A Thousand Splendid Suns

This book was phenomenal. It had my stomach in knots and tears in my eyes with every turn of the page. When I finished the book (in one day mind you I could not put this down) I didn’t want to leave the characters or their world. Absolutely devastating story but so well written and just a hauntingly beautiful (It feels shameful to use the word beautiful in this context but I don’t know what else to say) tale of the burden the women of Afghanistan were/are forced to bear. I loved this book so much I immediately ordered the kite runner right after. Tariq & Laila 4ever <3 Mariam…you sweet, sweet, tragic soul you broke my heart into pieces!

You know you are in the hands of a masterful storyteller when you put a book down only because you have no choice - life drags you away and it's a physical and emotional wrench to let it go, even for a moment. When all you can think as you go about compulsory tasks are the story and the characters. While you are away, you wonder what they are doing, where the narrator is going to take them and you care about their fates deeply. Such is the effect of A Thousand Splendid Suns. The characters live beyond the pages - not merely at the end, but throughout the reading experience, so realistically and gorgeously have they been drawn.Just as the sublime The Kite Runner told the tale of doomed male friendship, ATSS tells the story of two very different Afghani women: Mariam - shy, subservient, filled with self-doubt and yet, despite what life has meted out, is also honest and possessed of an innocence that is both her greatest strength and weakness. Then there is the beautiful, smart and kind Laila. Raised under very different roofs and with different expectations of their future, fate in the form of political and sectarian upheaval throws these women together and what happens before, during and after is heart-wrenchingly bitter-sweet.Hosseini knows not only how to capture the reader's imagination but our hearts as well. Told without sentimentality but nonetheless with an almost unbearable sweetness and pathos, ATSS unapologetically describes what the women of Afghanistan (and many men, children, families and thus communities) were forced to endure. The rampant misogyny, sexism and horrific abuses; terror, hope, the loss, the grind, the joy in the smallest and simplest of things; their constant sacrifices. Their resilience is formidable and humbling; their strength amazing - as is their capacity to forgive. By focussing primarily on Mariam and Laila (and those who play important roles in shaping who and what they become) Hosseini gives us a searing insight into not only the plight of those who are helpless pawns in a brutal battle for control of a weakened state, but Western prejudices, sense of entitlement and misunderstanding as well as revealing the ugliness and terrible beauty of a culture so few of us understand except through snatches from sensationalized news bulletins or from foreign correspondents with a brief to fill. That there are those resistant to as well as complicit in oppression, suffer because of wilful ignorance and the brutality of others; the way in which religion and culture can impose horrific restraints when reduced to power struggles while at the same time gesturing to a proud nobility is evident in the novel. Inevitably, as is the case when religion, sex and gender become politicized, there are scapegoats who pay for the hubris and cruelty of others - for more than a lifetime. The damage inflicted can last for generations.I didn't want this book to end. My heart soared, it plummeted; I gasped, cried, held my breath and as I read felt physically pummelled then embraced, experiencing the 30 years the tale covers as a visceral thing that left me psychologically and imaginatively battered but richer in ways that count. But, I also felt ashamed. Ashamed for thoughts I may have harboured deep down, for prejudices I may not have even realized I held until this novel exposed them to me, and for that, I am grateful.This is a beautiful, deeply moving book that I cannot recommend highly enough. It was a privilege to read and now to share.

It was a real interesting book it was heartbreaking learning of sad and hurtful cultures and the very low values they put on women . I recommend everyone to read it.

I don’t want to spoil anything but you need to read this book. It’s heart-wrenching and the characters are so real. I feel for Mariam, who just wanted to be loved, I feel for Laila, who made the difficult choices she never should have had to make, I feel for Tariq, I feel for Aziza, I feel for Zalmai, I feel for all of them. Please do yourself a favor and become entranced by this book. I will literally never forget this story.

I remember the first time I've ever picked up a book by Khaled Hosseini.It was during my sophomore year, and my teacher decided to select The Kite Runner as the book for the class to read. I was utterly thrilled by The Kite Runner as well as devastated because of the clandestine that was hidden from Amir regarding Hassan, the way Assef had treated Hassan in the past and then his son in the same exact manner during the present where luckily, Amir goes back to Kabul and saves the poor child from Assef's wrath.But however, this book is way better than The Kite Runner. This book has made my cry so many times, it's quite unbelievable. This is without a doubt- the best book I've ever read in my whole life! No joke. This book made me feel immensely aggravated and happy at the same exact time. It made me feel immensely aggravated because of the negative treatment of girls and women in Afghanistan and because of the constant hardships and all forms of abuse Mariam, the protagonist had to face from her childhood up until the moment of her death. Mariam had so many hopes and dreams as a child, but unfortunately all these hopes and dreams were crushed by her father Jalil as he gave her away to a misogynistic/sexist forty year old man Rasheed, after her mother committed suicide. Mariam used to live with her mother Nana in a peaceful village near the city Herat. Jalil provided money and food to Mariam and Nana each month. Mariam was the product of an affair between the servant of Jalil's home which was Nana and Jalil. Therefore, she was portrayed as a bastard, or a harami by the Afghan society and mostly by Nana.Nana didn't like idea of Mariam chit chatting with Jalil, and she warned Mariam of him. Nana promised Mariam that one day, she would surely come to see the real face and nature of Jalil. And when this finally would take place, she wouldn't be there to protect her. Finally during her 15th birthday, she abandoned Nana because of Jalil and visited the world outside her home. Therefore, Nana committed suicide. Nana incessantly warned Mariam of the world outside her home in the past. She told her, the outside world was cold, cruel, and bitter. But still, Mariam did not listen nor concur with her. Instead, she wholeheartedly believed in all the false hopes and utter lies which Jalil provided and reassured her with.Jalil and his three wives gave Mariam away because of the dishonor he would come to face from others for keeping a bastard child, a harami in his home. He was a wealthy man. His social status was mandatory to him, not Mariam. Mariam wanted to attend college, gain education and knowledge just as Rasheed's two other daughters. She had hopes and dreams surprisingly, even after the death of her own mother.Mariam was physically tortured by Rasheed almost every single day and every single moment of her life. She grew more and more vulnerable by each day and sadly, she couldn't do anything to defend herself against Rasheed's wrath until Laila was the victim of his abuse. Mariam finally gathered up her courage to stand up against Rasheed and give him the taste of his own medicine, once in for all which made me immensely happy although it brought permanent despair to Mariam...Mariam was executed by the Talibans at the end, but please don't let this intimidate you! Mariam was finally free from the cruel world which she lived in and her memory was preserved by Laila. In a way, Mariam became a part of Laila. Mariam was Laila's courage, Laila's bravery and her will to fight and stand up against all the odds in the world.Oh and also, did I mention that this book has amazing quotes? The quotes are utterly meaningful."At the time, Mariam did not understand. She did not know what this word harami-bastard—meant. Nor was she old enough to appreciate the injustice, to see that it is the creators of the harami who are culpable, not the harami, whose only sin is being born."I will never forget about this book, never. It'll always stay in my heart.

Where does one begin? My heart breaks for the children that endure abuse, war and hunger. So many themes in this book. I couldn’t put it down.

It was for an English assignment gurl when I tell you this was the first school book I read in less than a week. It was that good like so entertaining since something was always occurring. So beautifully written and made. The storyline the characters all amazing

Couldn’t put it down. Very interesting, yet a hard read at times given what these poor women had to endure. Recommend!

Beautiful Reading very enjoyable

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" offer deep insights into the impact of decades of conflict on the people of Afghanistan. Hosseini's storytelling indeed evokes a strong sense of empathy and gratitude for the lives we lead. The resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan has undoubtedly brought new challenges and uncertainties for its people. The fate of the characters, if their stories continued, would likely reflect the resilience and struggle of many Afghans today. Hosseini's work continues to shed light on the human aspects of these conflicts, reminding readers of the ongoing need for awareness and support.

Otrolig läsning