."
鉃� "You know.鈥�
鈥淜now what?鈥�
鈥淭hat I only have eyes for you.鈥�
鉃� 鈥淭ell her she is the noor of my eyes and the sultan of my heart. Will you do that for me?鈥�
鉃� 鈥淔or me, it ends here. There鈥檚 nothing more I want. Everything I鈥檇 ever wished for as a little girl you鈥檝e already given me."
鉃� 鈥淚鈥檒l follow you to the end of the world, Laila"
掳藮鉁毷气櫋蔀藲鉁柭�
幞 pre-read review 鉁柭�.
reading this bc I love pain 馃槶鉁嬸煆�
March 18, 2015
I have never cried while reading a book,like I Did while reading this one!
It is the story of poor, uneducated women who have to endure the hardships of life...
The horrors and terrors that a lot of women have gone through during certain period in Afghanistan, the war torn country ,and the narration through the lives of two women Mariam and Laila..
Going through All kinds of Physical abuse of hitting, kicking and slapping ,brutal beating ,etc鈥�.
Struggling the cruel extremely sadistic Rasheed, And suffering all kinds of violence and subjected to his shifting mood and volatile temper.
Witnessing the ugliness of war, the fate of loved ones, grieving for lost lives.
And sadly this is not exclusive to Afghan society only it is happening in many other countries The unhappy, abusive marriages, oppressive governments and repressive Cultural mores ..
It finds its echo in varying forms, in differing degrees, through the different time periods, across the world.
The end of the novel give some hope in its last scene after all the violent accidents ,with Laila's pregnancy, Kabul rebuilding, and a loving family reunion.
鈥淚 know you're still young but I want you to understand and learn this now. Marriage can wait, education cannot.
And I also know that when this war is over Afghanistan is going to need you as much as its men maybe even more. Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated. No chance.鈥�
Laila fulfilled her father鈥檚 dreams and he can rest in peace watching his brave daughter completing his path and teaching young Afghan children the true values and principles
of Their social heritage and culture
educating them how they could be good citizens in the future.
In this critical age when personalities are shaped
And what they learn will stay with them.
And protecting them from falling in the hands of those who would mould them to absorb hatred ,violence and intolerance.
It is the story of poor, uneducated women who have to endure the hardships of life...
The horrors and terrors that a lot of women have gone through during certain period in Afghanistan, the war torn country ,and the narration through the lives of two women Mariam and Laila..
Going through All kinds of Physical abuse of hitting, kicking and slapping ,brutal beating ,etc鈥�.
Struggling the cruel extremely sadistic Rasheed, And suffering all kinds of violence and subjected to his shifting mood and volatile temper.
Witnessing the ugliness of war, the fate of loved ones, grieving for lost lives.
And sadly this is not exclusive to Afghan society only it is happening in many other countries The unhappy, abusive marriages, oppressive governments and repressive Cultural mores ..
It finds its echo in varying forms, in differing degrees, through the different time periods, across the world.
The end of the novel give some hope in its last scene after all the violent accidents ,with Laila's pregnancy, Kabul rebuilding, and a loving family reunion.
鈥淚 know you're still young but I want you to understand and learn this now. Marriage can wait, education cannot.
And I also know that when this war is over Afghanistan is going to need you as much as its men maybe even more. Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated. No chance.鈥�
Laila fulfilled her father鈥檚 dreams and he can rest in peace watching his brave daughter completing his path and teaching young Afghan children the true values and principles
of Their social heritage and culture
educating them how they could be good citizens in the future.
In this critical age when personalities are shaped
And what they learn will stay with them.
And protecting them from falling in the hands of those who would mould them to absorb hatred ,violence and intolerance.
September 14, 2008
To my editor:
Khaled here. As I was reviewing my final draft of 鈥淎 Thousand Splendid Suns,鈥� some questions occurred to me.
1. Could I make the characters any less complex? Despite my efforts, I feel I haven鈥檛 fully achieved the one-dimensionality my readers seemed to love in 鈥淭he Kite Runner.鈥� Specifically, I鈥檓 afraid I may have given Rassan one or two potentially sympathetic moments early on despite his overall abusive personality (although I more than make up for it). I don鈥檛 know whether my readers can handle that level of complexity. Fortunately, aside from that minor lapse with Rassan, I think I managed to keep my characters and their relationships pretty simplistic, although there鈥檚 always room for improvement in that regard!
2. Do you think I included enough graphic violent scenes, or should I add another ten or so?
3. Are my characters stereotypical enough?
4. Pretty clever the way I stuffed the facts of recent Afghani history into my characters鈥� dialogue whenever I could, don鈥檛cha think?
5. Speaking of dialogue, I鈥檓 wondering whether I can inject a little more of my agenda into the characters鈥� conversation or introspection, or maybe structure the plot around it a little more. Any ideas?
6. Isn鈥檛 it great that Afghanistan is such a hot topic that mediocre writers like me can make a buck by pandering to people鈥檚 intellectual pretensions?
With hopes for another bestseller,
Khaled
Khaled here. As I was reviewing my final draft of 鈥淎 Thousand Splendid Suns,鈥� some questions occurred to me.
1. Could I make the characters any less complex? Despite my efforts, I feel I haven鈥檛 fully achieved the one-dimensionality my readers seemed to love in 鈥淭he Kite Runner.鈥� Specifically, I鈥檓 afraid I may have given Rassan one or two potentially sympathetic moments early on despite his overall abusive personality (although I more than make up for it). I don鈥檛 know whether my readers can handle that level of complexity. Fortunately, aside from that minor lapse with Rassan, I think I managed to keep my characters and their relationships pretty simplistic, although there鈥檚 always room for improvement in that regard!
2. Do you think I included enough graphic violent scenes, or should I add another ten or so?
3. Are my characters stereotypical enough?
4. Pretty clever the way I stuffed the facts of recent Afghani history into my characters鈥� dialogue whenever I could, don鈥檛cha think?
5. Speaking of dialogue, I鈥檓 wondering whether I can inject a little more of my agenda into the characters鈥� conversation or introspection, or maybe structure the plot around it a little more. Any ideas?
6. Isn鈥檛 it great that Afghanistan is such a hot topic that mediocre writers like me can make a buck by pandering to people鈥檚 intellectual pretensions?
With hopes for another bestseller,
Khaled
October 27, 2023
鈥渢ell her she is the noor of my eyes and the sultan of my heart.鈥�
this book is a love letter to all women.
of afghanistan. of the world. for the countless women who cannot raise their voices and speak up for what they believe in, simply because the world is such a shitty place. brutal because of its rawness, but also stunning because of how real it was. how poignant it was. how sad it made me. how it touched my heart. how much it incited me. how angry it made me. how powerful every moment was. this is one of those rare books that have enough passion to start a revolution.
mariam and laila were just the most precious souls. no one deserves to suffer like they did and yet they had to go through it all with subdued gazes and meek glances. i definitely preferred laila鈥檚 point of view but mariam鈥檚 story was so real because of the way she felt unwanted by everyone, not experiencing an ounce of the type of love she鈥檇 always dreamed of having. but both of them were so soft and strong at the same time for standing up for themselves and yet knowing when to step down. i adore them so much. 鉂わ笍鈥嶐煩�
鈥測ou know.鈥�
鈥渒now what?鈥�
鈥渢hat i only have eyes for you.鈥�
laila and tariq were simply beautiful. i truly believe they are layla and majnun reincarnated 馃ズ they鈥檝e suffered so much i鈥檓 glad they鈥檙e finally having some semblance of happiness, even if it鈥檚 stolen moments. 馃ス
like a compass needle that points north, a man鈥檚 accusing finger always finds a woman. always.
i hate rasheed and i know there are hundreds of men like him in the world, men who think they鈥檙e entitled to take whatever they want when they want, men who think women should be caged and imprisoned and made to do whatever the man of the house orders, men who think it鈥檚 alright to abuse and defile women and behave in absolutely vile and cruel ways. i love the way this book shows the truth of the world while not losing its track on the point it鈥檚 trying to make.
each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into the clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below.
i feel this is one of those books everyone needs to read once in their lives, simply because of how much it makes you reflect on how things are in the world. because of how much it makes you feel. because mariam and laila鈥檚 story deserves to be heard. their story is the reflection of the suffering of hundreds of thousands of women in the past and present and it needs to be listened to. the impact it had on me was so profound and all i can say is鈥� just read it. the world is such an unfair, cruel, harsh, unfathomable place but this showed that light could shine from the most unlikely places and hope could peek out from the darkest depths of hell. and i loved it for showing me that.
she is here, in these walls they鈥檝e repainted, in the trees they鈥檝e planted, in the blankets that keep the children warm, in these pillows and books and pencils. she is in the children鈥檚 laughter. but mostly, she is in laila鈥檚 own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns.
(i picked this up from my library two weeks back and while i鈥檓 a fast reader generally, i couldn鈥檛 bring myself to read more sometimes because of how horrified and disgusted and filled with rage this made me. it鈥檚 absolutely not one of the worst things i鈥檝e read, but then again, i generally read fiction and while this is that, it鈥檚 also something that happens in real life and the fact that these atrocities are so common in the world makes me so mad. you know that feeling when you know you wanna read more because you need to know what happens next, but you can鈥檛 bring yourself to pick the book back up because you鈥檙e scared? yup. that鈥檚 what happened. i shed so many tears while reading this.)
this book is a love letter to all women.
of afghanistan. of the world. for the countless women who cannot raise their voices and speak up for what they believe in, simply because the world is such a shitty place. brutal because of its rawness, but also stunning because of how real it was. how poignant it was. how sad it made me. how it touched my heart. how much it incited me. how angry it made me. how powerful every moment was. this is one of those rare books that have enough passion to start a revolution.
mariam and laila were just the most precious souls. no one deserves to suffer like they did and yet they had to go through it all with subdued gazes and meek glances. i definitely preferred laila鈥檚 point of view but mariam鈥檚 story was so real because of the way she felt unwanted by everyone, not experiencing an ounce of the type of love she鈥檇 always dreamed of having. but both of them were so soft and strong at the same time for standing up for themselves and yet knowing when to step down. i adore them so much. 鉂わ笍鈥嶐煩�
鈥測ou know.鈥�
鈥渒now what?鈥�
鈥渢hat i only have eyes for you.鈥�
laila and tariq were simply beautiful. i truly believe they are layla and majnun reincarnated 馃ズ they鈥檝e suffered so much i鈥檓 glad they鈥檙e finally having some semblance of happiness, even if it鈥檚 stolen moments. 馃ス
like a compass needle that points north, a man鈥檚 accusing finger always finds a woman. always.
i hate rasheed and i know there are hundreds of men like him in the world, men who think they鈥檙e entitled to take whatever they want when they want, men who think women should be caged and imprisoned and made to do whatever the man of the house orders, men who think it鈥檚 alright to abuse and defile women and behave in absolutely vile and cruel ways. i love the way this book shows the truth of the world while not losing its track on the point it鈥檚 trying to make.
each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into the clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below.
i feel this is one of those books everyone needs to read once in their lives, simply because of how much it makes you reflect on how things are in the world. because of how much it makes you feel. because mariam and laila鈥檚 story deserves to be heard. their story is the reflection of the suffering of hundreds of thousands of women in the past and present and it needs to be listened to. the impact it had on me was so profound and all i can say is鈥� just read it. the world is such an unfair, cruel, harsh, unfathomable place but this showed that light could shine from the most unlikely places and hope could peek out from the darkest depths of hell. and i loved it for showing me that.
she is here, in these walls they鈥檝e repainted, in the trees they鈥檝e planted, in the blankets that keep the children warm, in these pillows and books and pencils. she is in the children鈥檚 laughter. but mostly, she is in laila鈥檚 own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns.
(i picked this up from my library two weeks back and while i鈥檓 a fast reader generally, i couldn鈥檛 bring myself to read more sometimes because of how horrified and disgusted and filled with rage this made me. it鈥檚 absolutely not one of the worst things i鈥檝e read, but then again, i generally read fiction and while this is that, it鈥檚 also something that happens in real life and the fact that these atrocities are so common in the world makes me so mad. you know that feeling when you know you wanna read more because you need to know what happens next, but you can鈥檛 bring yourself to pick the book back up because you鈥檙e scared? yup. that鈥檚 what happened. i shed so many tears while reading this.)
August 12, 2024
Mariam is living a quiet life with her mother when tragedy strikes. Will her new husband rescue her from her situation?
About 20 years later, Laila鈥檚 world is crumbling around her. How will her path intersect with Mariam?
The Kite Runner brought me here; however, I will say that I enjoyed The Kite Runner more.
This book reminded me a lot of A Woman is No Man, and I also enjoyed that one more than this one.
One of the things that I didn鈥檛 like about this book is how dark it is. Of course, the subject matter is quite heavy, and it isn鈥檛 meant to be a lighthearted comedy. However, it was just a bit too dark for my liking. Even in dark circumstances, people can still find joy or hope.
Also, I had a hard time really connecting with Mariam and Laila. There are two things that contributed to this: 1) The author would jump years into the future from one chapter to the next. 2) The author wrote this book in the third-person perspective. It could have been more impactful if the book was written in the first-person perspective, really feeling the characters鈥� fears and thoughts.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
About 20 years later, Laila鈥檚 world is crumbling around her. How will her path intersect with Mariam?
The Kite Runner brought me here; however, I will say that I enjoyed The Kite Runner more.
This book reminded me a lot of A Woman is No Man, and I also enjoyed that one more than this one.
One of the things that I didn鈥檛 like about this book is how dark it is. Of course, the subject matter is quite heavy, and it isn鈥檛 meant to be a lighthearted comedy. However, it was just a bit too dark for my liking. Even in dark circumstances, people can still find joy or hope.
Also, I had a hard time really connecting with Mariam and Laila. There are two things that contributed to this: 1) The author would jump years into the future from one chapter to the next. 2) The author wrote this book in the third-person perspective. It could have been more impactful if the book was written in the first-person perspective, really feeling the characters鈥� fears and thoughts.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
February 29, 2024
Unfortunatly,there is only five stars..i wish i could give it more..simply outstanding
July 8, 2022
Khaled Hosseini tells us the story of millions of daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers through Miriam and Laila. We can see how the Taliban had shattered Afghanistan in this novel. The author has beautifully depicted hope, tragedy, and violence amid the war. The way he tells the history of a country through the eyes of two women is simply brilliant. This is a must-read book for everyone and can be considered one of the few books that can change the lives of people in the best possible way.
鈥淥ne could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.鈥�
January 10, 2025
Each snowflake was a sigh heard by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. All the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. As a reminder of how women suffer.
Poignant, stunning, and heartrending. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS was one of the best and most meaningful books I've read. Beginning from one woman's impossibly sad story, the book slowly weaves in a tale of two women whose lives intersect when they are both married to the same cruel, bitter man. By outlining the solidarity and camaraderie of the female spirit, it skilfully navigates all the themes and values regarding gender identity, disparity, and entrenched patriarchal mindsets that have been painfully pertinent societal issues for a long time. It reminds me every day that in a world full of prejudice, there is still beauty. That in a world full of hatred, there is still selflessness. That in a world full of suffering, there is still hope.
I'd like to start off by saying that I absolutely loved this book. With every page I read my heart was in my mouth and my stomach felt like it would drop to my shoes any moment. But I loved this book. I loved this book. It is a beautiful and enlightening story filled to the brim with hope, even beneath its painful, heart-wrenching emotional rawness. How strange, because this was a book where I dared not to turn the page, but I kept flipping and breaking my own heart anyway.
鈥淎 man's heart is a wretched, wretched thing. It isn't like a mother's womb. It won't bleed. It won't stretch to make room for you.鈥�
A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS tells of the oppression of women in Afghanistan and the injustice with which they are treated -- of how their only way to social status and approval is to bear a male heir. Mariam, one of the main characters, has to be one of the saddest characters in literature. Born a bastard child to a very wealthy man, she has faced being called "harami" (an insult) her whole life, been shunned and discriminated and thought of as ignorant and worthless, even by her own birth father and her family. Finally, she is married off to a man named Rasheed, who is violent, rude, abusive and just plain mean (honestly, I wanted to kick him in the face throughout the whole book). He sees her only as a tool for breeding his heirs and mistreats, gr4pes and severely abuses her, even more so when they find out she is sterile.
If I had been used, discarded and abused by everyone around me my entire life, I would have become a bitter shell of a girl, or at the very least develop severe trust issues. But despite life being categorically unfair to her, and despite facing nothing but hardship her whole life, Mariam's personality is so beautiful that it completely broke my heart. Unfazed by the betrayal of almost everyone she knows and the misfortune that she is constantly granted, Mariam remains resigned, but most of all an extremely resilient, selfless, humble, and kind person. When Rasheed takes a second wife, Laila, the two women despise each other at first, but soon unite against their husband's verbal and physical and emotional abuse. Mariam, being self-sacrificial, often tried to protect Laila and bore the brunt of Rasheed's anger.
The book ended in the most heartbreaking way possible and yet it was so fitting to Mariam's utterly stoic, compassionate and sacrificial personality that I just sat there and bawled. I couldn't help it. I somehow knew in my bones that Mariam would make the ultimate sacrifice -
September 19, 2019
禺丕賱丿 丨爻賷賳賷 賱賷爻 賰丕鬲亘 賲孬賱 丕賱丌禺乇賷賳 賷賰鬲亘 亘丕賱丨乇賵賮貙 亘賱 賴賵 噩乇丨賹 賲鬲賯賷丨 爻丕賱 氐丿賷丿賴 毓賱賶 丕賱賵乇賯 賵賲賳賴 鬲卮賰賱鬲 乇賵丕賷丕鬲賴 丕賱賲賮噩毓丞.. 賵丕丨丿 賲賳 丕賱賯賱丕卅賱 丕賱賯丕丿乇賷賳 毓賱賶 丕賳鬲夭丕毓 鬲兀賵賴丕鬲賷 賵廿孬丕乇丞 乇噩賮鬲賷 亘賰賱賲丕鬲賴.
賴匕賴 乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 丕賱丨亘貙 賵丕賱氐丿丕賯丞貙 賵丕賱兀賲賵賲丞貙 賵丕賱賮賯丿貙 賵丕賱賮乇丕賯貙 賵丕賱賵噩毓貙 賵丕賱兀賱賲.. 丌賴賺貙 賵丌賴賺貙 賵丌賴 賲賳 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞!
賴丿賮賴丕 丕賱兀賵賱 賴賵 廿馗賴丕乇 賲毓丕賳丕丞 丕賱賳爻丕亍 丕賱兀賮睾丕賳貙 丨賷孬 賷氐賵乇 丕賲乇兀鬲賷賳 賲賳 噩賷賱賷賳 賲禺鬲賱賮賷賳 賱賰賱 賲賳賴賲丕 賲毓丕賳丕鬲賴丕 丕賱禺丕氐丞 丕賱鬲賷 禺丕囟鬲賴丕 賮賷 氐睾乇賴丕貙 孬賲 賷噩賲毓賴賲丕 丕賱賯丿乇 賮賷 亘賷鬲賺 賵丕丨丿 禺丕囟毓丕賳 賱夭賵噩賺 賵丕丨丿 丿賮毓鬲賴賲丕 丕賱馗乇賵賮 賱賱夭賵丕噩 賲賳賴.
丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱兀賵賱 賲賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賷鬲丨丿孬 毓賳 賲乇賷賲貙 丕賱胤賮賱丞 丕亘賳丞 丕賱夭賳丕 鈥撠з勜辟懾з呝�- 匕丕鬲 丕賱禺賲爻丞 毓卮乇 毓丕賲賸丕 丕賱鬲賷 賱賲 賷毓鬲乇賮 亘賴丕 兀亘賷賴丕 丨賮丕馗賸丕 毓賱賶 爻賲毓鬲賴 賵廿賳 馗賱 賷氐乇賮 毓賱賷賴丕貙 毓丕卮鬲 賲毓 兀賲賴丕 氐睾賷乇丞 賵賰丕賳鬲 丕賱爻亘亘 賮賷 賵賮丕鬲賴丕貙 孬賲 丕賳鬲賯賱鬲 賱賱毓賷卮 賲毓 兀亘賷賴丕 丕賱匕賷 鬲禺賱氐 賲賳賴丕 爻乇賷毓賸丕 亘鬲夭賵賷噩賴丕 亘丿賵賳 乇囟丕賴丕貙 賵賴賵 賲丕 噩毓賱賴丕 爻丕禺胤丞 毓賱賷賴 賵兀禺亘乇鬲賴 兀賳賴丕 賱丕 鬲乇賷丿 兀賳 鬲乇丕賴 賲噩丿丿賸丕 賵乇賮囟鬲 乇丐賷鬲賴 毓賳丿 夭賷丕乇鬲賴 賱賴丕 亘毓丿 爻賳賷賳 賲賳 夭賵丕噩賴丕.. 孬賲 兀噩亘乇鬲 毓賱賶 賲毓丕賷卮丞 丨賷丕鬲賴丕 丕賱噩丿賷丿丞 賮賷 賲丿賷賳丞 亘毓賷丿丞 毓賳 賲丿賷賳鬲賴丕貙 賵亘丿兀鬲 賲毓丕賳丕鬲賴丕 賲毓 夭賵噩賴丕 亘毓丿 兀賳 兀爻賯胤鬲 噩賳賷賳賴丕.
丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賷貙 毓賳 丨賷丕丞 賱賷賱賶貙 賵賴賷 賮鬲丕丞 賵賱丿鬲 亘毓丿 兀賳 鬲夭賵噩鬲 賲乇賷賲 亘乇卮賷丿貙 賮賷 匕丕鬲 丕賱卮丕乇毓貙 亘毓丿 兀賳 兀丨鬲賱 丕賱爻賵賮賷賷鬲 兀賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳貙 賳卮兀鬲 賮賷 馗賱 丕賱賳馗丕賲 丕賱卮賷賵毓賷 丨賷孬 爻購賲丨 賱賱賲乇兀丞 亘兀賳 鬲鬲毓賱賲 賵兀購賳卮兀鬲 賲丿丕乇爻 賱賱亘賳丕鬲貙 賳卮兀鬲 賴賷 賵胤丕乇賯 賲毓賸丕 賲賳 氐睾乇賴賲丕貙 賵卮亘賾丕 賲毓丕貙 賵兀丨亘丕 亘毓囟賴賲丕貙 賵亘毓丿 禺乇賵噩 丕賱爻賵賮賷賷鬲 賵廿賯丕賲丞 丿賵賱丞 兀賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳 丕賱廿爻賱丕賲賷丞 兀睾賱賯鬲 賲丿丕乇爻 丕賱亘賳丕鬲 賵賯購賷丿鬲 丕賱丨乇賷丕鬲貙 賵丕卮鬲毓賱鬲 丕賱丨乇賵亘 丕賱丿丕禺賱賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 丿賲乇鬲 丕賱賲丿賷賳丞 亘兀賰賲賱賴丕貙 賵賮乇賾 丕賱賳丕爻 廿賱賶 丕賱丿賵賱 丕賱賲噩丕賵乇丞: 亘丕賰爻鬲丕賳 賵廿賷乇丕賳.. 賵賰購鬲亘 賱賴丕 賵賱胤丕乇賯 丕賱丕賮鬲乇丕賯 毓賳丿賲丕 賯乇乇 兀亘賵賷賾 胤丕乇賯 丕賱賮乇丕乇 賲賳 丕賱丨乇亘貙 賵賯亘賱 兀賳 賷賮鬲乇賯丕 賷鬲賱丕賯賷丕 亘乇賵丨賴賲丕 賵噩爻丿賷賴賲丕 賮賷 賱賯丕亍賺 丨賲賷賲貙 賵賷乇丨賱 賵賷鬲乇賰 亘匕乇鬲賴 亘丿丕禺賱賴丕.. 賵亘毓丿 賮鬲乇丞 賲賳 丕賱夭賲賳 鬲賯乇乇 毓丕卅賱鬲賴丕 丕賱乇丨賷賱 賱賰賳賴賲 賰丕賳賵丕 鬲兀禺乇賵丕 賰孬賷乇賸丕貙 賵亘毓丿 賲賵鬲 兀亘賵賷賴丕 廿孬乇 氐丕乇賵禺賺 丿賲乇 賲賳夭賱賴賲 丿毓丕賴丕 乇卮賷丿 賱賱廿賯丕賲丞 賮賷 賲賳夭賱賴 亘毓囟 丕賱賵賯鬲 廿賱賶 兀賳 鬲購卮賮賶貙 賵爻賷毓乇囟 毓賱賷賴丕 丕賱夭賵丕噩 賱丕丨賯賸丕 賵爻鬲賵丕賮賯 賱兀賳 乇爻賵賱賺 兀禺亘乇賴丕 亘賲賵鬲 胤丕乇賯貙 賵賱兀賳 亘胤賳賴丕 賮賷 爻亘賷賱賴丕 廿賱賶 丕賱丕賳鬲賮丕禺貙 賵鬲夭賵噩鬲 乇卮賷丿 賵兀氐亘丨鬲 賴賷 賵賲乇賷賲 鬲丨鬲 爻賯賮賺 賵丕丨丿貙 賵爻賷毓丕賳賵賳 賲賳 丕賱匕賱 囟乇賵亘賸丕 賮賷 賰賳賮 賴匕丕 丕賱乇噩賱.
爻兀賰鬲賮賷 亘賴匕丕 丕賱賯丿乇 丕賱亘爻賷胤 賵賱賳 兀禺賵囟 賮賷 丕賱丨丿賷孬 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 賴匕丕 賰賷 賱丕 兀丨乇賯 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬貙 丨賷孬 賲丕 夭丕賱 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賮賷 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賷 廿囟丕賮丞 廿賱賶 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賱孬.. 賲丕 夭丕賱 賴賳丕賰 丕賱賲夭賷丿 賲賳 丕賱兀賱賲 賵丕賱兀賲賱 賮賷 丕賳鬲馗丕乇賰 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞.
賮賷 毓丿賾丕亍 丕賱胤丕卅乇丞 丕賱賵乇賯賷丞 賰丕賳 賱噩賲賱丞 " 賱兀噩賱賰 兀賱賮 賲乇丞 賵賲乇丞 " 兀孬乇 賮賷 賳賮爻賷.. 賵賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳丿賲丕 毓賯丿鬲 賱賷賱賶 丕賱毓夭賲 毓賱賶 夭賷丕乇丞 丕賱賲賱丕 賮賷囟 丕賱賱賴 賮賷 賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賱賰賷 鬲丨丿孬賴 毓賳 賲乇賷賲貙 賵毓賳丿賲丕 賵氐賱鬲 毓賳丿 亘賷鬲賴 賵兀禺亘乇鬲 丕亘賳賴 亘賲丕 鬲乇賷丿賴貙 乇丿 毓賱賷賴丕 賵賴賵 賷鬲匕賰乇 賲乇賷賲貙 賯丕卅賱賸丕: 賷丕丕丕丕丕丕丕丕丕丕賴... 賴匕丕 丕賱乇丿 丕賱亘爻賷胤 兀孬乇 賮賷 賳賮爻賷 賰孬賷乇賸丕 賵兀氐丕亘賳賷 亘乇噩賮丞 賯賵賷丞貙 賱丕 兀毓乇賮 賱賲丕匕丕貙 賱賰賳賷 兀丨爻爻鬲 亘氐丿賯賴貙 賮毓賳丿賲丕 賵氐賱鬲 賱賴匕丕 丕賱丨丿 賲賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賵賯乇兀鬲 賴匕賴 丕賱噩賲賱丞 卮毓乇鬲 亘氐丿賯 賴匕賴 丕賱賷丕丕丕丕丕丕丕賴 賵兀賳賴丕 鬲毓亘乇 毓賳賷 毓賳丿賲丕 丕爻鬲毓丿鬲 兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶.. 賮賯丿 毓卮鬲 賮賷賴丕 賵卮毓乇鬲 亘兀賳 賲丕 丨丿孬 賰丕賳 賲丕囟賷 亘毓賷丿 亘丕賱賮毓賱 賵賱賷爻鬲 賲噩乇丿 氐賮丨丕鬲 兀賳賴賷鬲賴丕 賮賷 賵賯鬲 賯乇賷亘.
兀賲丕 毓賳 丕賱賲賯丕乇賳丞 亘賷賳 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賵乇賵丕賷鬲賴 丕賱兀禺乇賶 "毓丿賾丕亍 丕賱胤丕卅乇丞 丕賱賵乇賯賷丞"貙 賮兀賳丕 兀丨亘亘鬲 丕賱孬丕賳賷丞 毓賳 丕賱兀賵賱賶貙 賱賰賳 賱丕 賲噩丕賱 賱賱賲賯丕乇賳丞 亘賷賳賴賲貙 賮丕賱丕孬賳鬲丕賳 乇丕卅毓鬲丕賳貙 丕卮鬲乇賰鬲丕 賮賷 丕賱賯囟賷丞貙 賵賱賰賳賴賲丕 賲禺鬲賱賮鬲賷賳貙 賮兀賳丕 兀乇賶 兀賳 丕賱丕孬賳鬲賷賳 賲賰賲賱鬲丕賳 賱亘毓囟賴賲丕 丕賱亘毓囟.
賱賱賰丕鬲亘 丨丕卮賷丞 賮賷 丌禺乇 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲賳 賰賱賲丞 兀賱賯丕賴丕 賮賷 賲毓乇囟 "亘賵賰 廿賰爻亘賵 兀賲乇賷賰丕" 毓丕賲 2007 貙 賷鬲丨丿孬 賮賷賴丕 毓賳 賳賮爻賴 賵馗乇賵賮 賰鬲丕亘鬲賴 賱賱乇賵丕賷鬲賷賳貙 賵兀賳賴 賱賲 賷賰賳 賱賷賳卮乇 毓丿賾丕亍 丕賱胤丕卅乇丞 丕賱賵乇賯賷丞貙 賵亘毓丿 賳卮乇賴丕 賱賲 賷鬲賵賯毓 賴匕丕 丕賱丕賳鬲卮丕乇 丕賱賴丕卅賱 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 賵鬲兀孬賷乇賴丕 賮賷 丕賱賳丕爻 毓賱賶 賲禺鬲賱賮 噩賳爻賷丕鬲賴賲 賵丿賷丕賳丕鬲賴賲.. 賵賰賲丕 賯丕賱 亘丕賱賮毓賱 廿賳 丕賱兀丿亘 賷乇亘胤 亘賷賳 丕賱賳丕爻 賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳鬲 丕禺鬲賱丕賮丕鬲賴賲 賵賷丨賮夭 賮賷賴賲 廿賳爻丕賳賷鬲賴賲.
賲賱丨賲丞 孬丕賳賷丞 賱丕 鬲賳爻賶.
賴匕賴 乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 丕賱丨亘貙 賵丕賱氐丿丕賯丞貙 賵丕賱兀賲賵賲丞貙 賵丕賱賮賯丿貙 賵丕賱賮乇丕賯貙 賵丕賱賵噩毓貙 賵丕賱兀賱賲.. 丌賴賺貙 賵丌賴賺貙 賵丌賴 賲賳 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞!
賴丿賮賴丕 丕賱兀賵賱 賴賵 廿馗賴丕乇 賲毓丕賳丕丞 丕賱賳爻丕亍 丕賱兀賮睾丕賳貙 丨賷孬 賷氐賵乇 丕賲乇兀鬲賷賳 賲賳 噩賷賱賷賳 賲禺鬲賱賮賷賳 賱賰賱 賲賳賴賲丕 賲毓丕賳丕鬲賴丕 丕賱禺丕氐丞 丕賱鬲賷 禺丕囟鬲賴丕 賮賷 氐睾乇賴丕貙 孬賲 賷噩賲毓賴賲丕 丕賱賯丿乇 賮賷 亘賷鬲賺 賵丕丨丿 禺丕囟毓丕賳 賱夭賵噩賺 賵丕丨丿 丿賮毓鬲賴賲丕 丕賱馗乇賵賮 賱賱夭賵丕噩 賲賳賴.
丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱兀賵賱 賲賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賷鬲丨丿孬 毓賳 賲乇賷賲貙 丕賱胤賮賱丞 丕亘賳丞 丕賱夭賳丕 鈥撠з勜辟懾з呝�- 匕丕鬲 丕賱禺賲爻丞 毓卮乇 毓丕賲賸丕 丕賱鬲賷 賱賲 賷毓鬲乇賮 亘賴丕 兀亘賷賴丕 丨賮丕馗賸丕 毓賱賶 爻賲毓鬲賴 賵廿賳 馗賱 賷氐乇賮 毓賱賷賴丕貙 毓丕卮鬲 賲毓 兀賲賴丕 氐睾賷乇丞 賵賰丕賳鬲 丕賱爻亘亘 賮賷 賵賮丕鬲賴丕貙 孬賲 丕賳鬲賯賱鬲 賱賱毓賷卮 賲毓 兀亘賷賴丕 丕賱匕賷 鬲禺賱氐 賲賳賴丕 爻乇賷毓賸丕 亘鬲夭賵賷噩賴丕 亘丿賵賳 乇囟丕賴丕貙 賵賴賵 賲丕 噩毓賱賴丕 爻丕禺胤丞 毓賱賷賴 賵兀禺亘乇鬲賴 兀賳賴丕 賱丕 鬲乇賷丿 兀賳 鬲乇丕賴 賲噩丿丿賸丕 賵乇賮囟鬲 乇丐賷鬲賴 毓賳丿 夭賷丕乇鬲賴 賱賴丕 亘毓丿 爻賳賷賳 賲賳 夭賵丕噩賴丕.. 孬賲 兀噩亘乇鬲 毓賱賶 賲毓丕賷卮丞 丨賷丕鬲賴丕 丕賱噩丿賷丿丞 賮賷 賲丿賷賳丞 亘毓賷丿丞 毓賳 賲丿賷賳鬲賴丕貙 賵亘丿兀鬲 賲毓丕賳丕鬲賴丕 賲毓 夭賵噩賴丕 亘毓丿 兀賳 兀爻賯胤鬲 噩賳賷賳賴丕.
丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賷貙 毓賳 丨賷丕丞 賱賷賱賶貙 賵賴賷 賮鬲丕丞 賵賱丿鬲 亘毓丿 兀賳 鬲夭賵噩鬲 賲乇賷賲 亘乇卮賷丿貙 賮賷 匕丕鬲 丕賱卮丕乇毓貙 亘毓丿 兀賳 兀丨鬲賱 丕賱爻賵賮賷賷鬲 兀賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳貙 賳卮兀鬲 賮賷 馗賱 丕賱賳馗丕賲 丕賱卮賷賵毓賷 丨賷孬 爻購賲丨 賱賱賲乇兀丞 亘兀賳 鬲鬲毓賱賲 賵兀購賳卮兀鬲 賲丿丕乇爻 賱賱亘賳丕鬲貙 賳卮兀鬲 賴賷 賵胤丕乇賯 賲毓賸丕 賲賳 氐睾乇賴賲丕貙 賵卮亘賾丕 賲毓丕貙 賵兀丨亘丕 亘毓囟賴賲丕貙 賵亘毓丿 禺乇賵噩 丕賱爻賵賮賷賷鬲 賵廿賯丕賲丞 丿賵賱丞 兀賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳 丕賱廿爻賱丕賲賷丞 兀睾賱賯鬲 賲丿丕乇爻 丕賱亘賳丕鬲 賵賯購賷丿鬲 丕賱丨乇賷丕鬲貙 賵丕卮鬲毓賱鬲 丕賱丨乇賵亘 丕賱丿丕禺賱賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 丿賲乇鬲 丕賱賲丿賷賳丞 亘兀賰賲賱賴丕貙 賵賮乇賾 丕賱賳丕爻 廿賱賶 丕賱丿賵賱 丕賱賲噩丕賵乇丞: 亘丕賰爻鬲丕賳 賵廿賷乇丕賳.. 賵賰購鬲亘 賱賴丕 賵賱胤丕乇賯 丕賱丕賮鬲乇丕賯 毓賳丿賲丕 賯乇乇 兀亘賵賷賾 胤丕乇賯 丕賱賮乇丕乇 賲賳 丕賱丨乇亘貙 賵賯亘賱 兀賳 賷賮鬲乇賯丕 賷鬲賱丕賯賷丕 亘乇賵丨賴賲丕 賵噩爻丿賷賴賲丕 賮賷 賱賯丕亍賺 丨賲賷賲貙 賵賷乇丨賱 賵賷鬲乇賰 亘匕乇鬲賴 亘丿丕禺賱賴丕.. 賵亘毓丿 賮鬲乇丞 賲賳 丕賱夭賲賳 鬲賯乇乇 毓丕卅賱鬲賴丕 丕賱乇丨賷賱 賱賰賳賴賲 賰丕賳賵丕 鬲兀禺乇賵丕 賰孬賷乇賸丕貙 賵亘毓丿 賲賵鬲 兀亘賵賷賴丕 廿孬乇 氐丕乇賵禺賺 丿賲乇 賲賳夭賱賴賲 丿毓丕賴丕 乇卮賷丿 賱賱廿賯丕賲丞 賮賷 賲賳夭賱賴 亘毓囟 丕賱賵賯鬲 廿賱賶 兀賳 鬲購卮賮賶貙 賵爻賷毓乇囟 毓賱賷賴丕 丕賱夭賵丕噩 賱丕丨賯賸丕 賵爻鬲賵丕賮賯 賱兀賳 乇爻賵賱賺 兀禺亘乇賴丕 亘賲賵鬲 胤丕乇賯貙 賵賱兀賳 亘胤賳賴丕 賮賷 爻亘賷賱賴丕 廿賱賶 丕賱丕賳鬲賮丕禺貙 賵鬲夭賵噩鬲 乇卮賷丿 賵兀氐亘丨鬲 賴賷 賵賲乇賷賲 鬲丨鬲 爻賯賮賺 賵丕丨丿貙 賵爻賷毓丕賳賵賳 賲賳 丕賱匕賱 囟乇賵亘賸丕 賮賷 賰賳賮 賴匕丕 丕賱乇噩賱.
爻兀賰鬲賮賷 亘賴匕丕 丕賱賯丿乇 丕賱亘爻賷胤 賵賱賳 兀禺賵囟 賮賷 丕賱丨丿賷孬 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 賴匕丕 賰賷 賱丕 兀丨乇賯 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬貙 丨賷孬 賲丕 夭丕賱 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賮賷 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賷 廿囟丕賮丞 廿賱賶 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賱孬.. 賲丕 夭丕賱 賴賳丕賰 丕賱賲夭賷丿 賲賳 丕賱兀賱賲 賵丕賱兀賲賱 賮賷 丕賳鬲馗丕乇賰 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞.
賮賷 毓丿賾丕亍 丕賱胤丕卅乇丞 丕賱賵乇賯賷丞 賰丕賳 賱噩賲賱丞 " 賱兀噩賱賰 兀賱賮 賲乇丞 賵賲乇丞 " 兀孬乇 賮賷 賳賮爻賷.. 賵賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳丿賲丕 毓賯丿鬲 賱賷賱賶 丕賱毓夭賲 毓賱賶 夭賷丕乇丞 丕賱賲賱丕 賮賷囟 丕賱賱賴 賮賷 賳賴丕賷丞 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賱賰賷 鬲丨丿孬賴 毓賳 賲乇賷賲貙 賵毓賳丿賲丕 賵氐賱鬲 毓賳丿 亘賷鬲賴 賵兀禺亘乇鬲 丕亘賳賴 亘賲丕 鬲乇賷丿賴貙 乇丿 毓賱賷賴丕 賵賴賵 賷鬲匕賰乇 賲乇賷賲貙 賯丕卅賱賸丕: 賷丕丕丕丕丕丕丕丕丕丕賴... 賴匕丕 丕賱乇丿 丕賱亘爻賷胤 兀孬乇 賮賷 賳賮爻賷 賰孬賷乇賸丕 賵兀氐丕亘賳賷 亘乇噩賮丞 賯賵賷丞貙 賱丕 兀毓乇賮 賱賲丕匕丕貙 賱賰賳賷 兀丨爻爻鬲 亘氐丿賯賴貙 賮毓賳丿賲丕 賵氐賱鬲 賱賴匕丕 丕賱丨丿 賲賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賵賯乇兀鬲 賴匕賴 丕賱噩賲賱丞 卮毓乇鬲 亘氐丿賯 賴匕賴 丕賱賷丕丕丕丕丕丕丕賴 賵兀賳賴丕 鬲毓亘乇 毓賳賷 毓賳丿賲丕 丕爻鬲毓丿鬲 兀丨丿丕孬 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶.. 賮賯丿 毓卮鬲 賮賷賴丕 賵卮毓乇鬲 亘兀賳 賲丕 丨丿孬 賰丕賳 賲丕囟賷 亘毓賷丿 亘丕賱賮毓賱 賵賱賷爻鬲 賲噩乇丿 氐賮丨丕鬲 兀賳賴賷鬲賴丕 賮賷 賵賯鬲 賯乇賷亘.
兀賲丕 毓賳 丕賱賲賯丕乇賳丞 亘賷賳 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賵乇賵丕賷鬲賴 丕賱兀禺乇賶 "毓丿賾丕亍 丕賱胤丕卅乇丞 丕賱賵乇賯賷丞"貙 賮兀賳丕 兀丨亘亘鬲 丕賱孬丕賳賷丞 毓賳 丕賱兀賵賱賶貙 賱賰賳 賱丕 賲噩丕賱 賱賱賲賯丕乇賳丞 亘賷賳賴賲貙 賮丕賱丕孬賳鬲丕賳 乇丕卅毓鬲丕賳貙 丕卮鬲乇賰鬲丕 賮賷 丕賱賯囟賷丞貙 賵賱賰賳賴賲丕 賲禺鬲賱賮鬲賷賳貙 賮兀賳丕 兀乇賶 兀賳 丕賱丕孬賳鬲賷賳 賲賰賲賱鬲丕賳 賱亘毓囟賴賲丕 丕賱亘毓囟.
賱賱賰丕鬲亘 丨丕卮賷丞 賮賷 丌禺乇 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲賳 賰賱賲丞 兀賱賯丕賴丕 賮賷 賲毓乇囟 "亘賵賰 廿賰爻亘賵 兀賲乇賷賰丕" 毓丕賲 2007 貙 賷鬲丨丿孬 賮賷賴丕 毓賳 賳賮爻賴 賵馗乇賵賮 賰鬲丕亘鬲賴 賱賱乇賵丕賷鬲賷賳貙 賵兀賳賴 賱賲 賷賰賳 賱賷賳卮乇 毓丿賾丕亍 丕賱胤丕卅乇丞 丕賱賵乇賯賷丞貙 賵亘毓丿 賳卮乇賴丕 賱賲 賷鬲賵賯毓 賴匕丕 丕賱丕賳鬲卮丕乇 丕賱賴丕卅賱 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 賵鬲兀孬賷乇賴丕 賮賷 丕賱賳丕爻 毓賱賶 賲禺鬲賱賮 噩賳爻賷丕鬲賴賲 賵丿賷丕賳丕鬲賴賲.. 賵賰賲丕 賯丕賱 亘丕賱賮毓賱 廿賳 丕賱兀丿亘 賷乇亘胤 亘賷賳 丕賱賳丕爻 賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳鬲 丕禺鬲賱丕賮丕鬲賴賲 賵賷丨賮夭 賮賷賴賲 廿賳爻丕賳賷鬲賴賲.
賲賱丨賲丞 孬丕賳賷丞 賱丕 鬲賳爻賶.
July 20, 2024
Enraging, painful, heart-wrenching, blissful and incredibly profound is what this was like
鈥淎s a reminder of how women like us suffer, she'd said. How quietly we endure all that falls upon us."
I was somehow able to find the words for this despite feeling review slumpy and slumpy in general lol so here it goes
Think about what heartbreak feels like with no escape of it getting better and add rage in feeling impotent to do anything about it to the mix鈥攖hat鈥檚 what this book felt like. My heart simultaneously soared and plummeted during various points that it felt like I was on a rollercoaster. This was undeniably more than just words on pages, it was a vivid message to what women were/are forced to endure and suffer through. so much anger was felt as I was reading because despite this being a work of fiction鈥攊t鈥檚 relates to the grim reality many young girls/women who鈥檝e been oppressed go through and all the hardships that come with that
~No spoilers~
Without giving much away, this was essentially a story about two afghan women whose lives became intertwined during a time of upheaval in war which was ruthless and unforgiving to women and their journey individually and together is proof of that. Much of the political turmoil from the ongoing war (even today) is seen through their eyes in a decades long evolution that was as deplorable as it was cruel
鈥淭ell her she is the noor of my eyes and the sultan of my heart."
mariam and laila their stories touched the very epicenter of my soul 馃ス i loved them. They both deserved the world and were dealt with the cruelest realities. I wanted to hug them at every stage of their lives and offer them all my love and warmth because they needed that when they couldn鈥檛 find it within each other. I gasped, grieved, cried with/for, raged and felt joy for them throughout it all. They both shared such resilience, courage and inspiring strength in wanting a better future and I鈥檒l forever be thinking about them (it鈥檚 been days since I finished and I still am)
To all the women in the world that were/are a Mariam or a Laila鈥攊 can only pray and hope that they know what peace, healing, love and happiness looks like 鉂わ笍鈥嶐煩� seeing how life was to them made me feel incredibly grateful in that regard to not have experienced what they have and heartbroken because women.. the way we suffer silently in unspeakable ways
Men like Tariq, Mullah Faizullah and Laila鈥檚 Babi were the best of men in Laila鈥檚 and Mariam鈥檚 lives among such monsters so plenty of praise goes to them as they restored my lost hope in the men in this book
Men scum like Rasheed deserve the very worst in hell. I wish them a lifetime of no peace and misery. Castration also seems fitting for men like him. Even more with the patriarchal abuse they subject innocent women to as a result of ingrained cultural customs. I swear his character aggravated me like no other and just men like him because so many of them unfortunately exist
This book was ultimately so heavy on my heart which was torn yet put back in such a devastatingly bittersweet way as the last line in this book had me in tears 馃ズ The beautifully descriptive writing here also allowed me to feel the emotions they went through which honestly left me a bit mentally defeated. But after processing it all, I see this book staying with me for life. i don鈥檛 ever reach for this type of genre but I鈥檓 glad I did
**this is one book I鈥檇 always recommend now but please check the trigger warnings in case certain sensitive topics would be too triggering for you before reading鈥硷笍**
Quotes
鈥淵ou see, some things I can teach you. Some you learn from books. But there are things that, well, you just have to see and feel.鈥�
鈥淎 man's heart is a wretched, wretched thing. It isn't like a mother's womb. It won't bleed. It won't stretch to make room for you.鈥�
鈥淭ime is the most unforgiving of fires.鈥�
鈥淥ne could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.鈥�
鈥淟earn this now and learn it well my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.鈥�
-
First book that I鈥檝e read in a while thats allowed me to say 鈥渄id I finish the book or did it finish me?!鈥� I wanted a good cry and I bawled. I was met with so many emotions here ugh. Rtc whenever I can find the words.
-
Pre review: Long overdue for something painful and moving and wanted to read this months ago because of emara and finally got the final push to thanks to Meagan so here I am 馃槄
鈥淎s a reminder of how women like us suffer, she'd said. How quietly we endure all that falls upon us."
I was somehow able to find the words for this despite feeling review slumpy and slumpy in general lol so here it goes
Think about what heartbreak feels like with no escape of it getting better and add rage in feeling impotent to do anything about it to the mix鈥攖hat鈥檚 what this book felt like. My heart simultaneously soared and plummeted during various points that it felt like I was on a rollercoaster. This was undeniably more than just words on pages, it was a vivid message to what women were/are forced to endure and suffer through. so much anger was felt as I was reading because despite this being a work of fiction鈥攊t鈥檚 relates to the grim reality many young girls/women who鈥檝e been oppressed go through and all the hardships that come with that
~No spoilers~
Without giving much away, this was essentially a story about two afghan women whose lives became intertwined during a time of upheaval in war which was ruthless and unforgiving to women and their journey individually and together is proof of that. Much of the political turmoil from the ongoing war (even today) is seen through their eyes in a decades long evolution that was as deplorable as it was cruel
鈥淭ell her she is the noor of my eyes and the sultan of my heart."
mariam and laila their stories touched the very epicenter of my soul 馃ス i loved them. They both deserved the world and were dealt with the cruelest realities. I wanted to hug them at every stage of their lives and offer them all my love and warmth because they needed that when they couldn鈥檛 find it within each other. I gasped, grieved, cried with/for, raged and felt joy for them throughout it all. They both shared such resilience, courage and inspiring strength in wanting a better future and I鈥檒l forever be thinking about them (it鈥檚 been days since I finished and I still am)
To all the women in the world that were/are a Mariam or a Laila鈥攊 can only pray and hope that they know what peace, healing, love and happiness looks like 鉂わ笍鈥嶐煩� seeing how life was to them made me feel incredibly grateful in that regard to not have experienced what they have and heartbroken because women.. the way we suffer silently in unspeakable ways
Men like Tariq, Mullah Faizullah and Laila鈥檚 Babi were the best of men in Laila鈥檚 and Mariam鈥檚 lives among such monsters so plenty of praise goes to them as they restored my lost hope in the men in this book
This book was ultimately so heavy on my heart which was torn yet put back in such a devastatingly bittersweet way as the last line in this book had me in tears 馃ズ The beautifully descriptive writing here also allowed me to feel the emotions they went through which honestly left me a bit mentally defeated. But after processing it all, I see this book staying with me for life. i don鈥檛 ever reach for this type of genre but I鈥檓 glad I did
**this is one book I鈥檇 always recommend now but please check the trigger warnings in case certain sensitive topics would be too triggering for you before reading鈥硷笍**
Quotes
鈥淵ou see, some things I can teach you. Some you learn from books. But there are things that, well, you just have to see and feel.鈥�
鈥淎 man's heart is a wretched, wretched thing. It isn't like a mother's womb. It won't bleed. It won't stretch to make room for you.鈥�
鈥淭ime is the most unforgiving of fires.鈥�
鈥淥ne could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.鈥�
鈥淟earn this now and learn it well my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.鈥�
-
First book that I鈥檝e read in a while thats allowed me to say 鈥渄id I finish the book or did it finish me?!鈥� I wanted a good cry and I bawled. I was met with so many emotions here ugh. Rtc whenever I can find the words.
-
Pre review: Long overdue for something painful and moving and wanted to read this months ago because of emara and finally got the final push to thanks to Meagan so here I am 馃槄
May 27, 2024
Heartbreaking yet beautiful, devastating yet hopeful, A Thousand Splendid Suns is an illuminating portrayal of women in Afghanistan, a patriarchal society plagued by war, violence and oppression.
If you're looking for a book that will make you have a good cathartic ugly cry and leave you emotionally wrecked but richer for the experience, this one will do the trick, and possibly leave an indelible mark on your soul. I read this a few years ago, and this book has stayed with me since.
If you're looking for a book that will make you have a good cathartic ugly cry and leave you emotionally wrecked but richer for the experience, this one will do the trick, and possibly leave an indelible mark on your soul. I read this a few years ago, and this book has stayed with me since.
March 20, 2022
鈥淟earn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man鈥檚 accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.鈥�
Five heart-breaking and tearful stars for a story that will stay with me for a long time, 5 glorious stars for a book that dares highlight atrocities committed against women in Afghanistan, and 5 flawless stars for a book that is pretty dam perfect in everyway possible. Inspired by real and common events these fictional stories need to be told to draw attention to the treatment of women (and men). High praise for an author who brought this story to the world along with his own personal reflection. Mesmerising, absorbing, but shocking.
The Plot
Mariam, the unwanted child of Jalil, lives with her Grandmother until her death and is then sent to live with her natural father and his many wives and children. Rejected and spurned from this new family, at fifteen, she is betrothed to marry a man many years her senior, Rasheed a business associate of her father. As she parts ways there are some chilling exchanges between father and daughter.
鈥淚 thought about you all the time. I used to pray that you鈥檇 live to be a hundred years old. I didn鈥檛 know. I didn鈥檛 know that you were ashamed of me.鈥�, but his reply 鈥淚t ends here for you and me. Say your good-byes.鈥�
Having miscarried multiple time Madiam finds herself in the company of Laila, her husband鈥檚 second wife, a women he has chosen to provide him with the family he craves. Yet there are no protestations of love for either women and as a bully, an abuser and violent man he hides behind his status in society to inflict unimaginable mental and physical cruelty on his wives. In a society that offers them no protection and importantly no voice, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and either escape from Rasheed or kill him, and as such they make a decision that neither women will regret but one that will have devastating consequences.
鈥淥ne could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.鈥�, because to live with their husband was to not live at all.
Review and Comments
A Thousand Splendid Suns was a brilliant but heart-breaking story, the writing was stunning, and the plot treat was inspired by true events was fantastic. The characterisation although fictional was believable and authentic. However, it was the inspiration and knowledge that the mistreatment of women is commonplace is what made this such a tearful read.
Women in many societies accept and even embrace the only environment they know. Some, are even happy in it, and it is not for us to judge any society to say what is right. Except this, if women do want a voice, the freedom to work and be educated, then society should consider to not do so is suppressive, suffocating and sometimes brutal. And so, applause for Khaled Hosseini who has given them a voice through his story and an in insight into a life that is all too real for many women.
A letter of regret that Miraim never got to read speaks of her father鈥檚 regret 鈥淢ay God grant you a long and prosperous life, my daughter. May God give you many healthy and beautiful children. May you find the happiness, peace, and acceptance that I did not give you. Be well. I leave you in the loving hands of God. Your undeserving father, Jalil鈥�
A sensational and stunning book with epic qualities, a powerful and heart-breaking story, and a reflection from the author 鈥�. to see women, we must look at the humanity beneath the veils鈥� and for me, also in the hearts of those women who are dispossessed of their greatest needs.
Five heart-breaking and tearful stars for a story that will stay with me for a long time, 5 glorious stars for a book that dares highlight atrocities committed against women in Afghanistan, and 5 flawless stars for a book that is pretty dam perfect in everyway possible. Inspired by real and common events these fictional stories need to be told to draw attention to the treatment of women (and men). High praise for an author who brought this story to the world along with his own personal reflection. Mesmerising, absorbing, but shocking.
The Plot
Mariam, the unwanted child of Jalil, lives with her Grandmother until her death and is then sent to live with her natural father and his many wives and children. Rejected and spurned from this new family, at fifteen, she is betrothed to marry a man many years her senior, Rasheed a business associate of her father. As she parts ways there are some chilling exchanges between father and daughter.
鈥淚 thought about you all the time. I used to pray that you鈥檇 live to be a hundred years old. I didn鈥檛 know. I didn鈥檛 know that you were ashamed of me.鈥�, but his reply 鈥淚t ends here for you and me. Say your good-byes.鈥�
Having miscarried multiple time Madiam finds herself in the company of Laila, her husband鈥檚 second wife, a women he has chosen to provide him with the family he craves. Yet there are no protestations of love for either women and as a bully, an abuser and violent man he hides behind his status in society to inflict unimaginable mental and physical cruelty on his wives. In a society that offers them no protection and importantly no voice, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and either escape from Rasheed or kill him, and as such they make a decision that neither women will regret but one that will have devastating consequences.
鈥淥ne could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.鈥�, because to live with their husband was to not live at all.
Review and Comments
A Thousand Splendid Suns was a brilliant but heart-breaking story, the writing was stunning, and the plot treat was inspired by true events was fantastic. The characterisation although fictional was believable and authentic. However, it was the inspiration and knowledge that the mistreatment of women is commonplace is what made this such a tearful read.
Women in many societies accept and even embrace the only environment they know. Some, are even happy in it, and it is not for us to judge any society to say what is right. Except this, if women do want a voice, the freedom to work and be educated, then society should consider to not do so is suppressive, suffocating and sometimes brutal. And so, applause for Khaled Hosseini who has given them a voice through his story and an in insight into a life that is all too real for many women.
A letter of regret that Miraim never got to read speaks of her father鈥檚 regret 鈥淢ay God grant you a long and prosperous life, my daughter. May God give you many healthy and beautiful children. May you find the happiness, peace, and acceptance that I did not give you. Be well. I leave you in the loving hands of God. Your undeserving father, Jalil鈥�
A sensational and stunning book with epic qualities, a powerful and heart-breaking story, and a reflection from the author 鈥�. to see women, we must look at the humanity beneath the veils鈥� and for me, also in the hearts of those women who are dispossessed of their greatest needs.
January 9, 2021
This novel is about two wonderful, brave , intelligent and resolute women Mariam and Laila their optimistic dreams, aspirations, boundless love... yet dehumanized in perilous, merciless, Afghanistan... continually suffering degradation during the tumultuous years in the long, sad history of that troubled, war ravished nation, Mariam born out of wedlock in Herat, to a wealthy man, lecherous Jalil and Nana, she was a maid at his house, he had already three wives and soon ten other children, sent to an isolated hovel by a tiny village , near the city to live out of sight, the embarrassment with her mother. The occasional visits by him were the highlight of Mariam's young life, a devoted daughter with an uncaring father, bitter Nana's endless recriminations against him, made for an appalling situation. At 15 the girl can no longer remain and flees to Jalil, who she loves above everyone nevertheless he refuses to see, taken back... an awful tragedy materializes .. Married off to a shoemaker in Kabul the capital, a big man almost thirty years older, Rasheed with a propensity to put women in their place, his wife must dress properly outside, walk behind, talk to him only when asked a virtual slave in the home, her main duty is to give him sons...but her numerous pregnancies do not go to fruition. The ignorant hypercritical husband, is always angry beatings and scoldings become common....Laila, background is very different than Mariam, from another generation, born and raised in Kabul, the bright student to loving parents, the father a former teacher, bookish, timid and small, dismissed by the communist government, an emotional domineering mother with bouts of ennui...depression, stays in bed many a day , her two sons joined the Mujahideen but were killed by the Soviet invaders. The war comes to the capital after the Russians leave, warlords struggle for power, starvation widespread, horrendous crimes committed in the open, shelling obliterated much of the city and the people, thousands perished ...including Laila's parents, in the future her teenage boyfriend Tariq two years older, escapes with his family to safety in Pakistan , she refused to leave her father and mother still alive then...Soon alone in trouble, Laila has to marry Rasheed...his wife Mariam , had nursed the wounded Laila in their home. It will be like before, the evil commences ... the aging Rasheed's punching, kicking, slapping, verbal abuse to both his wives , they are cognizant of their lowly status... only the son Zalmai is adored by him, his "daughter"Aziza, hated. ..An outstanding book about two remarkable women, who endure...they will fight back... someday.
May 7, 2021
" One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls."
There are very few books that make me feel a tempest of emotions: make me happy and proud at one moment and break my heart in the next; make me chuckle at a few scenes and leave me in tears later, make me love a few characters and hate the others- and this is one such book.
The novel focuses on the life of two Afghan women-Mariam and Laila who come from different walks of life.
Laila enjoys her school life, and is absorbed by the thoughts of her crush Tariq. She's beautiful, confident, smart, strong and playful.
About Jalil well, I had a lot of mixed opinions: marrying Mariam off to Rasheed made me feel disgusted, but the took me by surprise.
The characters in the book struggle for their survival in a harsh and obstinate society: They are wounded due to wars, relationships get tough and abusive, their property is destroyed; despite all this, they stick together, which is something I admired. But the best part about this book is the way Mariam and Laila show relentless pursuit and resilience and face all obstacles, especially considering how women are treated in their place- it filled me with pride and I was in love with their headstrongness.
I was hooked, right from the first chapter. This book was pretty much like a rollercoaster- I felt a surge of emotions- anger, remorse and joy coursing through my veins with every passing chapter and I kept turning the pages to know more and before I had an inkling about it, I was done. The story was enticing, the narration was flawless, each chapter had a twist so intriguing I was compelled to read it multiple times.
My heart beat fast reading about he struggles faced my Mariam and Laila and the ending just got so heartbreaking I was almost in tears. I have humongous respect for Khaled Hosseini and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books.
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls."
There are very few books that make me feel a tempest of emotions: make me happy and proud at one moment and break my heart in the next; make me chuckle at a few scenes and leave me in tears later, make me love a few characters and hate the others- and this is one such book.
The novel focuses on the life of two Afghan women-Mariam and Laila who come from different walks of life.
Laila enjoys her school life, and is absorbed by the thoughts of her crush Tariq. She's beautiful, confident, smart, strong and playful.
Mariam, on the the other hand is the illegitimate daughter of a businessman Jalil . She faces a lot of social problems and rejection but she is headstrong and the real hero of the story.
About Jalil well, I had a lot of mixed opinions: marrying Mariam off to Rasheed made me feel disgusted, but the took me by surprise.
The characters in the book struggle for their survival in a harsh and obstinate society: They are wounded due to wars, relationships get tough and abusive, their property is destroyed; despite all this, they stick together, which is something I admired. But the best part about this book is the way Mariam and Laila show relentless pursuit and resilience and face all obstacles, especially considering how women are treated in their place- it filled me with pride and I was in love with their headstrongness.
I was hooked, right from the first chapter. This book was pretty much like a rollercoaster- I felt a surge of emotions- anger, remorse and joy coursing through my veins with every passing chapter and I kept turning the pages to know more and before I had an inkling about it, I was done. The story was enticing, the narration was flawless, each chapter had a twist so intriguing I was compelled to read it multiple times.
My heart beat fast reading about he struggles faced my Mariam and Laila and the ending just got so heartbreaking I was almost in tears. I have humongous respect for Khaled Hosseini and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books.
May 17, 2016
I recently finished The Kite Runner and I though I should also add a review to A thousand Splendid Suns, the first book I read by Khaled Hosseini.
Women's rights is a subject of great interest for me and I am touched by any story where they are suppressed. Afghanistan is one of the worst countries to be born a woman. The story of the two MC made me angry, sad and hopeless. Even if the book offers a a happy ending, in real life, the hope for Afghan women is still dim.
Women's rights is a subject of great interest for me and I am touched by any story where they are suppressed. Afghanistan is one of the worst countries to be born a woman. The story of the two MC made me angry, sad and hopeless. Even if the book offers a a happy ending, in real life, the hope for Afghan women is still dim.
February 7, 2025
鈥滒潚潛凁潙� 饾捀饾憸饾搳饾搧饾捁 饾搩饾憸饾搲 饾捀饾憸饾搳饾搩饾搲 饾搲饾捊饾憭 饾搨饾憸饾憸饾搩饾搱 饾搲饾捊饾挾饾搲 饾搱饾捊饾捑饾搨饾搨饾憭饾搰 饾憸饾搩 饾捊饾憭饾搰 饾搰饾憸饾憸饾捇饾搱, 饾挭饾搰 饾搲饾捊饾憭 饾搲饾捊饾憸饾搳饾搱饾挾饾搩饾捁 饾搱饾搮饾搧饾憭饾搩饾捁饾捑饾捁 饾搱饾搳饾搩饾搱 饾搲饾捊饾挾饾搲 饾捊饾捑饾捁饾憭 饾挿饾憭饾捊饾捑饾搩饾捁 饾捊饾憭饾搰 饾搶饾挾饾搧饾搧饾搱.鈥�
鈥滒潗叼潙掟潚金潚攫潛凁潚� 饾憭饾搵饾憭饾搰饾搸 饾搲饾搰饾捑饾挾饾搧 饾挾饾搩饾捁 饾搱饾憸饾搰饾搰饾憸饾搶 饾搲饾捊饾挾饾搲 饾惢饾憭 饾搨饾挾饾搥饾憭饾搱 饾搳饾搱 饾搱饾捊饾憸饾搳饾搧饾捁饾憭饾搰, 饾挗饾憸饾捁 饾捊饾挾饾搱 饾挾 饾搰饾憭饾挾饾搱饾憸饾搩.鈥�
Set in Afghanistan, (similar to the Kite Runner), and over a thirty years' time frame from the Soviet invasion to the rise of Taliban and post-Taliban era. It鈥檚 refreshing to get a glimpse of a place and a history that I don鈥檛 know a lot about.
We follow two women, Mariam and Laila. Mariam the first wife and Laila the second wife, have hard lives and they endure so much, not just from the abusive husband but also from the changes in the political regimes.
It follows Mariam鈥檚 life and how she ends up getting married in 1974, at fifteen, to Rasheed who is in his forties. In 1992, Laila who is fourteen marries Rasheed and becomes his second wife.
An illegitimate child of a wealthy man, Mariam is forced to marry and move to Kabul from Herat. She lives a hard life with her much older husband throughout the late 70鈥檚 and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. However, her friendship with a local teenager, Laila, helps her to survive her marriage and oppression when the Taliban takes over.
There are several different themes happening within the story that really pulled me in. One that stood out to me was the suffering and perseverance. Though Mariam and Laila differ in their upbringing, both suffered greatly, yet they both endured. Mariam and Laila had to put up with violence against them, especially the pain inflicted by beatings from Rasheed.
Afghanistan has always fascinated me and this novel truly feels like you鈥檙e transported into the country. From the poetry of Herat to the Buddha鈥檚 in Bamiyan and the vibrant streets of Kabul, it completely draws you in.
The characters, Laila and Mariam, also replicate this sense of beauty and intense heartache. The struggle of the country and two characters become one.
藲鈧娐� 蜔蜔蜑蜑鉃斥潵 The author's writing is simple, yet concise, he tells the story with such an emotional punch that makes your heart ache. It is an incredible sad tale but it does have some positive moments.
藲鈧娐� 蜔蜔蜑蜑鉃斥潵 This was such an emotional one that will stick with me, and now I can't wait to get to Kite Runner sometime soon this year. Highly recommend.
Please check TW's if necessary.
鈰嗏湸锔幩氾健鈰� 藯藦藡鈽呪€匡傅鈥� 藲 鈧娾姽
鈥滒潗叼潙掟潚金潚攫潛凁潚� 饾憭饾搵饾憭饾搰饾搸 饾搲饾搰饾捑饾挾饾搧 饾挾饾搩饾捁 饾搱饾憸饾搰饾搰饾憸饾搶 饾搲饾捊饾挾饾搲 饾惢饾憭 饾搨饾挾饾搥饾憭饾搱 饾搳饾搱 饾搱饾捊饾憸饾搳饾搧饾捁饾憭饾搰, 饾挗饾憸饾捁 饾捊饾挾饾搱 饾挾 饾搰饾憭饾挾饾搱饾憸饾搩.鈥�
Set in Afghanistan, (similar to the Kite Runner), and over a thirty years' time frame from the Soviet invasion to the rise of Taliban and post-Taliban era. It鈥檚 refreshing to get a glimpse of a place and a history that I don鈥檛 know a lot about.
We follow two women, Mariam and Laila. Mariam the first wife and Laila the second wife, have hard lives and they endure so much, not just from the abusive husband but also from the changes in the political regimes.
It follows Mariam鈥檚 life and how she ends up getting married in 1974, at fifteen, to Rasheed who is in his forties. In 1992, Laila who is fourteen marries Rasheed and becomes his second wife.
An illegitimate child of a wealthy man, Mariam is forced to marry and move to Kabul from Herat. She lives a hard life with her much older husband throughout the late 70鈥檚 and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. However, her friendship with a local teenager, Laila, helps her to survive her marriage and oppression when the Taliban takes over.
There are several different themes happening within the story that really pulled me in. One that stood out to me was the suffering and perseverance. Though Mariam and Laila differ in their upbringing, both suffered greatly, yet they both endured. Mariam and Laila had to put up with violence against them, especially the pain inflicted by beatings from Rasheed.
Afghanistan has always fascinated me and this novel truly feels like you鈥檙e transported into the country. From the poetry of Herat to the Buddha鈥檚 in Bamiyan and the vibrant streets of Kabul, it completely draws you in.
The characters, Laila and Mariam, also replicate this sense of beauty and intense heartache. The struggle of the country and two characters become one.
藲鈧娐� 蜔蜔蜑蜑鉃斥潵 The author's writing is simple, yet concise, he tells the story with such an emotional punch that makes your heart ache. It is an incredible sad tale but it does have some positive moments.
藲鈧娐� 蜔蜔蜑蜑鉃斥潵 This was such an emotional one that will stick with me, and now I can't wait to get to Kite Runner sometime soon this year. Highly recommend.
Please check TW's if necessary.
鈰嗏湸锔幩氾健鈰� 藯藦藡鈽呪€匡傅鈥� 藲 鈧娾姽
March 15, 2019
in true hosseini fashion, this book does not shy away from heavy, and sometimes uncomfortable, topics. but i realised that this book should make the reader feel uncomfortable. the tragedies that women face, even today, are crimes against humanity. but the strength of the two women this story follows is deeply moving and incredibly inspiring.
to save my heart from emotional devastation, i tried to focus on the positives of this story, which can be summed up in this quote:
what a beautiful sentiment, that trials and suffering can help lead up to something more - more hope, more happiness. this story is a testament to the will-power and resilience of women, as well as a wonderful portrayal of friendship, family, and love. such a powerful book and a must-read for everyone.
鈫� 4.5 stars
to save my heart from emotional devastation, i tried to focus on the positives of this story, which can be summed up in this quote:
鈥榯hey would make new lives for themselves - peaceful, solitary lives - and there the weight of all that they had endured would lift from them, and they would be deserving of all the happiness and simple prosperity they would find.鈥�
what a beautiful sentiment, that trials and suffering can help lead up to something more - more hope, more happiness. this story is a testament to the will-power and resilience of women, as well as a wonderful portrayal of friendship, family, and love. such a powerful book and a must-read for everyone.
鈫� 4.5 stars
January 9, 2019
5
But this book deserves a thousand splendid stars- it is a true masterpiece and a wonderful book!
"Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam."
This story chronicles 30 years of Afghan history; from Soviet invasion, to the Taliban, to post-Taliban. This story is told from the perspective of two women; born a generation apart, with different ideas of love and family, two very different childhoods, they are bought together by loss and by war. This story shows both the dangers that Mariam and Laila face- on the streets of Kabul and in the home. This story shows the important bond of friendship, and how strong this is especially when faced with difficult decisions or scenarios, and how this bond of love will effect the next generation.
"Where I come from, one wrong look... and blood is spilled. Where I come from, a woman's face is her husband's business only I want you to remember that."
My heart bled for Mariam's childhood. She held little freedom and was sheltered from most of the outside world. She knew very few people as well and had a mother who refused help for a mental illness (labeling it as the jinn taking over her body). Mariam had little luxuries and was denied an education by those around her... These exact things that most of us take for-granted.
On the other hand, Laila had siblings and a father that absolutely adored her. She also had friends her own age with whom she truly cherished, and had the privilege of an education.
However, both women's lives are brought together through tumultuous events, leading them to both have the same fate and live in a very unhappy household, where abuse and violence takes place at the hands of their controlling husband, Rasheed.
Laila never would have believed that a human body could withstand this much beating, this viciously, this regularly, and keep functioning.
The level of control and subordination of these women shocked me. Reading parts of this book left a stale taste in my mouth over the abuse and learned helplessness these women face.
Singing is forbidden. Dancing is forbidden. Attention women: You will stay inside your homes at all times.. if you go outside you must be accompanied by a male relative. You will not, under any circumstance show your face.... Girls are forbidden from attending school. All schools for girls will be closed immediately.
Hosseini does a fantastic job at describing the rules that both men and women face under Taliban rule, and Shari'a law. It's almost hard to believe the inequality and the restriction of freedom the women in this story faced- it made me feel like my stomach had plummeted to my feet... It also made me incredibly angry, my fists curling on more than one occasion.
On the whole, this book is extremely thought-provoking and not easy to digest, however, it also inflames the human body with emotion; heart-breaking, heart-clenching and the story hits you like punches to the gut. This book will resonate with some people who have lived through war-torn countries or under the terrifying Taliban rule, or, as in my case, it will be a learning experience. For example, learning Afghan history and the shifts in the treatment of women culturally. It also makes the reader consider their own privilege compared to the stories of both Laila and Mariam.
I think the most stunning thing about this novel is that whilst Mariam and Laila are fictional characters, it applies to so many women out there (for example, around 65 million girls globally are not in school). Hosseini may be writing fictional characters, but these are the stories of an army of resilient and brave women who have lived and breathed this life. He makes the reader aware.
This book provided devastation and loss, as well as hope and love and beauty. Hosseini approaches the plot in a very realistic way and it is written beautifully. This is an unforgettable read for me and the stories of Laila and Mariam will stay with me for a while.
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.
But this book deserves a thousand splendid stars- it is a true masterpiece and a wonderful book!
"Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam."
This story chronicles 30 years of Afghan history; from Soviet invasion, to the Taliban, to post-Taliban. This story is told from the perspective of two women; born a generation apart, with different ideas of love and family, two very different childhoods, they are bought together by loss and by war. This story shows both the dangers that Mariam and Laila face- on the streets of Kabul and in the home. This story shows the important bond of friendship, and how strong this is especially when faced with difficult decisions or scenarios, and how this bond of love will effect the next generation.
"Where I come from, one wrong look... and blood is spilled. Where I come from, a woman's face is her husband's business only I want you to remember that."
My heart bled for Mariam's childhood. She held little freedom and was sheltered from most of the outside world. She knew very few people as well and had a mother who refused help for a mental illness (labeling it as the jinn taking over her body). Mariam had little luxuries and was denied an education by those around her... These exact things that most of us take for-granted.
On the other hand, Laila had siblings and a father that absolutely adored her. She also had friends her own age with whom she truly cherished, and had the privilege of an education.
However, both women's lives are brought together through tumultuous events, leading them to both have the same fate and live in a very unhappy household, where abuse and violence takes place at the hands of their controlling husband, Rasheed.
Laila never would have believed that a human body could withstand this much beating, this viciously, this regularly, and keep functioning.
The level of control and subordination of these women shocked me. Reading parts of this book left a stale taste in my mouth over the abuse and learned helplessness these women face.
Singing is forbidden. Dancing is forbidden. Attention women: You will stay inside your homes at all times.. if you go outside you must be accompanied by a male relative. You will not, under any circumstance show your face.... Girls are forbidden from attending school. All schools for girls will be closed immediately.
Hosseini does a fantastic job at describing the rules that both men and women face under Taliban rule, and Shari'a law. It's almost hard to believe the inequality and the restriction of freedom the women in this story faced- it made me feel like my stomach had plummeted to my feet... It also made me incredibly angry, my fists curling on more than one occasion.
On the whole, this book is extremely thought-provoking and not easy to digest, however, it also inflames the human body with emotion; heart-breaking, heart-clenching and the story hits you like punches to the gut. This book will resonate with some people who have lived through war-torn countries or under the terrifying Taliban rule, or, as in my case, it will be a learning experience. For example, learning Afghan history and the shifts in the treatment of women culturally. It also makes the reader consider their own privilege compared to the stories of both Laila and Mariam.
I think the most stunning thing about this novel is that whilst Mariam and Laila are fictional characters, it applies to so many women out there (for example, around 65 million girls globally are not in school). Hosseini may be writing fictional characters, but these are the stories of an army of resilient and brave women who have lived and breathed this life. He makes the reader aware.
This book provided devastation and loss, as well as hope and love and beauty. Hosseini approaches the plot in a very realistic way and it is written beautifully. This is an unforgettable read for me and the stories of Laila and Mariam will stay with me for a while.
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.
December 13, 2023
鈥漧earn this now and learn it well: like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. always.鈥�
i sit here with a tear-stained face, burning irritated nostrils, feeling as numb as ever. this book really put me and its characters through the absolute most.
from the opening sentence the book sets a melancholic tone and it stays there like a dull hum in the background as you read on.
this book managed to speak to the very depths of my soul. there were many aspects that felt close to home and felt deeply personal to me.
鈥漷here is only one skill a woman like you and me needs in this life. and it鈥檚 this: endure.鈥�
鈥渆ndure what, nana?鈥�
鈥渙h, don鈥檛 you fret about that. there won鈥檛 be any shortage of things.鈥�
so many women every day experience pain and hardship at the hands of men. it is an unfortunate truth. but many of these women are underestimated and have a hidden strength within them carries them through their devastating circumstances.
mariam
鈥渢hough there had been moments of beauty in it, mariam knew that life for the most part had been unkind to her.鈥�
absolutely heart wrenching is how it feels to think of mariam. i see her, i feel her, and i want to hold her. life was so not very kind to her. she deserves better from everyone around her. i understand everything she鈥檚 ever done, and she dealt with her shitty cards so much better than many others would. she feels like such a real person to me, and to be honest, she is so many people out there. so many have lived a life of pain and disappointment. so many were forced into situations they had no say in, so many have no voice to speak up for themselves their entire life. so many get overlooked and forgotten by society. she endures, and endures, and endures. and still, she is standing. and still, she is able to open her heart. mariam will always hold a special place in my heart. i am taking a piece of her with me.
laila
鈥渕ammy鈥檚 heart was like a pallid beach where laila鈥檚 footprints would forever wash away beneath the waves of sorrow that swelled and crashed, swelled and crashed.鈥�
she has one of the kindest hearts. in a world filled with absolute chaos, she is moonlight. she goes through so much no child should ever have to endure. throughout it all, she never loses herself. she is resiliency. she is strength. i admire her so much. i love her with my whole heart.
laila & tariq
鈥漼ou know."
"know what?"
"that i only have eyes for you.鈥�
two beautiful souls. i cherished every moment with them. they give us some of the rare moments of happiness amongst all the pain. the love they shared for one another was so pure.
鈥渙ne could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.鈥�
this is a book i鈥檒l never forget. it鈥檚 one i鈥檒l never stop recommending. as painful as it was to read, i am so very glad i have this book to hold with me everyday in my heart.
鈥漵he is the noor of my eyes and the sultan of my heart.鈥�
January 14, 2021
賱丕 賷爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱賲乇亍 兀賳 賷丨氐賷 丕賱兀賯賲丕乇 丕賱鬲賷 鬲乇鬲毓卮 賮賷 兀爻賯賮賴丕
賵賱丕 兀賱賮 丕賱卮賲爻 丕賱爻丕胤毓丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲禺鬲亘卅 禺賱賮 噩丿乇丕賳賴丕.
賵賰賲 卮賲爻賸丕 毓賱賶 鬲賱賰 丕賱兀乇囟 鬲賳胤賮卅 賵鬲賳鬲賴賷 賵賱丕 賷卮毓乇 亘賴丕 兀丨丿貙 賰賵賳賷 亘胤賱丞 賱乇賵丕賷鬲賰貙 賰賵賳賷 卮賲爻賸丕 賱丕 鬲睾賷亘.
賷丕 丕氐丿賯丕亍 賳丨賳 賴賳丕 亘氐丿丿 乇賵丕賷丞 毓賲賱丕賯丞 乇丕卅毓丞 亘丕賴乇丞 爻丕胤毓丞
廿賳賴丕 賰兀爻賲賴丕 .. 賰兀賱賮 卮賲爻 賲卮乇賯丞.. 賱丕賱丕 亘賱 賰賲賱丕賷賷賳 丕賱卮賲賵爻 丕賱賲卮乇賯丞
賰賷賮 賱賰丕鬲亘 兀賳 賷氐賵睾 乇賵丕賷丞 亘兀爻賱賵亘 爻丕丨乇 賵亘爻乇丿 鬲丕乇賷禺賷 賲毓丕氐乇 賲丐賱賲 賵亘賰賱 丨亘 賵賵丿 賵鬲爻丕賲丨 亘賴匕丕 丕賱卮賰賱責
毓夭賷夭賷 丕賱賯丕乇卅 廿賳 賰賳鬲 鬲馗賳 丕賳賰 爻鬲賳賮匕 賲賳 噩賲丕賱 賵爻丨乇 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賮兀賳鬲 禺丕胤卅 !!
賳丨賳 兀賲丕賲 賯氐丞 丕賳爻丕賳賷丞 毓賲賷賯丞
賯氐丞 賲乇賷賲 丕賱鬲賷 賵賱丿鬲 (賰兀亘賳丞 丨乇丕賲) 賵毓丕卮鬲 丨賷丕丞 賱丕鬲丨爻丿 毓賱賷賴丕 賲毓 夭賵噩 賷賰亘乇賴丕 亘丕賱賰孬賷乇 賵丕賱賰孬賷乇 賱鬲毓賷卮 丨賷丕丞 賰丕賱噩丨賷賲 .賯氐丞 賱賷賱賶 丕賱賮鬲丕丞 丕賱兀賮睾丕賳賷丞 丕賱卮丕亘丞 丕賱毓丕卮賯丞 賵丕賱賲丨亘丞 賵丕賱賲鬲毓賱賲丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲禺爻乇 賰賱 卮賷亍 鬲丨亘賴 .丕賴賱賴丕 賵胤賳賴丕 賵丨亘賷亘賴丕
賱賷噩賲毓賴丕 丕賱賯丿乇 亘賲乇賷賲
賰丕賳鬲丕 賰兀賰孬乇 賲賳 丕禺鬲賷賳 丕噩鬲賲毓鬲丕 鬲丨鬲 馗賱 乇噩賱 賱丕賷毓乇賮 丕賱丨亘 賵丕賱乇丨賲丞
賱丕 兀乇賷丿 賮爻丕丿 丕丨丿丕孬 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賱賰賳 毓賳丿賲丕 鬲賯乇兀 賵鬲毓乇賮 丕賱賯氐丞 爻鬲爻鬲睾乇亘 賵爻鬲丨亘 賳賵毓 丕賱毓賱丕賯丞 丕賱鬲賷 噩賲毓鬲 賲丕亘賷賳 賴丕鬲丕賳 丕賱睾乇賷亘鬲丕賳 賰賱賷賸丕 毓賳 亘毓囟賴賲丕 賲賳 賰賱 丕賱賳賵丕丨賷
丨爻賳賸丕 ...
賷賲賰賳賳丕 丕賱賯賵賱 丕賳 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 乇賵丕賷丞 鬲丨丕賰賷 賵丕賯毓賸丕 丕賱賷賲 賵賴賷 賰賲孬丕亘丞 賵孬賷賯丞 鬲丕乇賷禺賷丞 賱賱馗賱賲 賵丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲毓乇囟鬲 賱賴 兀賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳 亘卮禺氐賷丕鬲 禺丕賱丿丞 賮賷 丕賱匕丕賰乇丞
賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賴賵 賲孬賱 兀賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳 .. 兀賱賲 亘丿賵賳 氐乇丕禺 賮賯胤 兀賳賷賳 賵賴丿賵亍 賵兀賱賲 賵賲丨亘丞
丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 鬲氐賵乇 賱賳丕 賲丕 丨丿孬 賮賷 兀賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳 賯亘賱 丕賱睾夭賵 丕賱爻賵賮賷賷鬲賷貙 賲乇賵乇賸丕 亘丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 丿丕乇鬲 亘賷賳 丕賱賮氐丕卅賱 丕賱兀賮睾丕賳賷丞貙 賵賲賳 孬賲 爻賷胤乇丞 丨乇賰丞 胤丕賱亘丕賳 毓賱賶 丕賱亘賱丕丿貙 亘爻乇丿 乇丕卅毓 賵兀爻賱賵亘 噩丕匕亘 賵爻丨乇 賱丕賷賯丕賵賲
賱賯丿 兀亘丿毓鬲 賷丕 丨爻賷賳賷 ! 丨鬲賲賸丕 賱賯丿 兀亘丿毓鬲.
September 21, 2023
All the horror books pale in comparison to the terrors these women lived through. And the story is even more frightening knowing that taliban has brought back it's unspeakable middle-aged practices.
Can't disagree with reviews saying that the second Khaled Hosseini book is way better.
First, it describes the lives of those who stayed during the bloodshed wars and taliban reign of fear. And, despite seeing the news all the time, such revelations "form within" happen so rarely, that this novel is a must read.
Secondly, the story itself is more emotional and touching. Despite all the violence and heartbreaks it's full of strength and hope. And here author's nostalgic love to Afghanistan is more explicit.
Can't disagree with reviews saying that the second Khaled Hosseini book is way better.
First, it describes the lives of those who stayed during the bloodshed wars and taliban reign of fear. And, despite seeing the news all the time, such revelations "form within" happen so rarely, that this novel is a must read.
Secondly, the story itself is more emotional and touching. Despite all the violence and heartbreaks it's full of strength and hope. And here author's nostalgic love to Afghanistan is more explicit.
October 2, 2022
賰丕賳鬲 鬲賱賰 丕賱兀爻賲丕亍 兀毓賱丕賲 乇賳丕賳丞 賮賷 賮囟丕亍丕鬲 丕賱丿賵賱 丕賱毓乇亘賷丞 賵 丕賱廿爻賱丕賲賷丞 賷賵賲丕 賲丕. 賵 賰丕賳 匕賰乇 兀丨丿賴丕 賷丿賱 毓賱賶 賲毓賳賶 丕賱噩賴丕丿 賵 丕賱賮丿丕亍 賵 丕賱鬲囟丨賷丞 賵 丕賱卮賴丕丿丞. 鬲賲賳賶 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱卮亘丕亘 兀賳 賷賰賵賳 噩賳丿賷丕 毓賱賶 兀毓鬲丕亘賴賲 賵 賷賳丕賱 卮乇賮 丕賱丕賱鬲丨丕賯 亘賴賲 ... 孬賲 鬲亘賷賳 賱賳丕 兀賳 兀睾賱亘賴賲 廿賳 賱賲 賷賰賳 賰賱賴賲 兀賲乇丕亍 丨乇亘 賱丕 兀賰孬乇 賵 賱丕 兀賯賱. 丕賱賴丿賮 賴賵 丕賱睾賳賷賲丞 賵 丕賱爻賱胤丞 賵 丕賳 毓賱賶 噩孬孬 丕賱卮毓亘 丕賱匕賷 鬲賵賴賲 兀賳賴賲 賯丕丿鬲賴 兀賵 丕賱丿賷賳 丕賱匕賷 賷夭毓賲賵賳 兀賳賴賲 賷丨丕乇亘賵賳 賲賳 兀噩賱賴.
賰丕賳 賴賳丕賰 丿賵爻鬲賲 丕賱賯丕卅丿 丕賱兀賵夭亘賰賷 丕賱賲鬲賵賴噩. 賵 丕賱賲毓乇賵賮 亘鬲睾賷賷乇 賵賱丕卅賴 丿丕卅賲丕. 丕賱賯賵賷 丕賱賵丕孬賯 賯賱亘 丕賱丿賷賳 丨賰賲鬲賷丕乇 賯丕卅丿 噩賲丕毓丞 丕賱丨夭亘 丕賱廿爻賱丕賲賷 賲賳 丕賱亘丕卮鬲賵賳 丕賱匕賷 丿乇爻 丕賱賴賳丿爻丞. 亘乇賴丕賳 丕賱丿賷賳 乇亘丕賳賷 賲賳 丕賱胤丕噩賷賰 賯丕卅丿 噩賲丕毓丞 丕賱噩賲毓賷丕鬲 丕賱廿爻賱丕賲賷丞. 毓亘丿 乇亘 丕賱乇爻賵賱 爻賷丕賮 亘丕卮鬲賵賳賷 賲賳 亘丕睾賲丕賳 賱丿賷賴 丕鬲氐丕賱丕鬲 賲毓 丕賱毓乇亘 賲爻賱賲 噩乇賷亍 賵 賯丕卅丿 噩賲丕毓丞 丕賱丕鬲丨丕丿 丕賱廿爻賱丕賲賷. 毓亘丿賵賱 毓賱賶 賲丕夭丕乇賷 賯丕卅丿 噩賲丕毓丞 丨夭亘 丕賱賵丨丿丞 賵 亘賷賳 兀鬲亘丕毓賴 丕賱賴丕夭丕乇丕 賵 賱賴 丕乇鬲亘丕胤 賯賵賷 亘廿賷乇丕賳. 賵 兀丨賲丿 卮丕賴 賲爻毓賵丿 兀爻丿 亘丕賳噩卮賷乇.
賷氐賵乇 禺丕賱丿 丨爻賷賳賷 賯氐丞 賮鬲丕鬲賷賳 賲賳 亘賱丿鬲賷賳 賲禺鬲賱賮鬲賷賳 賷噩賲毓賴賲丕 丕賱賯丿乇 亘乇亘丕胤 賵丕丨丿 噩丕毓賱丕 賲卮賴丿 丕賱丨乇亘 賮賷 禺賱賮賷丞 丕賱賲兀爻丕丞 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳賷丞 亘賷賳 賲卮丕毓乇 丕賱爻賱亘 賵 丕賱毓胤丕亍 賵 亘賷賳 賲丿 賵 噩匕乇 亘丨乇 丕賱丨賷丕丞 鬲賳賯賱亘 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 丿賵賲丕 乇兀爻丕 毓賱賶 毓賯亘.
丕賳鬲馗乇鬲 丨鬲賶 鬲毓亘鬲 賯丿賲丕賴丕. 賴匕賴 丕賱賲乇丞 賱賲 鬲乇噩毓 廿賱賶 丕賱賲賳夭賱. 亘賱 乇賮毓鬲 亘賳胤丕賱賴丕 丨鬲賶 乇賰亘鬲賷賴丕 賵 毓亘乇鬲 丕賱噩丿賵賱 賵 賱賱賲乇丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賴丕 賳夭賱鬲 丕賱鬲賱 廿賱賶 賴賷乇丕鬲.
賰丕賳鬲 賳丕賳丕 賲禺胤卅丞 亘卮兀賳 賴賷乇丕鬲 兀賷囟丕 賱賲 賷卮乇 兀丨丿. 賱賲 賷囟丨賰 兀丨丿. 賲卮鬲 賲乇賷賲 毓亘乇 丕賱噩丕丿丕鬲 丕賱氐丕禺亘丞 丕賱賲禺胤胤丞 亘丕賱爻乇賵. 賵爻胤 爻賷賱 賲鬲賵丕氐賱 賲賳 乇丕賰亘賷 丕賱丿乇丕噩丕鬲 賵 亘睾丕賱 鬲噩乇 丕賱毓乇亘丕鬲 賵 賱賲 賷乇賲 兀丨丿 丨噩乇丕 毓賱賷賴丕. 賱賲 賷賯賱 賱賴丕 兀丨丿 丕亘賳丞 丨乇丕賲. 丨鬲賶 兀賳賴 賱賲 賷賱丕丨馗賴丕 兀丨丿. 賱賯丿 賰丕賳鬲 亘卮賰賱 睾賷乇 賲鬲賵賯毓 賵 賲丿賴卮 卮禺氐 毓丕丿賷 賴賳丕.
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