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A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author)

4.38 · Rating details · 1,210,682 ratings · 56,756 reviews

After 103 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and with four million copies of The Kite Runner shipped, Khaled Hosseini returns with a beautiful, riveting, and haunting novel that confirms his place as one of the most important literary writers today.

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Spl ...more

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Kindle Edition, 379 pages

Published November 25th 2008 by Riverhead (first published May 22nd 2007)

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Dec 04, 2007 Lucy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. For the last two months I have been putting off reading this book. For starters, I bought the book at an airport in Taiwan, which meant it didn't have a due date which meant it took a backseat to many books that I didn't have the luxury of reading whenever.

Additionally, because I've heard so much about this book already, I almost didn't want to read it at all. I've heard that it's depressing, that it's not as good as The Kite Runner, and that it's basically a novel about the brutal treatment of For the last two months I have been putting off reading this book. For starters, I bought the book at an airport in Taiwan, which meant it didn't have a due date which meant it took a backseat to many books that I didn't have the luxury of reading whenever.

Additionally, because I've heard so much about this book already, I almost didn't want to read it at all. I've heard that it's depressing, that it's not as good as The Kite Runner, and that it's basically a novel about the brutal treatment of women in Afghanistan.

You know when you read a book or see a film that has had great reviews and you finish feeling disappointed because it didn't live up to the hype? My experience reading this book was the complete opposite. I loved it. I didn't feel the message of the book was one of brutality or depression, but of hope and the toughness of the human spirit.

There are plenty of awful scenes to lend credence to its reputation. While the story's time frame spans thirty years, the main focus of the novel are two woman, a generation apart, whose lives cross as they become the wives of the same man, Rasheed. The elder, Mariam, was born to a servant woman out of wedlock and is raised in banishment, ignorance and eventual rejection during the years the Afghani government was controlled by the communists. She finds herself forced to marry a much older man after her mother commits suicide. Laila, fifteen years younger and raised by intellectual parents, enters the marriage under much different circumstances. Alone after a bomb destroys her home and kills her parents, and pregnant by her childhood love who has fled the country, she marries Rasheed in a desperate attempt to save her unborn child.

The writing engrossed me. Much like the Kite Runner, Hosseini magically puts the reader in the city, neighborhood and house of his characters. Much to his credit, I found myself torn between wanting to yell at Laila to hush up, so that she'd avoid another beating, and kicking Rasheed myself, because he is a despicable brute.

Mariam, one of the most tragic characters in literature, makes this book what it is; a story of love and strenghth. She, who didn't have an easy day in her life, allows herself to be touched by the love of Laila and her children. In return, she performs the ultimate act of love and saves a family.

I appreciate Hosseini's portrayal of a part of the world that is under so much scrutiny lately. Afghanistan, and the city of Kabul where the story takes place, have a long history of wars and occupations which result in a great chasm between different ethnic tribes, Islam, economic classes and gender. Hosseini uses this novel to tell the story of Afghani women and the hardships that face them with each regime change.

As a woman, I feel blessed to have been given confidence and opportunities. I truly cannot imagine what it would be like to live under the conditions the women in this book live under. I am grateful to be born to the family I was born to and in a country which allows me to live the kind of life I choose.

Miram and Laila didn't have the opportunities or support that I have. And yet they survived. They endured and they reached out to others, despite their circumstances. In this, Hosseini redeems all of Afghanistan by showing these two women's humanity. He shows that in a place whose beauty was written about in a 17th century poem, where "One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs and the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls" is a city that can become illuminated once again. ...more

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Aug 29, 2007 Anu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

August 2007

I was riding in a cab in Bombay recently, and a bookseller on foot approached me at a traffic light with a stack of books. I did my best not to look at the boy, but I couldn't help it. He was waving several books in my face and something caught my eye. I thought my glance was discreet, but he saw me look.. and it was game over. The light turned green right then and the boy starts running with the cab yelling 'Memsahib! Memsahib!'. We're picking up speed.. I'm so scared he's going to g ...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Stephen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, good-guys, literature, audiobook, 2006-2010, historical-fiction, life-changers

Like diamonds and roses hidden under bomb rubble, this is a story of intense beauty and strength buried under the surface of the cruel and capricious life imposed upon two Afghani women.

She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. That all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. As a reminder of how people like us suffer, she'd said. How

...more

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Jul 17, 2019 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone and everyone

Shelves: book-a-book-club, 2019, historical-fiction, favorites, own

Amazing!

Heart-Wrenching!

Important!

In a world where people tend to make assumptions about people and places based on the news, preconceived notions, prejudice, etc., this book needs to be read. I think a good portion of the American population hears “Afghanistan” and they think it is a country full or terrorists and unreasonable Muslim extremists who all band together to plot the downfall of anyone not like them. A Thousand Splendid Suns shows the progression of life in Afghanistan from the Sovie Amazing!

Heart-Wrenching!

Important!

In a world where people tend to make assumptions about people and places based on the news, preconceived notions, prejudice, etc., this book needs to be read. I think a good portion of the American population hears “Afghanistan” and they think it is a country full or terrorists and unreasonable Muslim extremists who all band together to plot the downfall of anyone not like them. A Thousand Splendid Suns shows the progression of life in Afghanistan from the Soviet takeover in 1980s through post 9/11 Taliban control. All of this is through the eyes of two women trying to live a normal and peaceful life just like anyone in the world wants. You will see that despite the extremists and unreasonable values of some, most of the Afghani people are no different than you and me.

Hosseini is a fantastic writer. Not only is the story enthralling, but the way he writes is engaging and easy to follow. I was never bored or confused. When I was not reading the book, I was thinking about the book and could not wait to get back to it and find out what happens. Sometimes you find the perfect book where the writing just falls into place with a click – that happened with this one. While the story takes place far away and the life discussed unusual for me, he made it very approachable and understandable.

The characters were great. The ones I was rooting for I was REALLY rooting for. The ones that I despised I REALLY hated. When I get this invested in the characters, it is a sure sign of a great book!

I will end with this warning: while a great and interesting book, it is, at times, difficult to read. There are situations and scenarios that are upsetting and may trigger lots of emotion. If you are extremely sensitive, it may be difficult to make it through. But, if you can, I think it will be worth it in the end.

If you have not read this book yet, I think you should give it a try. The experience is very likely to be eye-opening and maybe even life-changing.
...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Emily May rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, historical

It was a warm, sunny day in Montenegro and I was about to set out on a boat trip. I felt certain that a combination of sightseeing and the people I was with would keep me from having much time to read, but I packed a book anyway just in case there was time for a chapter or two in between stops.

A Thousand Splendid Suns happened to be that book. And at the end of the day, when I staggered off that boat, blinking at my sudden exposure to reality, it wasn't because I'd been mesmerised by the stunni It was a warm, sunny day in Montenegro and I was about to set out on a boat trip. I felt certain that a combination of sightseeing and the people I was with would keep me from having much time to read, but I packed a book anyway just in case there was time for a chapter or two in between stops.

A Thousand Splendid Suns happened to be that book. And at the end of the day, when I staggered off that boat, blinking at my sudden exposure to reality, it wasn't because I'd been mesmerised by the stunning architecture and history lessons, no, it was because Hosseini stomped all over my heart. I'm not even sure how I found enough hours in the day to take a boat trip around Montenegro and read this entire novel, but somehow I finished this in the few hours I had... simply because I had to.

My initial reaction was a furious, teary promise to myself that I would have to give this book five stars - I think it's impossible for the mind to win a battle with the heart in that level of heat, especially when you're used to English weather. But afterwards, I managed to reclaim some of my sense and sanity, which is when I finally began to acknowledge this book's limitations.

For one thing, I think it's extremely generous to place this book in the "literary fiction" category. I am certainly no book snob (give me a delicious page-turner over some pretentious waffle any day) but I find myself comparing A Thousand Splendid Suns to another book about a country and culture I was only vaguely familiar with - The Poisonwood Bible - a book which I also read on my trip. The latter is a far more complex, ambitious work that brings something which, to me, felt entirely fresh and original. Hosseini's story, on the other hand, is not groundbreaking and I recognise many of the scenes and characters from other books.

What it is, however, is incredibly emotional, sad, uplifting, infuriating and memorable. It's lessons on the history of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban might be basic but they are nothing if not compelling. I came away feeling like I learned something. What I did learn was truly horrifying, it painted details into the very vague images I already had in my mind that I had gotten from various British newspapers. But I also really liked the affection for his birth country that shines through Hosseini's story; his faith in the ultimate goodness of these people who witnessed society and order crumbling around them.

The ultimate tragedy of this story, for me, is how everything could have been very different for Mariam and Laila if people had just acted a little faster, stopped worrying about their pride a little earlier, and trusted a little more. I really liked the range of emotions both women experienced and they way the author showed this. I know some readers thought it was wrong for Mariam to be jealous of Laila at first, but I actually really liked the complexity. Rasheed may be a bastard but he was the only thing in the world that she had at that point, and on some level it made sense to me that she would want to claim him for herself.

While I believe Mariam and Laila experienced complex emotions and were well-developed, Rasheed did not get the same treatment - a fact which I'm torn about. On the one hand, I think Rasheed would have been a better character if he'd been developed beyond him being the most villainous villain in all villaindom. On the other hand, I think Rasheed's evil personality offers an important distinction between him and Jalil (and the other men), one which is needed in a book that looks at the cruelties women suffer at the hands of men.

The difference between Rasheed and Jalil is important. The latter is a man who acts badly because his behaviour is shaped by the society he lives in. Rasheed, on the other hand, is a mean and violent brute who completely abuses the power handed to him as a man in this society. These differences between Rasheed, Jalil and the other men (Tariq, Laila's dad, etc.) show there is not one type of man in this society, that wife-beating is not simply a part of the culture, that even in a patriarchal society you can choose what type of man you want to be.

I admit this is far from a perfect book, but it is a good book. It's a book that seems to swallow you whole but spit you back out in pieces. And, just to mention, I keep intending to read The Kite Runner again because I think studying it at school ruined it for me, but so far, I much prefer A Thousand Splendid Suns. ...more

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Feb 22, 2009 Daniel rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommended to Daniel by: Rose

Shelves: 2009

It's apparently becoming something of a tradition for me to trash books that are not only widely loved and praised, but were specifically recommended to me by friends. Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splended Suns," I'm sorry to say, is going to get the same treatment. (Forgive me, Rose.) "Splendid Suns" has been so widely read by this point, I won't bother recounting the story, and instead simply list my objections:

- Hosseini seems incapable of creating characters with much depth to them. E.M. Fo It's apparently becoming something of a tradition for me to trash books that are not only widely loved and praised, but were specifically recommended to me by friends. Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splended Suns," I'm sorry to say, is going to get the same treatment. (Forgive me, Rose.) "Splendid Suns" has been so widely read by this point, I won't bother recounting the story, and instead simply list my objections:

- Hosseini seems incapable of creating characters with much depth to them. E.M. Forster, in "Aspects of the Novel," talks about books having round characters and flat characters, with round ones being more like people you'd encounter in the real world, and flat ones being more of caricatures used to move a book's story along. The only character in "Splendid Suns" who approaches roundness, and he's a relatively minor character, is Mariam's father, Jalil. Everyone else is either a villain without any positive traits (Rasheed) or a hero who can do almost no wrong (Laila, Tariq, Mullah Faizullah). Even when Hosseini is depicting a child who has every right to behave badly given his circumstances (Zalmai), he can't help but depict the child as almost evil. The New York Times review of "Splendid Suns" said Hosseini "creates characters who have the simplicity and primary-colored emotions of people in a fairy tale or fable." That's pretty generous of the New York Times. I'd say Hosseini may not be able to create three-dimensional characters.

- While I appreciate Hosseini's attempt to teach a few decades of Afghan history -- a history few readers likely know in much detail -- grafting that history onto the story of one family makes for a rather creaky novel. To impart the history, Hosseini goes back and forth between giving the history through third-person narration, in Wikipedia-like prose, and putting it in his characers' mouths via dialogue -- dialogue often spoken to people who would already know the history. As a result, you sometimes get characters saying things like, "As you know, the Taliban forces men to grow their beards long and women to wear burkas." The cut-and-paste history lessons make the novel painful to read at times.

- Hosseini routinely uses "harami" (bastard) and other words from the characters' native languages in his dialogue, followed by the English translation, apparently in an attempt to bring readers closer to the Afghan culture. But it usually feels incredibly superficial, especially when the words being used aren't foreign concepts, but rather basic words -- "brother," "sister" and the like. Hosseini and his editors also seem to forget about the trope, and cut back on the use of the foreign words in the book's later chapters. I wish they had done the same throughout the book.

- The relationship between Mariam and Laila feels completely artificial. Mariam's initial hate for and jealousy of Laila never feels remotely justified, especially given how awful her husband Rasheed is anyhow, and their coming together later feels rushed and unrealistic. Even after they form a friendship, they never seem to grow quite close enough to fully explain why Laila misses Mariam so much towards the novel's conclusion. Hosseini fails to lay the groundwork needed to justify Laila's emotions in the novel's last chapters.

- Almost the entire book is unrelentingly bleak. Don't get me wrong, I understand Afghanistan wasn't exactly Disneyland over the past few decades, but I think there were more lighthearted moments in the Book of Job than in "Splendid Suns." I don't mind reading a depressing novel, but Jesus. Reading "Splendid Suns," I kept thinking of that old workplace poster: "The beatings will continue until morale improves."

I didn't completely hate "Splendid Suns" -- the story moved along nicely, and it gave me a little more insight into a culture I probably should know more about -- but I don't think I'll be following this one with "The Kite Runner." Khaled Hosseini probably doesn't need me as a reader, though. It seems he has plenty of fans. ...more

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Aug 09, 2008 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: united-states, novels, afghanistan, historical, literature, 21th-century, fiction

A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a 2007 novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini.

It is his second, following his bestselling 2003 debut, The Kite Runner.

Mariam is an illegitimate child, and suffers from both the stigma surrounding her birth along with the abuse she faces throughout her marriage.

Laila, born a generation later, is comparatively privileged during her youth until their lives intersect and she is also forced to accept a marriage proposal ...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Hend rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: asian-literature, favorite-novels, unique-novels, 20-books-guaranteed-to-make-u-cry, novels

I have never cried while reading a book,like I Did while reading this one!

It is the story of poor, uneducated women who have to endure the hardships of life...
The horrors and terrors that a lot of women have gone through during certain period in Afghanistan, the war torn country ,and the narration through the lives of two women Mariam and Laila..

Going through All kinds of Physical abuse of hitting, kicking and slapping ,brutal beating ,etc….
Struggling the cruel extremely sadistic Rasheed, And s ...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Henry Avila rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This novel is about two wonderful, brave , intelligent and resolute women Mariam and Laila their optimistic dreams, aspirations, boundless love... yet dehumanized in perilous, merciless, Afghanistan... continually suffering degradation during the tumultuous years in the long, sad history of that troubled, war ravished nation, Mariam born out of wedlock in Herat, to a wealthy man, lecherous Jalil and Nana, she was a maid at his house, he had already three wives and soon ten other children, sent t This novel is about two wonderful, brave , intelligent and resolute women Mariam and Laila their optimistic dreams, aspirations, boundless love... yet dehumanized in perilous, merciless, Afghanistan... continually suffering degradation during the tumultuous years in the long, sad history of that troubled, war ravished nation, Mariam born out of wedlock in Herat, to a wealthy man, lecherous Jalil and Nana, she was a maid at his house, he had already three wives and soon ten other children, sent to an isolated hovel by a tiny village , near the city to live out of sight, the embarrassment with her mother. The occasional visits by him were the highlight of Mariam's young life, a devoted daughter with an uncaring father, bitter Nana's endless recriminations against him, made for an appalling situation. At 15 the girl can no longer remain and flees to Jalil, who she loves above everyone nevertheless he refuses to see, taken back... an awful tragedy materializes .. Married off to a shoemaker in Kabul the capital, a big man almost thirty years older, Rasheed with a propensity to put women in their place, his wife must dress properly outside, walk behind, talk to him only when asked a virtual slave in the home, her main duty is to give him sons...but her numerous pregnancies do not go to fruition. The ignorant hypercritical husband, is always angry beatings and scoldings become common....Laila, background is very different than Mariam, from another generation, born and raised in Kabul, the bright student to loving parents, the father a former teacher, bookish, timid and small, dismissed by the communist government, an emotional domineering mother with bouts of ennui...depression, stays in bed many a day , her two sons joined the Mujahideen but were killed by the Soviet invaders. The war comes to the capital after the Russians leave, warlords struggle for power, starvation widespread, horrendous crimes committed in the open, shelling obliterated much of the city and the people, thousands perished ...including Laila's parents, in the future her teenage boyfriend Tariq two years older, escapes with his family to safety in Pakistan , she refused to leave her father and mother still alive then...Soon alone in trouble, Laila has to marry Rasheed...his wife Mariam , had nursed the wounded Laila in their home. It will be like before, the evil commences ... the aging Rasheed's punching, kicking, slapping, verbal abuse to both his wives , they are cognizant of their lowly status... only the son Zalmai is adored by him, his "daughter"Aziza, hated. ..An outstanding book about two remarkable women, who endure...they will fight back... someday. ...more

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Sep 13, 2008 K rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: People who actually thought "The Kite Runner" was a good book

Recommended to K by: Shelly

Shelves: maybe-it-s-me, mideastwomen, intense-sad-dark-or-bleak, thank-god-i-wasn-t-born-there

To my editor:

Khaled here. As I was reviewing my final draft of “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” some questions occurred to me.

1. Could I make the characters any less complex? Despite my efforts, I feel I haven’t fully achieved the one-dimensionality my readers seemed to love in “The Kite Runner.” Specifically, I’m afraid I may have given Rassan one or two potentially sympathetic moments early on despite his overall abusive personality (although I more than make up for it). I don’t know whether my rea ...more

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Jul 28, 2009 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, novels, afghanistan, historical, 21th-century

A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a 2007 novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini.

It is his second, following his bestselling 2003 debut, The Kite Runner. Mariam is an illegitimate child, and suffers from both the stigma surrounding her birth along with the abuse she faces throughout her marriage.

Laila, born a generation later, is comparatively privileged during her youth until their lives intersect and she is also forced to accept a marriage proposal ...more

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Dec 07, 2019 She-who-must-not-be-named rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, contemporary, all-time-favourite

" One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls."

There are very few books that make me feel a tempest of emotions: make me happy and proud at one moment and break my heart in the next; make me chuckle at a few scenes and leave me in tears later, make me love a few characters and hate the others- and this is one such book.

The novel focuses on the life of two Afghan women-Mariam and Laila who come from different walks of life. " One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls."

There are very few books that make me feel a tempest of emotions: make me happy and proud at one moment and break my heart in the next; make me chuckle at a few scenes and leave me in tears later, make me love a few characters and hate the others- and this is one such book.

The novel focuses on the life of two Afghan women-Mariam and Laila who come from different walks of life.
Laila enjoys her school life, and is absorbed by the thoughts of her crush Tariq. She's beautiful, confident, smart, strong and playful.

Mariam, on the the other hand is the illegitimate daughter of a businessman Jalil . She faces a lot of social problems and rejection but she is headstrong and the real hero of the story.

About Jalil well, I had a lot of mixed opinions: marrying Mariam off to Rasheed made me feel disgusted, but the (view spoiler) took me by surprise.

The characters in the book struggle for their survival in a harsh and obstinate society: They are wounded due to wars, relationships get tough and abusive, their property is destroyed; despite all this, they stick together, which is something I admired. But the best part about this book is the way Mariam and Laila show relentless pursuit and resilience and face all obstacles, especially considering how women are treated in their place- it filled me with pride and I was in love with their headstrongness.

I was hooked, right from the first chapter. This book was pretty much like a rollercoaster- I felt a surge of emotions- anger, remorse and joy coursing through my veins with every passing chapter and I kept turning the pages to know more and before I had an inkling about it, I was done. The story was enticing, the narration was flawless, each chapter had a twist so intriguing I was compelled to read it multiple times.

My heart beat fast reading about he struggles faced my Mariam and Laila and the ending just got so heartbreaking I was almost in tears. I have humongous respect for Khaled Hosseini and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books. ...more

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Jun 23, 2019 Amalia Gkavea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1990s, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, world-history, asia, world-literature, afghanistan, history, 20th-century, 1970s

‘’Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter. Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.’’

‘’This is what it means to be a woman in this world.’’

It is difficult, so difficult to read a book you don’t want to touch. A book that gnaws at your heart and spits out the pieces with glee. Because even though you know the truth, you don’t want to face it. You are not ready, you are not prepared. You refuse to ‘’live’’ in a world that jumps fr ‘’Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter. Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.’’

‘’This is what it means to be a woman in this world.’’

It is difficult, so difficult to read a book you don’t want to touch. A book that gnaws at your heart and spits out the pieces with glee. Because even though you know the truth, you don’t want to face it. You are not ready, you are not prepared. You refuse to ‘’live’’ in a world that jumps from the pages, so eloquently depicted, so horrifying and tangible. You refuse to believe that there are still parts in the world where women’s value is lower than a speck of dust, a drop of urine. You refuse to face the reality of a world where Rasheeds and Jalils exist instead of being torn apart and thrown to the dogs.

Words are cheap when it comes to this novel. Every literary remark is void and pretentious. And the road is still too long. This is living Hell…

‘’Where I come from, one wrong look, one improper word, and blood is spilled. Where I come from, a woman’s face is her husband’s business only.’’

‘’You will not, under any circumstances, show your face. You will cover with burqua when outside.
If you do not, you will be severely beaten.
Cosmetics are forbidden.
Jewellery is forbidden.
You will not wear charming clothes.
You will not speak unless spoken to.
You will not make eye contact with men.
You will not laugh in public. If you do, you will be beaten.
You will not paint your nails. If you do, you will lose a finger.
Girls are forbidden from attending school. All schools for girls will be closed immediately.
Women are forbidden from working.
If you are found guilty of adultery, you will be stoned to death.
Listen. Listen well. Obey. Allah-u-akbar’’

Disclaimer: I am not a follower of political correctness or thought-guidelines. No one, NO ONE will dictate what I will believe and what I will write.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.word... ...more

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Aug 01, 2018 Lucy Langford rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

5*****
But this book deserves a thousand splendid stars- it is a true masterpiece and a wonderful book!

"Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam."

This story chronicles 30 years of Afghan history; from Soviet invasion, to the Taliban, to post-Taliban. This story is told from the perspective of two women; born a generation apart, with different ideas of love and family, two ...more

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Mar 13, 2019 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

in true hosseini fashion, this book does not shy away from heavy, and sometimes uncomfortable, topics. but i realised that this book should make the reader feel uncomfortable. the tragedies that women face, even today, are crimes against humanity. but the strength of the two women this story follows is deeply moving and incredibly inspiring.

to save my heart from emotional devastation, i tried to focus on the positives of this story, which can be summed up in this quote:

‘they would make new l

...more

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Jul 24, 2012 F rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: afghanistan-kabul, historical-fiction

Loved this!

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Dec 30, 2016 Luffy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star

I didn't know whether to keep on reading or DNF this book. I didn't know if I should give it 5 stars or 2. The thing is, I cannot abide extreme hardship, pain, and suffering on behalf of the characters that are in the books I read.

I'm certain that this is to be the last book I'd read this year. And what a book did it prove to be! The mind reels at the barbarism that can be eked from such perverted ways of thinking. Reason, rationality are out of the window.

I know I haven't mentioned the plot or ...more

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Jul 17, 2007 Don rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Suns is part historical fiction, part social commentary and part kick-in-the-throat storytelling. A friend of mine said that Suns is a metaphor for Afghanistan but I found it illustrative of Afghanistan's weary and violent history; I found it brutally educational. When I had studied in Germany in 1987, I lived in an international dormitory. I asked my neighbor, Hyder, where he was from, he leaned in to me with a devilish grin and hissed “Afghanistan!” While others found this amusing, the effect ...more

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Feb 13, 2016 enqi ☁️✨ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-favs, the-ones-that-own-my-soul, standalone-favorites, 2016, amortentia, will-read-this-authors-grocery-list, standalones

Each snowflake was a sigh heard by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. All the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. As a reminder of how women suffer.

Poignant, stunning, and impossibly heartrending, A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS was one of the best and most meaningful books I've read because it embodies all the themes and values regarding gender identity and disparity that has been much debated by society for a long time. It reminds me every day that in a world full of prejudice, there is still beauty. That in a world full of hatred, there is still selflessness. That in a world full of suffering, there is still hope.

I'd like to start off by saying that I absolutely loved this book. With every page I read my heart was in my mouth and my stomach felt like it would drop to my shoes any moment. But I loved this book. I loved this book. It is a beautiful and enlightening story filled to the brim with hope, even beneath its painful, heart-wrenching emotional rawness. How strange, because this was a book where I dared not to turn the page, but I kept flipping and breaking my own heart anyway.

“A man's heart is a wretched, wretched thing. It isn't like a mother's womb. It won't bleed. It won't stretch to make room for you.”

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS tells of the oppression of women in Afghanistan and the injustice with which they are treated -- of how their only way to social status and approval is to bear a male heir. Mariam, one of the main characters, is one of the saddest characters in literature. Born a bastard child to a very wealthy man, she has faced being called "harami" (an insult) her whole life, been shunned and discriminated and thought of as ignorant and worthless, even by her own birth father and her family. Finally, she is married off to a man named Rasheed, who is violent, rude, abusive and just plain mean (honestly, I wanted to kick him in the face throughout the whole book). He sees her only as a tool for breeding his heirs and mistreats, r*pes and severely abuses her, when it is found out that she is sterile.

But despite life being, for the most part, unfair to her, and despite facing nothing but hardship her whole life, Mariam's personality is so beautiful that it completely broke my heart. Unfazed by the betrayal of almost everyone she knows and the misfortune that she is constantly granted, Mariam remains resigned, but most of all an extremely resilient, selfless, humble, and kind person. When Rasheed takes a second wife, Laila, the two women despise each other at first, but soon unite against their husband's verbal and physical and emotional abuse. Mariam, being self-sacrificial, often tried to protect Laila and bore the brunt of Rasheed's anger.

The book ended in the most heartbreaking way possible and yet it was so fitting to Mariam's utterly stoic, compassionate and sacrificial personality that I just sat there and bawled. I couldn't help it. I somehow knew in my bones that Mariam would make the ultimate sacrifice - (view spoiler)

Suffice it to say that I was a complete wreck after reading this. I'm still a complete wreck.

I thought at first that A Thousand Splendid Suns would be a book of brutality and depression - but it is not. It is an unabashed display of the beauty of the human spirit, and the resilient strength of the two female main characters in this story made me truly realise that what defines a woman are her actions and values, and nothing else. When I turned the last page it occurred to me that this story is as much a reflection of the strength that women are capable of as it is a tale of hope; a tale of how flowers can grow even in the most barren cracks, and hearts find ways to connect even amidst a brutal regime and a country torn apart by war.

"Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always."

...more

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Nov 09, 2020 emma rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: diverse, non-ya, eh, 2-and-a-half-stars, dark, historical, reviewed, literary-fiction, unpopular-opinion

I bought this book on November 8, 2016, and then I somehow picked it up by sheer coincidence precisely on November 8, 2020.

In spite of this divine coincidence, I did not like the read much.

If I had read it when I actually bought it, I probably would have, but I think I've evolved past this kind of unilateral-view things-are-sad white-woman-book-club energy. Societally, we all have. In the early 2000s, maybe we only had room for 1 feeling about Afghanistan (or okay, 1 in addition to War), but now ...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Lynne King rated it it was amazing

I started this book with high expectations. I had been overwhelmed with every conceivable emotion when I read the “Kite Runner” and just couldn’t believe that his second book, “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, could possibly be as good.

So it was with trepidation and yet excitement that I read this book. I had left the last dozen or so pages to read until the following morning, as I didn’t want to quite let it go, and as I sat there at 7 a.m. on the terrace, with a cup of coffee in my hand, I slowly fi ...more

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Jun 04, 2018 Whitney Atkinson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, favs-of-2018, full-five-stars, made-me-cry, read-in-2018

4.75 stars

This book doesn’t have the full, 100% impact of WOW THAT WAS AMAZING but it was pretty damn good. This is my favorite type of story that slowly weaves its threads and develops a narrative over generations, and just when you think all of the ends are tied up, it comes full circle and punches you in the gut all over again. This book is just as empowering as it is tragic, and Hosseini is just masterful at storytelling at this magnificent scope. The writing is gorgeous without being longwi ...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Nandakishore Varma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. All citizens must pray five times a day…

All men must grow beards…

All women must stay inside at all times…

No woman, under any circumstances, may show her face…

Singing is forbidden.

Dancing is forbidden.

Playing cards, playing chess, gambling and kite flying are forbidden.

Writing books, watching films and painting pictures are forbidden.

Cosmetics are forbidden.

Jewelry is forbidden.

Women will not wear charming clothes.

Women will not speak unless spoken to.

Women will not laugh in public.

Girls are for ...more

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Oct 25, 2016 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Aj the Ravenous Reader by: Masooma

Shelves: historical-fiction, physically-owned-books, emotionally-intense, five-stars, unexpectedly-good, reality-bites, definitely-not-young-adult

At 15, while I was still playing jack stones or watching Japanese anime, the girls in the story perpetually worried that any day they would be given away to some stranger in marriage. While I complained about the heat during bedtime, these girls feared they would wake up tomorrow without a home and a family or worse, would not wake up altogether. What hurt me most is the thought that although the characters and settings may be fictional, the events in the entire story did take place in Afghanist
At 15, while I was still playing jack stones or watching Japanese anime, the girls in the story perpetually worried that any day they would be given away to some stranger in marriage. While I complained about the heat during bedtime, these girls feared they would wake up tomorrow without a home and a family or worse, would not wake up altogether. What hurt me most is the thought that although the characters and settings may be fictional, the events in the entire story did take place in Afghanistan and may still be taking place in other places around the world. Call me selfish, but the story made me appreciate my life even more.

It is a heart-wrenching yet inspiring story that haunted me for days but from the very bottom of my heart, I thank the Mr. Khaled Hosseini for his unrivaled bravery and generosity for writing A Thousand Splendid Suns, a story about a woman’s strength, resilience and will to have a place in a society of endless wars and conflicts and where laws and social rules seem to conspire against her. This is a story that shows how a woman can be beaten, spit on or even stoned to death and yet her spirit and faith won’t waver. She will continue to fight for the ones she loves without complaint and will continue to weep and bleed for the love of her country.

I love how the lens of the story starts by zooming in on a small village, on one small character whose role in society seems of least significance and then zooms out onto the bigger picture, showing the conflicts in the country as a whole and how in the end, the small character will mark a huge place in the society. Even though this was one of my saddest, heaviest reads this year, I still look forward to reading the rest of the books written by the author.

☼ On a much lighter note, happy birthday to one of my most awesome, most wonderful friends, Masooma. Friends like you rarely come to a person’s life and I’m really lucky to have met you. I wish you everything that will make you happy and I don’t need to specify books. Lol. Love yah, girl! <3
...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Dem rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Dem by: Bookclub Read

Shelves: favorites, war, 5-star, recommended, top-30

Beutifully Written, Poignant and moving. A novel that deserves to be read and re-read.

I first read A Thousand Splendid Suns in 2010 and was so moved by the story of Marian and Laila that I planned on re-reading it within a year but the best laid plans and all that.....
Finally came up in an online book group read and just couldnt wait to read it again to see would I react the say way as I did seven years ago.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history an ...more

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Sep 12, 2019 Reading_ Tam_ Ishly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I like Hosseini's writing and opt for his books anyday if I have to reread a book.

But this one turned out to be quite disappointing for me.

The high rating of 4 stars still may be attributed to the simplistic yet straightforward and effective writing (yes, it's the writing that makes everything work for me to actually like a book in the first place) that made the characters, the story and the ending quite believable.

But it's the lack of character development (of the seeming) main character that I like Hosseini's writing and opt for his books anyday if I have to reread a book.

But this one turned out to be quite disappointing for me.

The high rating of 4 stars still may be attributed to the simplistic yet straightforward and effective writing (yes, it's the writing that makes everything work for me to actually like a book in the first place) that made the characters, the story and the ending quite believable.

But it's the lack of character development (of the seeming) main character that hugely left me unsatisfied when this book ended.

The book was no struggle for me to read but the unnecessary repetitive too much violence towards the female characters was something I feel that wasn't really required.

I get it that in order to emphasize how the female characters were suffering the writing tried to show now and then how it is and how it could be but for a book this long and leaving timelines hidden (yes, I would say this made my read rather unsatisfactory) as much of the earlier lives of the characters, specially of the main female character, was described with such details and anticipation and then it suddenly felt like (maybe reading fun spoilt for ya here as was for me) the story jumped directly towards the end and not much was said and done of what happened in between.

I found it hard to accept the characters getting old (with what happened in between questionable thoughts) and seemingly too comfortable with how things were and the ending mocking me like everything happened for the best (like who I was to question things when the characters are okay with their lives).

I wanted so much to connect with the characters but sadly, I couldn't. It seemed like the heart was taken out and hidden somewhere else (maybe a half of it was hidden in The Kite Runner and the other in And The Mountains Echoed) and maybe its shadow wasn't just enough for this book.

I love the nostalgia in the writing towards the end.

Even though I couldn't connect with the characters, towards the end I felt happier for the characters. It's hopeful and poignant.

Yes, again. It's the writing that got me. ...more

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Feb 17, 2016 Fabian {Councillor} rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library, own-paperback, all-the-books-i-own, to-read-2017-priority, historical-fiction, read-2017, reviewed, year-2007, literary-fiction

Though not as popular as Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is an extremely important novel with a huge number of interesting themes which are explored in its rather short amount of pages. In this family saga and moving tale of friendship, hate and love at the same time, Hosseini abbreviates several decades of important history into a fictional story spanning more than thirty years.

It's a depressing novel, consisting of a rather dark atmosphere and many chapters which Though not as popular as Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is an extremely important novel with a huge number of interesting themes which are explored in its rather short amount of pages. In this family saga and moving tale of friendship, hate and love at the same time, Hosseini abbreviates several decades of important history into a fictional story spanning more than thirty years.

It's a depressing novel, consisting of a rather dark atmosphere and many chapters which will leave you gasping for breath due to the sheer amount of brutality and inhumanity some characters seem to love carrying out. What I found most intriguing in this novel was the way Hosseini managed to provide a lot of information about the history of Afghanistan, a country which has been dominated by war and destruction for such a long time. At times he came close to sounding like a nonfictional correspondent of the events with his prose, but fortunately it never felt like the author was trying to pour infodump out on his readers.

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" is a tough book to review, simply because it deals with so many socially relevant issues that it feels like nitpicking to talk about the writing and the characterization. It's an important book which I can only encourage everyone to read as soon as possible, considering that it offers plenty food for your thoughts and leaves you pondering about themes and questions which you may not have thought about in such detailed precision before. My biggest problem with the novel was mostly about the main characters Laila and Mariam, who - thanks to the rather detached and neutral writing style - felt very difficult to connect or relate to. I started rooting for these characters throughout the course of the novel, though that's rather obvious to say considering the fate these two women had to endure in the course of the plot.

As a final note, I think this book - or Hosseini's other books in general - should receive more attention by the public. Nowadays, especially here in Germany, there is a lot of displeasure directed towards foreigners and their cultures, not necessarily people from Afghanistan, but the Middle East and Far East in general. Hosseini manages to introduces his readers who are not familiar with the cultures described in this novel to a different world, a world I personally didn't know as much about before reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" (and still wouldn't consider myself knowing a lot about). Khaled Hosseini's writing transports the important message that no matter where we come from, we are still all humans. Here in Germany and probably in many other places on our planet as well, people often tend to forget that coming from a different culture does not mean those humans are worth any less than we all are, and I think Hosseini's writing has the strength to remind more people of this fact. We are all human, and everyone deserves to be treated as such - no matter which cultural background you belong to. ...more

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Jan 11, 2018 Dana Ilie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a book by Khaled Hosseini. I found this book emotionally captivating and also a real eye opener, I had never before truly understood the hardship of female life under Taliban rule.
Undeniably Khaled Hossaini is a great story teller. His depictions of Afghanistan and his characters bring them to life for the reader.
Overall, it was a beautiful book that really opened my eyes to the wonderful people of Afghanistan and their history and how many women are still mistreated ...more

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Dec 10, 2007 Tom Carrico rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Book Review

A Thousand Splendid Suns
By Khaled Hosseini

Reviewed by Tom Carrico

It’s amazing that this author has the #1 fiction paperback (The Kite Runner) and the #1 fiction hardback (A Thousand Splendid Suns) on “The New York Times” bestseller list. The Kite Runner has sold over four millions copies since its release in 2003. It is a hauntingly written novel set in war-torn Afghanistan. It is exceptionally well plotted and opens the window on a part of the world that very few of us are familiar w Book Review

A Thousand Splendid Suns
By Khaled Hosseini

Reviewed by Tom Carrico

It’s amazing that this author has the #1 fiction paperback (The Kite Runner) and the #1 fiction hardback (A Thousand Splendid Suns) on “The New York Times” bestseller list. The Kite Runner has sold over four millions copies since its release in 2003. It is a hauntingly written novel set in war-torn Afghanistan. It is exceptionally well plotted and opens the window on a part of the world that very few of us are familiar with. The two boys in The Kite Runner are from different socio-economic circumstance but forge a friendship which transcends politics, war and economics. Even though this story is set in Afghanistan, it is a story of childhood betrayal and its consequences and could really have been set anywhere. It is a great story wonderfully told, however, and the fact that it takes place in a land few of us understand makes it educational as well as entertaining.

To use a baseball metaphor, if The Kite Runner was a home run, A Thousand Splendid Suns, the author’s second effort, is a game winning walk-off grand slam. The author has managed to tell the modern history of Afghanistan: from the end of the monarchy to the invasion of the Soviets to the chaos of rule by the war lords to the tight fisted maniacal rule of the Taliban to the post-9/11 return to some semblance of relative normalcy. The author again uses the device of telling the stories of two main characters of differing backgrounds, this time women. The first, Mariam, is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy businessman in Herat. The book opens with the story of Mariam’s childhood. She is sequestered on the outskirts of the city in a clay hut with her mother. Her father visits once weekly and servants from his house bring basic supplies. Mariam’s mother is understandably bitter and the tension between mother and daughter is palpable. Eventually Mariam is given in marriage to Rasheed, an older shoe-maker from Kabul, mainly to remove the embarrassment of her very existence from her father’s world. This man is domineering and abusive and Mariam’s inability to conceive causes her to quickly fall out of favor.

The second main character is Laila, a beautiful young girl who grows up as a neighbor of Rasheed and Mariam in Kabul. She has a childhood friend, Tariq, a young man who lost a leg to a Soviet land mine. As these children mature, they fall in love. Tariq’s family decides to run from the warlords who by now bombarding the city. During the hysteria of their pending separation, the two young lovers conceive a child. Once Laila realizes she is pregnant and has no idea how to contact Tariq, she also marries Rasheed and convinces him that the child is his. Needless to say, the relationship between Laila and the forlorn Mariam starts out poorly and gets worse. Eventually they are brought together by their shared victim status and their mutual disgust and hatred for Rasheed. The resolution of the conflict between these two women is riveting and, well, painful. You get the impression that there aren’t too many happy endings in Afghanistan.

While the author tells these two women’s stories, he also gives the reader a fantastic and comprehensive history lesson. The modern history of Afghanistan is complicated and the author uses some of the secondary characters to deliver this lesson. Laila’s father is a school teacher and is very interested in politics and a lot of his dialogue is opinion about the current state of affairs. Laila’s two older brothers fight for one of the warlords against the Communists and are both killed. Rasheed is a businessman who tries to manipulate whatever political system is in charge at the moment, which also gives insight into the political and social climate through all of these regime changes.

This is not an easy book to read. Over and over again, it is heart breaking. The cruelty to women is incomprehensible. The status of medical care during the rule of the Taliban is clinically detailed by the author (who is a physician) and graphically described when Laila presents to the only hospital in Kabul which is allowed to treat women and has to undergo a Caesarean section without anesthesia because the Taliban won’t fund the women’s hospital.

Khaled Hosseini has a writing style reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway. He writes in short, brutal sentences which conjure images that the mind can’t even comprehend. He always uses the perfect word or phrase. He alludes to Hemingway in one section when Laila’s father is reading The Old Man and the Sea. A Thousand Splendid Suns is also a fight against impossible odds, a story of hope when the situation is hopeless, and the resilience of the human spirit.

I think that this book is destined to be a classic. It is critically important for every American who has an opinion about war, freedom and human rights to read this book. It’s easy to forget the citizens of a country as it is repeatedly trampled over the decades. This book puts very real faces on people caught in the crossfire of a conflict they did not initiate. It describes conditions and situations which those of us living in the comfort of 21st century America cannot comprehend. This book is at once entertaining and horrifying, edifying and humbling, compulsively readable and appallingly shocking. It is terrific.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is available in hardcover from Riverhead Books.
...more

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Nov 30, 2015 Amanda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-east-muslim-world, 2016-log, favorites, own

I felt a little intrepid about reading this novel because I loved The Kite Runner so much, but A Thousand Splendid Suns is equally superb.

The plot centers around the lives of the two distinct protagonists, Mariam and Laila. Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of wealthy businessman Jalil but is forced to live with the stigma of being a "harami." She lives an isolated life with her mother, but her father visits weekly. Mariam's adoration for her father and desire for his acceptance leads to a fa I felt a little intrepid about reading this novel because I loved The Kite Runner so much, but A Thousand Splendid Suns is equally superb.

The plot centers around the lives of the two distinct protagonists, Mariam and Laila. Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of wealthy businessman Jalil but is forced to live with the stigma of being a "harami." She lives an isolated life with her mother, but her father visits weekly. Mariam's adoration for her father and desire for his acceptance leads to a fateful change in her entire existence. After tragedy strikes, Jalil, in his weakness, forces Mariam to marry Rasheed, an older man, and move to Kabul. Laila, on the other hand, leads a very different life. She has been raised in Kabul and has friends and a wonderful childhood sweetheart. Her father dotes on her and encourages her education. Unexpectedly, the two women's lives become intertwined by a cruel twist of fate.

The novel spans over three decades and is set against the backdrop of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the ensuing internal conflict for control, and the eventual rule of the Taliban. These conflicts are central to the course of events that shape the characters' lives.

As well as being a master storyteller, Hosseini has an undeniable ability to create vivid and memorable characters. After reading before bedtime, I would awaken still thinking of them. Somehow they became ingrained in my memory. For me, this is what separates a good book from a great book.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is an extremely emotional read. I experienced every emotion imaginable- sorrow for the victims of Rasheed's cruelty, denial at the news of Tariq's demise, tenderness for the bond between Mariam and Laila, and indignation at Mariam's fate. I was ultimately reduced to tears when Laila travels to Herat, a beautiful moment.

Memorable quote:

She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. That all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. ...more

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About Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini

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Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. In 1970 Hosseini and his family moved to Iran where his father worked for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Tehran. In 1973 Hosseini's family returned to Kabul, and Hosseini's youngest brother was born in July of that year.
In 1976, when Hosseini was 11 years old, Hosseini's father obtained a job in Paris, France, and moved the family there. They were u ...more