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A Thousand Splendid Suns (平装)
by Khaled Hosseini
| Category:
Memoir, Fiction, Afghan war, Woman novels |
| Market price: ¥ 228.00
MSL price:
¥ 208.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
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MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A wonderful, intensely moving story of how two modern Afghan women overcome the great challenges that have faced women in their home country and rise above their victimization. |
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AllReviews |
1 2   | Total 2 pages 14 items |
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Karthik Ganesh (MSL quote), USA
<2007-12-25 00:00>
Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and moved to the United States in 1980. His first novel, The Kite Runner, was an international bestseller, published in 34 countries. In 2006 he received the Humanitarian Award from the United Nations Refugee Agency and was named a U.S. goodwill envoy to that agency. He lives in northern California. |
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Mahanrih (MSL quote), USA
<2007-12-25 00:00>
When you read a book and you easily slip into the story and find yourself taking the journey along side the characters, you know you're reading something special. This book does that. It will stay and linger with you long after you have wiped away a tear or two, closed the book, and gone back to your own life. This is a great book! |
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Vanessa (MSL quote), USA
<2007-12-25 00:00>
This second book from Khaled Hosseini Splendid Suns Proves The Kite Runner was no fluke or just plain good luck. This man is a passionate writer. This is another story that has profoundly touched my life and makes me want to do something, anything that can make places like this in today's world better. This story will have you soul searching, and it stays with you. I am still thinking of it days later, and I am disappointed I don't have anymore of it to read. Writing is his calling, and I hope he has many more stories to tell. |
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Vickie Davie (MSL quote), USA
<2007-12-25 00:00>
This book is less disturbing than The Kite Runner. There is more quiet desperation. A bit less personal story, and a bit more history.
But, it is no less gripping. The story and the history are beautifully woven together. The author holds nothing back in painting a stark picture of what it means to be a woman in a culture where they are valued only for how well they keep a house, and how many sons they produce. A culture where they are subject to the whims of men. Those that value them as worthwhile human beings are welcome oases - they seem to be the exceptions in their world, rather than the norm.
He also paints a stark picture of how much harm religious fanaticism and intolerance can do.
But, it also paints a picture of hope that the winds of change can blow cool and refreshing.
It also shows us the rich history of Afghanistan, a country that has endured, much like Nana said that women must. It shows a country and a people with much potential.
My eyes welled in a few places. At one point, I had to stop reading, close my eyes, and gather myself as the story hit close to home. I even laughed (Islamic flamingos.) By the end, tears were streaming down my face, and I was once again left feeling immensely satisfied.
It is rare that you find a writer who, with their first novel, shows that they are an immense talent. I had previously only ever read one such author in my life. From the first chapter of The Kite Runner, I knew that Khaled Hosseini would be one of them. A Thousand Splendid Suns is more proof of it.
I am already looking forward to what he produces next.
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Julie Merilatt (MSL quote), USA
<2007-12-25 00:00>
Hosseini doesn't necessarily write happy endings, but A Thousand Splendid Suns is filled with hope. This brilliant narrative is full of both sadness and wonder.
Miriam and Laila are forced to adapt under the roof of their dominating and cruel husband. As an American, I had to struggle with the unfairness of their lives as subservient women in an Islamic state. But Hosseini does a wonderful job outlining the recent history of Afghanistan and the social upheval that shapes the lives of the characters. It was incredibly empowering to see these women rise from the ashes of oppression and the rubble of Kabul to make better lives for themselves at all costs. I wanted to weep one moment, and rejoice the next. When I finished the book, I felt the lingering presence of Miriam and Laila and knew that I would not soon forget them.
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Nancy Mumford (MSL quote), USA
<2007-12-25 00:00>
No long review from me - it isn't necessary. This book is just plain great. I read it in less than 24 hours and the story haunted me for days after. If you loved the Kite Runner you will love this too. Highly recommended. |
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Amy (MSL quote), USA
<2007-12-25 00:00>
I bought this book the day it came out and stayed up all night to finish it. It was melancholy but lovely, too.
The story follows the life of Miriam, the [...] daughter of a servant woman by her wealthy employer. Miriam grows up on the outskirts of life, steeped in her mother's bitterness. Her adult life that follows is one, like her childhood, of hope and then disillusionment. This book is all about how love gives our lives meaning and ultimately, sets us free, sometimes through sacrificing ourselves for those we care about.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is full of very rich, believeable characters. I couldn't put it down and was amazed at the gamut my emotions ran as I read on. Yes, it will give insight into what the people of Afghanistan have suffered, in particular the women- but really the story is more about humanity and hope than cultural issues or sexual discrimination. Not a light read, but a good one. |
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Mark Baker (MSL quote), USA
<2007-12-25 00:00>
I tend to stick to light entertainment and rarely read the more serious works of literature. However, several friends I respect loved Khaled Hosseini's first novel, so I decided to give this one a try. And I'm glad I did.
This book isn't light entertainment by any stretch of the imagination. The writing style produces an almost melancholy air right from the start.
I tend to read plot heavy books, so this character study was a definite change of pace for me. I found the first half slow going at times, mainly because I knew where the story was going. Once I got into the second half, things really picked up. The ending was very bittersweet. I couldn't think of a better way to end it.
Not to say I wasn't interested before then. Mariam and Laila are two very real, interesting characters. I felt for them and became a very real part of their struggles over the course of the book.
Adding to the book's richness is the historical background. The novel covers 40 years of Afghani history. While that is never the focus of the novel, it is an ever present backdrop to the personal struggle of the two women. We in the west often forget how much we truly have to be thankful for. Here, we get a picture of life in the midst of a civil war and under an oppressive regime.
I can understand why my friends were so taken with Hosseini's first novel. I know I will read it at some point. This new book comes highly recommended. |
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Z. Hayes (MSL quote), USA
<2007-12-25 00:00>
Having greatly enjoyed Khaled Hosseini's first novel, The Kite Runner, I looked forward to his second effort with great anticipation and wasn't disappointed. The novel reads like an epic, it traces the stories of two women brought together by destiny - Mariam, the illegitimate child of a rich man, is married off at fifteen to a much older man, and suffers a life of suppression and subjugation and made to feel worthless for not being able to produce an heir. Her life takes an interesting turn years later when a young 14-year-old girl, Laila is brought into her household and made wife number two. The two women forge a bond of sisterhood, united against their oppressor/husband. I will not give too much of the plot away, but suffice to say that not only do we get to read about these two character's amazing and heartbreaking journey through the cruel and oppressive male-dominated world they live in, but we also get a lesson in Afghanistan's history prior to and later during the Soviet Occupation in the 1980s to the Taliban rule where women are reduced to the ranks of chattel ,and deemed mere breeding mares and servants of men. This is a searing portrait of the plight of women in Afghanistan, and not only does it give voice to the victims of male oppression and harsh cultural traditions, but it stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit with its unwavering hope. |
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Cara Lavender (MSL quote), USA
<2007-12-25 00:00>
I finished it this morning - this book that monopolized my entire day yesterday. An impulse buy at Costco. I loved The Kite Runner so took for granted that a book by the same author would be just as good - and I was not disappointed! This book made me cry in two sections, and I won't give anything away, but I absolutely bawled at the last sentence of the book. Terrible things happen to the two main characters, but it does have a fairy-tale ending. As is the case in most fairy tales, the protagonist has to go through hell before happiness can be achieved, and Mr. Hosseini's novel would have made the Brothers Grimm proud. I just fell in love with this book, and found it to be elegantly written, in a simplistic manner that allowed the inner beauty of Mariam and Laila to shine through without too much adornment. I have nothing but respect for the writing of Mr. Hosseini and can only hope that he has the ability to crank out masterpieces every few years for many years to come! The evil troll who gave it a lackluster review in Entertainment Weekly must have left their soul at home that day.
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