The Bookseller of Kabul

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It's a hit!

Excellent telling of a family in Afghanistan trying to keep it together after surviving the troubled past 30 years. While it reads like fiction tha... (show more)

Excellent telling of a family in Afghanistan trying to keep it together after surviving the troubled past 30 years. While it reads like fiction thanks to Asne Seierstad's beautiful writing, the story is actually the true story of Sultan Kahn's family, and also goes into the political, religious, and cultural history of the country. Seierstad ended up staying with the Kahn family for three months after happening upon Sultan's bookstore and befriending the man. She became close to the family, and writes on the roles of nearly everyone, including Sultan's struggle as the head of the household, his new wife trying to find her place, his teenage son torn between different passions, and his youngest sister throwing away her desires to essentially be the family's servant. There's a major focus on women and their place both in the house and society, especially on the changes they've seen from the more liberal 60s and 70s, to soviet rule, to Taliban rule, and in today's world. Seierstad is unbiased when presenting the day-to-day lives of both the men and women, and paints a clear picture of a typical existence in Kabul today. Definitely worth a read if you have any interest in current affairs. (show less)

 

 

by Facebook User

No, it's a flop!

It was depressing. I loved it and hated it as a woman from the west. The author's own emotions flavored the book which should be noted while readin... (show more)

It was depressing. I loved it and hated it as a woman from the west. The author's own emotions flavored the book which should be noted while reading. I think men in the west treat woman the same pretty much/try to/or would like to, but to their credit, men of certain religious persuasions (no names so I don't become some target of religious fanatics) are up front/honest about their subjugation of women. Aside from the woman issue it is a reminder of how good we have it in America and how so many countries are basically in survival mode while we all write book reviews and keep in touch on Facebook. This book gave me no hope or illusion that there could be peace in the middle east. I recommend Erika Friedl 'Women of Deh Koh' for an anthropological account of women and their social structure (in Iran). (show less)

 

 

by Kim Castro

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  She lived with the bookseller's family. Her well-detailed accounts of how the women, in particular, must manage their lives makes me wonder if the bookseller is all that glad he invited her in.

   

  by Andrea Murray on Jan 30, 2008 at 05:14PM

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  This is the fourth book about life in Afghanistan I've read lately and I really enjoyed it. This is the story of a Afghani family headed by a headstrong man named Sultan who owns and operates several bookstores in Kabul. Written by a Norwegian journalist who was invited to live with the family, from the first page you get a sense of the gritty, depressing reality of being a part of this large family, especially for the women. At the opening of the book, Sultan has taken on a second wife. ... (show more)

  This is the fourth book about life in Afghanistan I've read lately and I really enjoyed it. This is the story of a Afghani family headed by a headstrong man named Sultan who owns and operates several bookstores in Kabul. Written by a Norwegian journalist who was invited to live with the family, from the first page you get a sense of the gritty, depressing reality of being a part of this large family, especially for the women. At the opening of the book, Sultan has taken on a second wife. The author doesn't simply portray Sultan as a simple, oafish man -- in fact, he is as complicated as the situation in his country. There are discussions of courtship, burkhas, and the ever-challenging, yet still corrupt, government. It is amazing to think that there are still people who live in such squalor and poverty, but Seierstad spares us no detail and for this reason, this book is a poignant telling of one family's struggle to overcome hardship in one of the world's poorest countries. (show less)

   

   

  by Sarah Carr on Nov 13, 2009 at 04:56AM

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