A Thousand Splendid Suns

My eyes overflowed throughout the final pages of "A Thousand Splendid Suns." I am not ashamed to admit that I was bawling my eyes out at the end of this gem. It was desperately sad and even though it had its moments of beauty they were also heartbreaking.

Indubitably, we all have our reasons for reading. Sometimes I read for entertainment and most of the time to increase my knowledge. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a rare book that does both of those things and also touches your heart. It is one of the best fictions I have read so far.

Prior to reading this book, I didn't know much about the Afghan society or how it wreaks havoc on women, the political turmoil therein and the several sections vying for power and absolute control. I knew women had an awful and horrendous time under the Taliban regime, but I didn't realize what a hideous nightmare it was or how appalling conditions really were. The part where he describes childbirth filled me with fear and terror. However, I also learned about the extremely interesting and attractive history of Afghanistan and her natural beauty.

We often forget how much we truly have to be thankful for. Hosseini’s work of fiction paints a picture of life in the midst of a civil war and under an oppressive regime. Simply a classic, it left me the feeling of bathing in blood and I can’t seem to be able to get rid of it.
It isn't light entertainment by any stretch of the imagination. The prose constructs an almost melancholy and despondent air right from the beginning. The treatment of women and the impact of the troubled times in Afghanistan is heart-wrenching. It's compellingly captivating and yet extremely heartrending (it’ll bring tears to your eyes and lump to your throat).

It is a wonderful and moving story about the power of love; the bonds of friendship, the love of country, and the struggle to survive. It was so painful to read, I had to stop many at times.

In a nutshell, it follows the lives of two Afghani women, Mariam and Laila, as they move from children to adults. It spans 30 years, starting with the Soviet invasion and ending with the overthrow of the Taliban. It's tricky to elucidate the story further without ruining the plot; however, these two women go from being enemies to friends.

I find Mariam and Laila to be very interesting characters. I felt for them and became a part of their struggles over the course of the novel, especially sharing a name with one of the characters! Not to mention the author’s vivid descriptions which are such that make you feel like you’re a spider on the wall observing these women's lives, much of which is full of sadness and degradation.
The ending was very bittersweet. I just wish Mariam had a chance to experience a better life.

a very poignant tale about the hopes and hardships of the Afghan women through out the last couple of decades. Set against the backdrop of the Soviet invasion and moving on to the Taliban era, it portrays the changes in the Afghan society through the eyes of two ordinary women bonded by their grief, sorrows and sistership. Read it. You will not regret it.

Amazing book beautifully written. I defy you not to feel incensed by the political and social situation in Afghanistan.

extremely well written, intense and very emotional. i didn't think he would write a better book than The Kite Runner. Definitely one of my all time favorites

I really like Hosseni’s writing style because he takes you to the actual places & makes you feel, touch and see each & every characters. I was connected to the characters Laila and Miriam just like I was connected to Amir and Hassan in the Kite Runner. This is an intriguing story of two women of different ages and backgrounds whose lives are intertwined due to war, loss, and poverty. Miriam & Laila are victims in a society where the beating and abusing is totally acceptable in the name of Religion. The writer gives you a big picture on how women in Afghanistan and other Islamic nations are being treated and the hardship they endure. I highly recommend it because it makes you appreciate the freedom you have here.

The simplicity, the quality of life in so many ways so many aspects,is what has touched me so deeply. First, I was wooed by the descriptions of Herat's natural beauty,but slowly I got myself involved in the very life and happenings, I began to respect the dignity and humanity of the characters, whether old, or little, rich or poor, -viewing the life and the tragedies spewing around them, - almost shell-shocked, as to what caused some of their people to turn so murderous, so vile, -but never once losing that which made them what they were, never forgetting the source that had made the experiences of their childhood, never caving in. I began to appreciate that poverty is a layer a sheath, but it does not have in anyway to do with the essence of richness within that makes experiencing the joys and pains of life, which continue because the heart is alive within, the softness, concern and care is alive, the feeling of revenge can be missing inspite of so many provocations....
We have so much to learn...

This was one of my bookclub readings and it is beautifully written. Because the story takes place between the 1970's and the present I could compare the life of women in Afghanistan with my life in the same timeline.

This is another splendid book by Kahaled Hosseini following the tremendous Kite Runner. While the Kite Runner follows the difficult life of an Afghani boy forced to escape Kabul, this book tracks the largely tragic tale of an Afghani girl and woman trapped within her own country and culture under the Taliban.

Hosseini's deceptively simple language largely devoid of third party analytical commentary is brilliant. The words and the story speak for themselves. And they speak of the whole range of human emotions in the most difficult of circumstances

Heartbreaking is the word which describes much of the book. If you don't shed a tear, I defy you to declare that you didn't at least feel like doing so at some stage in this tale.

However don't let the sometimes difficult subject matter, nor the slightly slow first half of the book, put you off reading this marvellous story. The human spirit is indeed strong even when there are dark forces at work.

Khaled Hosseini's ability to portray Afghanistan in this second novel is a spectacular show of his writing talent. This novel lives up to the legacy of The Kite Runner. Hosseini again brings the reader in with a gripping tale of the horror of Afghanistan but the love and hope that remains within the hearts of the people. He takes us through the lives two Afghani women as they suffer yet learn to love amidst the cruelty of the world around them. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in a book that can draw you in and is brimming with detail and emotion. This book really awakens the reader to the plight of those in Afghanistan and how they will need our help to attain peace and stability. I hope that Hosseini will bless us with more of his story telling in the future. His books can do wonders for our understanding of the Middle East.

Once again Hosseini leaves me shaken with this amazing book. It brought out anger, joy, suspense, resentment and sadness. A story in which once again woman proof to be the stronger characters not only in books but in life as well. They will put themselves last for the sake of everyone, the true pillars of our society. The story was told delicately and from such a personal perspective and it walks the fine line of reality and fiction. Hosseini takes you in this journey of love and violence that up to this day still affects the people of Afganistan. After so many dacedes of violence, Houssini opens a door for us to possibly understand how truly complicated the politics of that region are and how the struggle of power has torn so many families apart. A story where the main object is survival and the outcome is faith and love. Simply, just an amazing book!