Reviews

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

tired_24_7's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

astravedi's review against another edition

4.0

بطريقة أخاذة، لا تشبه أيًا من قصص الحرب التي مرت علي -ربما بسبب التقارب الثقافي والتاريخ المشترك-، ترك خالد حسيني في داخلي نظرة مختلفة كليًا عن الحرب.

بئسًا للحكومات، للباحثين عن الأمجاد المزيفة، للحرب، للسلاح، للنزعات الانسانية الأنانية المتعدية، للشهوانية، ولرغبة الحكم والتملك المقيتة. أعلم أنها صفات طبيعية ونزعات أصيلة في البشر، لكن لابد من الجهاد، لا في سبيلها، بل ضدها.

يبدو كلامي متزمتًا، مبتذلًا، تنظيريًا بحتًا. لكن بعد انتهائي من القراءة، ترسخت فيّ هذه الاعتقادات، كأنها فطرة ربانية وضعت فيّ من أمد سحيق.

على النقيض من مراجعتي،كان يغمرني بعد قرائتي لآخر صفحة، الكثير من السلام، والألم، والحب، والحياة.

ربما أجحف بحقها، بحق ما وصلني من مريم وليلى، عندما أحاول اختزالها في أسطر معدودة، لكن الرغبة الجامحة بالكتابة أجبرتني-مفارقة كوميدية، نظرًا لما قلته في الأعلى عن الرغبات-حتى لو لم تحمل الكلمات أي معنىً. فقط فيض من الأحاسيس، الكلمات، والأفكار، زخم هائل من الحيوات، من شظايا الصواريخ -والقدر-.

thekidonherown's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

jade_a's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

orphic's review against another edition

5.0

One thing I would like to say is Khaled Hosseini's portrayal of life in Afghanistan and how women were treated for cultural purposes is something I would like to commend. This gave me the sense of value that we as women can't always get what we want and have to fight for it, meaning that sacrifices have to be made for this to happen Women should not be underestimated and should be given the same opportunities as men. We should have the same rights and be treated with respect and dignity. We should also be able to make decisions for ourselves and take control of our lives.

The main reasons why I took five stars are for a few things:

1. The way friendship was built throughout the story was when Laila got married to Rasheed between Mariam

2. the love between Tariq and Laila

Spoiler

3. The sacrifice of Mariam for Laila when she was killed.

4. How Mullah Fazal (I think that's his name) was remembered throughout the book since he played throughout the story and at the end as well

5. The love and affection Mariam has given to Zalmai as he did not want him to know that his father (Rasheed) was killed

Spoiler

6. Wants protection for her kids and sacrifices her love for her daughter Aziza to let her be fed even if she has to leave her

Spoiler

7. The love for Afghanistan that she wants to go back to, even if war is there

But one thing that struck me the most is that Khaled Hosseini uses poem lines to relate to the book. He uses the same poem lines throughout the novel to create a sense of connection and emotion, reminding us of the beauty and hope of Afghanistan. He also uses the lines to remind us of the suffering that the people of Afghanistan have faced and continue to face. It struck me the most because of how such a poem can relate to a whole war scene.

"One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roof,

Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls."

jvmilks's review against another edition

4.0

A tough book to read so if you're in the mood for light summer reading, this is not the book for you. I'm fairly certain the only reason I finished this book was because it was the only book I brought on a business trip. That and because of how much I loved Kite Runner, hoping for a similar profoundness. This book delivers.

adtsipras1's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

anjalisudarsan's review against another edition

5.0

Reading this book broke my heart, thinking of all the people having to live in a war-torn country, where simple freedoms are restricted by their 'value system'. And then there are women, facing both war and the hate from the patriarchy. In this book, both Mariam and Laila seem to face one hardship after another and as a reader, I felt anger and disgust for a man like Rasheed, who exist in the real world taking advantage of the vulnerability of women. War is fought on women's bodies, and in deeply patriarchal societies this, it is the women that suffer the most. Their glimmer of hopes and reason for living comes from being a mother, you realise. Because what else would you have, in a society where they cannot even step out of the house without a male companion. Remembering that this is the life of so many people living in those countries today makes this more than just a story...

Amidst all this misery there is hope that stems from love. That is a beautiful message.

rinapina's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

kozakxx's review against another edition

5.0

One of my all time favorites. Mariam’s character and her story is unbelievably moving and carries incredible emotional depth. For a longer book it’s a very quick read and the characters are intense and rich in emotion.