Nandakishore’s review of A Thousand Splendid Suns > Likes and Comments

Ah, a prayer to Kali-Ma! Thank you!

Excellent review!
This was the first novel that made me shed tears, the scene at bus stand after Mariam has just been married to Rasheed.

i think its 'His' not 'Hi'(2nd part 1st line)

Excellent review!!! Nandakishore ji

i read this story as a plot from wikipedia, i have been feeling how good it will be when i started to reading the entire novel, though i know the entire story.

the most excellent thing about this novel is ending.
Mariam kills her husband not to turn Laila into another Mariam.

What a stunningly insightful review!

Thanks, all. And Srinivas-I corrected the typo. :)

Outstanding review!

Thanks, Jill.

Congrats!
I can see it here.

Yes, the image of Kali Maa. She used to frighten the hell out of me as a child, so I used keep my eyes averted from her image/ idol whenever I visited temples. As I matured, I have become a fan of "Woman Power" as symbolised by her.

Cool, here you go!

I also used to get frightened by her idol while I visited temples as a child but I don't go to temples any more.
Also you can increase the image size by setting width to 400 and height to 600.

I also don't go to temples any more to worship, but I do enjoy being in the quiet, ancient ones with their sense of peace and mystery.

And I do enjoy mythology.

i liked your review,but wanna explain something,u can find tolerant Muslim who pray five times a day .this is the only thing that is in common between those extremist of Taliban and moderate Muslims .....

there is other countries where women's rights are protected and Islam is practised as a peaceful, loving, faith like in Turkey for example....

in Egypt we are struggling to stop the Islamic extremist groups from spreading their poisonous ideas.....

Hend, I do not subscribe to "Islam-bashing". I am a Hindu from India, where the population is 16% Muslim; I've never had any reason to see Muslims as terrorists. SOB's like Rasheed can be found in any religion. The only thing is that intolerant philosophies like the Taliban allow people like him to flourish.

I've been to Egypt and Turkey both, and I know how liberal they are.

In India also, extremist groups are vying for power. Thankfully, secular ideals have prevailed... till now...

i am glad u are not stereotyping Muslims,thanks!
i agree with u,but i don't know how to stop those extremist,may be ignorance and poverty helped in the spread of those intolerant philosophies.....

there is other countries where women's rights are protected and Islam is practised as a peaceful, loving, faith like in Turkey for example....

Not always in Eastern Turkey though. And living in remote villages in Turkey i have seen some of the limitations placed on daughters, wives and mothers as well as the violence meted out to do so. The life in the cities can be very forward thinking but a lot of traditional and sexist views are held in places the further away from istanbul and ankara you go.

Amazing review! And a fascinating discussion as well! :)

Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "there is other countries where women's rights are protected and Islam is practised as a peaceful, loving, faith like in Turkey for example....

Not always in Eastern Turkey though. And living in re..."

u are right,rural communities are ruled by customs and tradition,not the teachings of Islam,i am talking about Egypt...
but sure u could find other countries doing the same,and this is a serious problem as eastern customs used to be oppressive for women in certain places...
i don't if u know about it,or not..
but before Islam girls were buried alive and women where inherited as property....
it is rare to find a Muslim who is practicing religion without separating it from culture..
but i think the most moderate Muslim are Sufi,this is why i was referring to Turkey,as A LOT of Muslims there are Sufi...

thank u for noticing the difference,we should change it,especially when u find a lot of radical and extremist theologies invading Islamic countries...
i see this and it upsets me!

Ok, fair enough but you cited Turkey as the example

there is other countries where women's rights are protected and Islam is practised as a peaceful, loving, faith like in Turkey for example....

Which is why i responded regarding Turkey.

i haven't gone to turkey before,so u sure know better than me:)
it was something i didn't know before...and it is sad that this happens in other countries.....
i only wished that there is a country that i can give as an example...but it seems that there is no one.....
but what about American Muslims ?i think they are moderate ,aren't they?
sorry if i annoyed u:)
i know that a lot of people judge a religion by its followers,and the truth is that most of Muslims are not following their teachings,they invented a brand new one claiming it to be Islam.....

Thanks, all.

You didn't annoy me Hend, so please don't apologise! Regardless of religion, race or anything else, there are still always good people and bad people. Sometimes it is very unfortunate that the bad people get identified by one element of their culture or belief system - mainly because in this world it is easier to put one all encompassing tag on a person than try to understand them as individuals. I noticed that you are from Egypt? What a wonderful country - rich in culture, heritage, ancient (and modern) wisdom and such diverse landscapes too. I have spent some very happy times in Alexandria and Cairo. I am interested in all things Islam and Middle Eastern. I like Tales of the Dervishes by Idries Shah and also there is a book which you might be interested in
Night & Horses & the Desert: An Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature

One of my favourite books is calledThe Traces Of Song: Selections From Ancient Arabic Poetry

Which is a selection of lines from ancient poetry and a collection of calligraphic paintings to go with each line. Some of my favourite lines

I see life as a treasure which lessens each night - Tarafa ibn al-'Abd

It's as though, since you left me, I am absent - Abu Tammam

Night gathers tight around me the trains of her love - Nusayb ibn Rabah

Thank u for all your sweet words and your recommendations,u are very kind...
:)
and i liked the quotes,how come that i haven't read them before!
:)

I'm not sure if they are maybe a little obscure or lesser known quotes of more famous scholars and philosophers. The book is beautifully illustrated though and I highly recommend it. You can get it from here. It is a delight just to flick through and admire the calligraphy as well as the simplicity of the quotes.

http://www.oxbowbooks.com/bookinfo.cf...

or from here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Traces-So...

where it is a tiny bit cheaper.

Thanks a lot!
i also admire calligraphy ,a very fine art.....

It is indeed. Also apologies because the book is expensive now, I got it when it was on offer for about £6 and now it seems to have increased in price a great deal.

don't apologize pls,i can wait till it is on offer..
:)

This is easily one of my favourite reviews from you, Nandakishore. It's insightful, thought-provoking, and from-the-heart. Just like the subject matter of the book.

Even though women suppression is largely due to religious extremism, there are ridiculous examples from outside that too... Khaps/Khap Panchayats! Not allowing women below 18 to go out after 6 unless accompanied by elder women, not allowing women to use cell phones! What age are we living in again?

God help us all, if He/She is actually listening.

Thanks, Kedar. IMO, religious extremism is just one of the excuses used by a male-centric society to relegate woman to the role of second class citizen: The Second Sex as Simone de Beauvoir termed it. Reclaiming the Kali archetype is one of the way out for women... though God help us men, if she does!

the best part: Mariam simply loves Aziza, Laila’s daughter, all the more because she is a little harami like herself!

excellent review.

I was torn with this book.

What annoyed me is that I think it was written too much with a commercial interest, writing what Western females, and I am in that group, would like to read.

An example is the way the incident of the destruction of the carved Buddhist statues bombed out by the Taliban, is presented. I did not think that it would be such an issue for the characters in the book, but that it was included because it is the sort of thing that will infuriate Westerners who have a relatively safe and comfortable life and are far away from the situations in which these women live.

Your review is excellent, and I particularly like to hear that you, as male and non-Western, liked the book.

Kalliope,

Khalid Hosseini is a commercial writer, and he does pamper to Western audience's perception of the Muslim world. However, that said, I believe that the Taliban (and other extremist groups like them, whatever be the religion or denomination) deserves all the bad press they get. I still remember the tears in taxi driver's eyes, and the break in his voice, when he talked about his gifted daughter. And the newspapers here are plastered with pictures of Malala Yousafazai, shot in the head by a crackpot extremist for advocating women's education.

Nandakishore wrote: "Kalliope,

Khalid Hosseini is a commercial writer, and he does pamper to Western audience's perception of the Muslim world. However, that said, I believe that the Taliban (and other extremist grou..."

Yes, you are completely right with respect to the Taliban and that we should do whatever we can in terms of damaging their reputation. It is just that I was irritated because the commercial aspect in this second book by Hosseini (less so in the The Kite Runner) was to me quite aparent, and this eventually can have a detrimental effect to the cause.

That list had me stewing for days seriously.It was a reminder to take notice of other cultures and the suffering they have gone through. I will never look at a burqa in the same way again. I wanted to tell everyone to read this book, it was so well done. It caught the emotions as a woman stuck in this perfectly. I forgot a man was writing this!

Lovely review - everything I could say has already been said, so not commenting much - but I enjoyed the book primarily because it was well-written, despite possessing little artistry or novelty. You reviewed it very aptly.

Lit Bug wrote: "Lovely review - everything I could say has already been said, so not commenting much - but I enjoyed the book primarily because it was well-written, despite possessing little artistry or novelty. Y..."

Thanks. Hosseini is not a literary writer, and he has been accused of pandering to the West by denigrating Muslims. But as I said earlier, I believe that the Taliban should be given all the bad press which can be given.

And one more thing - I am firmly on the side of women. They have all the rights that men have, and should not be considered second-class citizens in any way. So I see red whenever male chauvinism comes into picture.

yes, and I don't really regret Hosseini catering to the Western demands as long as he's being fair. Well, if his wish is to create a furor about what's happening with women and secular people in Af-Pak, what's wrong with that? It's the need of the hour, in fact. So despite seeing that point, it doesn't matter to me. In any case, it's way better than Slumdog Millionaire. It isn't cashing in on something.

"Slumdog Millionaire" was just plain stupid. It's typical Bollywood Masala Movie served up in Hollywood - so it got the Oscar. The premise of the story is excellent (the quiz show format), but the whole slum life part is trivialised to the level of silliness.

I have never read a Hosseini only in fear of being underwhelmed or getting a mawkishly sentimental account of oppression of women. But your review is excellent!

Samadrita wrote: "I have never read a Hosseini only in fear of being underwhelmed or getting a mawkishly sentimental account of oppression of women. But your review is excellent!"

Thanks!

I 'liked' your review before, but did not comment. It is a brilliant review! This book made a bigger impact on me than "The Kite Runner". Judging from all your comments, you have traveled the world, especially the world this book is based on, which makes your review so much more important. I loved this book!

I agree with the emotional-play in this book, however, I do think it strengthens the message to the reader. It serves a valuable purpose.

The religion is not a problem, it is how it is executed that kills the human spirit. There are two books I think you would enjoy:

"Last Train to Istanbul"
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and

"The Kabbalist" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Margitte wrote: "I 'liked' your review before, but did not comment. It is a brilliant review! This book made a bigger impact on me than "The Kite Runner". Judging from all your comments, you have traveled the world..."

Thanks!

Wonderful review of one of my favourite novels! I remember crying buckets reading this one eons ago. It might have to do with the fact that as a woman, I felt an echoing effect within me for every atrocity meted out to Mariam and Laila. And the redemption was sweet indeed!

I loved the concluding paragraph, the one drawn from your own interactions. Thank you.

Seemita wrote: "Wonderful review of one of my favourite novels! I remember crying buckets reading this one eons ago. It might have to do with the fact that as a woman, I felt an echoing effect within me for every ..."

Thank you. I am awed by Kali Maa.

Sometimes we might not even notice that the dystopia we fear, might just exist for others.

A very well-written and thoughtful review. This book opened my eyes to what really goes on in Afghanistan. A part of me did not want to believe that it could be so bad - maybe Hosseini was sensationalizing stuff. But worse things seem to have happened in that country. So it's particularly heartbreaking that Hosseini starts off his stories in the pre-Taliban era and you have to helplessly witness the deterioration of what was once a beautiful place :(

Though the book is depressing, I strongly feel that Hosseini has highlighted the reality of living in an Islamic country.
This worn torn Kabul is riddled with third world problems like any war- torn country. I feel sad and terrified but the same time coming to terms with the Islamic laws such as 1) wearing of burqa, 2)praying five times a day, 3)childhood bride, 4) polygamy to name a few.
I must salute Hosseini for enlightening us that being a woman in a Muslim controlled state has limitation. I am a Pacific Island girl, such things are strange to me.
What I love mostly about this novel is that 'Love conquers all'. Though it starts with Miriam and ends with Laila, we can still see the essence of love.