A Thousand Splendid Suns: Khaled Hosseini (Bloomsbury Publishing)

A breathtakingly beautiful book, written so elegantly and simply. I was so engrossed I couldn't put it down - I ended up reading it in a day on holiday, staying up til 2am to finish it as I had to see how it ended. The descriptions of Afghanistan as it was and how war has ravaged its land, cities and families is so sad, all the more for knowing that this is real and still ongoing. The book reads as much about the women at its centre as it does a lament for a vibrant country and culture that was. The story of the women themselves is utterly heartbreaking - how their hopes and dreams are dashed through a combination of war, cultural and religious expectations, and conflict, over which they have no real control until the shattering conclusion. We've all read about what women in Afghanistan endure under religious rule, but this book humanises it and brought it into relatable focus. I rarely cry at books, but this one had me full-on sobbing by the end. I've already recommended my teen daughter reads it.

Excellent read, gripping from start to finish. Really interesting story. Really enjoyed it. I read it for my book club.

Good

The best book I have ever read 😭🫀I loved the story although it was heart breaking still couldn’t stop reading

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini As a small time writer of no consequence, I am only too ready to criticise the next reading circle book. The more successful the book, the more likely I am to be prickly, suspicious and on the lookout for faults. However, as soon as I started A Thousand Splendid Suns, any envious nastiness evaporated as I was drawn into this wonderful book. For me, it was a book that was almost perfect - a traditionally written story, well constructed, with characters - the main ones, specifically - with whom you couldn't help empathising. It was also a thirty year history of Afghanistan from about 1974 to 2003. The book tells the story of two women, who over the period are married to the same man; at first they are rivals, even though their husband is an unattractive, hateful, abusive middle-aged man, who has twice taken on very young girls in the hope of producing a son. Eventually, in spite of everything they become friends, or almost mother and daughter. I have to admit that I didn't really follow the politics, but what comes over is the suffering of the population as power swings backwards and forwards between various regimes; between one set of soldiers or aggressors and another, and on a personal level, the suffering and impotence of the womenfolk, in the face of the power of the men. Hosseini didn't pull his punches when he described the domestic violence that his two main characters were exposed to. And the worst horror of this is not so much the physical beatings, but the realisation that there is no escape, and no higher power for these two women to go to. So though you might start the book thinking that this is how two feisty, plucky women succeed in defeating their brute of a husband, that would be all too easy to write and untrue to itself. I am never comfortable with explicit sex scenes and generally do not see the need for them. I enjoyed and was moved by Hosseini's delicately written love scenes and description of youthful passion. I took A Thousand Splendid Suns on holiday with me, though some might regard it as inappropriate summer reading. All I know is that once I had started, I didn't want to put it down and that I was able to read it without interruption. And towards the end of the book, as I lay on my sun-bed, tears that I could not stem were running down my face. The capacity to move and the capacity to involve the reader in the lives of fictional characters is of great importance to me and Khaled Hosseini totally succeeded in this and has thereby created a brilliant book.

Perfect book to read and sad loved it so much had to buy the set

I was given this incredible book while I was very ill in hospital for 6 weeks by my mother who told me I needed to read this. I took this book with me everywhere I went for tests in the hospital and all the doctors, nurses, radiography staff told me what an incredible book this was!! I slowly made my way through this book. This book is based in Afghanistan from the 1970’s onwards. It follows the lives predominantly of two women and their phenomenal struggles in a male dominated world. During this period there is so much conflict in Afghanistan too with the Russians and different factions fighting one another. You really get to see how religion and male domination impacts so heavily on women plus living in a war zone all at the same time. You get to see how women’s rights are stripped away. You get to see the brutality of men and how the police and the Taliban see that women have no rights at all. Women are not allowed to escape brutal husbands. You get to see how the Taliban in-force their laws which is brutal. This book has really opened my eyes to the desperate plight of women living in Afghanistan and under the rule of the Taliban. This book has so much love in it too, love of family supporting one another. It’s not all brutality. This book is shocking and loving. The end of the book has a happier ending. I really didn’t want this book to end because I loved the women in this book so much. These women were incredible, strongest women I have ever read about. This book is women caring, supporting one another, how they will give up their own life to protect one another. Living in the West, with so much freedom and rights, it gives you a feeling of having all that stripped away, the loss of identity. I was so incredibly moved by this book, I have bought it for my daughter and will be gifting this to friends too, because it’s a brilliant book, but it’s important to see the plight of women existing in Afghanistan through endless wars, instability, religious laws and male domination. I’m struggling to find a book to read now to possibly match this incredible book. This book is in a class of its own.

Well packed book and superb read with a little bit of history included. Would definitely recommend

great story, beautifully written

gutes buch

a lovely read. a bit of a sad story .hard to put down

I read The kite Runner and then thought to buy this book...it's very well written,the depiction of historical and story to keep reader occupied...... I am not much of reader but at one point I felt like details became vague and story started to feel like one sided,specially when Laila gets introduced in story......overall good read....

I am so happy to buy this book