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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS (JUNE 2016)
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I have read & heard a lot about Khaled Hosseini. This will be his first book that I will read. Looking forward to it.
I agree.. this is a lovely lovely book. have read it a while back.. I had watched and read kite runners before this one... I like this one better though..
I read this book. This is one of my favourite. Happy Reading to all.
Started reading this today - Mariam's life begins in a bittersweet manner. I can already sense classic Hosseini heartbreak as I read about Nana's life :(Happy reading to all and yes, I'm really happy that this was chosen as the month's group read :D
one of the finest writers of our generation and this is his best work so far. Its about survival, kindness ,love and more importantly about humanity which makes the two central characters(mariam and laila) to help each other out.It was fate that brought these two women together but their kind heartedness bring them close to eachother and their bond amidst the whole crisis is what makes a reader.....just feel good. like in his previous novels the author depicts afghanistan in a way we cannot imagine it being like that. similar to his previous novels he merges fact with fiction beautifully.
I highly recommend this book and khaled hosseini's other works,
"kite runner" is one of my personal favorites.
Really good book by Khaled Hosseini ... The flow of the book is really good. I enjoyed the book and we feel immense pity for the characters. We feel the remorse war brings into lives. Happy reading :)
Anyone else doing this group read? I'm 1/3rd way through Book II. Let me know if anyone wants to discuss :D
A very good book indeed...! Happy reading to everyone :-)
Not sure if anyone wants to participate in a discussion so I'll put forth a few of my viewpoints:I just got to the part where Rasheed is seeking an answer from Laila for his proposition that he sent through Mariam and I feel sick in my stomach - somewhere behind his charitable facade, I just feel that he is mocking her helplessness (something that he did with Mariam too). It isn't the paedophilia that bothers me as much (it may be acceptable in certain cultures and we see examples of it within terror groups too) - it's his intention that irks me. It looks more like spiting Mariam (view spoiler) than be empathetic toward Laila (like I said, mocking her situation). I feel gutted for Mariam, she barely found any happiness in her life and marriage (view spoiler) and now she has to face this.
I presumed that Laila would protest at the preposterous idea but she seems to have other ideas (view spoiler) (that's where I left off today morning).
Sharadha wrote: "Not sure if anyone wants to participate in a discussion so I'll put forth a few of my viewpoints:...I hope that she has a mighty good reason to go ahead with this decision t..."
Oh, she does. You should have read just a few more pages.
Anyway, I felt the same, sickened by the idea, while I was reading the part where he marries Laila just to give him another son. Now I am starting to get the true meaning of it when Nana had said: "Women like us. We endure. It's all we have."
At this point, I am 60% done(view spoiler).
Ankit wrote: "Now I am starting to get the true meaning of it when Nana had said: "Women like us. We endure. It's all we have.""Wise old Nana :( My heart goes out to her :(
Sharadha wrote: "My hunch prophesies that [spoilers removed] Am I right?"Yes. I couldn't guess it at the time. So, I was confused when she agreed. I thought she was taking the easy way out.
And although, I empathize with Nana, I agree with Mullah Faizullah when he had said to Mariam: "Your mother, may Allah forgive her, was a troubled and unhappy woman."
But we should not blame her. It was natural because of the things she has experienced.
Nana had endured quite a lot of crap from Jalil and his wives so she couldn't be blamed for her bitterness - I feel that Mullah Faizullah said all those things to alleviate Mariam of her loss. I sometimes feel that Mariam wouldn't have been any different from Nana given how her life panned out eventually - she too is bottled with too much discontentment.I guessed that reason because Laila was getting sick so often. Her love story was something else altogether *reminiscing the good times*.
Mod
I understand whatever happened was bad but you don't stop living for dead. She had a living child with her and she kept living for dead.
Forgot the gender of laila's first child. Was it a girl?
I just loved Mariam. Living in fear of husband, suffering so many miscarriages and yet she accepts Laila not in her home but also in her heart. Shd was hesitant and hated Laila first but slowly she saw that Laila is not better than her own. They both were suffering and became sisters in their pain.
Sharadha wrote: "I feel that Mullah Faizullah said all those things to alleviate Mariam of her loss. I so..."No, I think what he said was not just to relieve Mariam of her feeling guilty. I think it true was of Nana's character. But as I said, she should not be blamed for the way she was.
Manju wrote: "I never liked Laila's mother.:/I understand whatever happened..."
On the other hand, her father was very nice, always having positive attitude, stressing on his daughter's education. (view spoiler) It seems like all the good characters are suffering here.
And you guessed it right. Laila's first child was a girl.
I am LOVING the interaction between Mariam and Aziza and Laila and Mariam's chai nights :D Can this happy phase stay for just a little longer???? *mouths a silent prayer*
Sharadha wrote: "I am LOVING the interaction between Mariam and Aziza and Laila and Mariam's chai nights :D Can this happy phase stay for just a little longer???? *mouths a silent prayer*"All good things must come to an end.
Aye, they do :( Especially when it comes to Hosseini - he doesn't do happy.. That stupid brother ditcher at the bus stop - how could he do this to Laila and Mariam? They could have run off by now had he not told on them :-x
Mod
who is Aziza? I forgot.
Mod
All goo..."
so do the the bad things!:)
Manju wrote: "@Ankit: this book is about sufferings, sadness and pain.:(who is Aziza? I forgot."
Laila's first daughter - she is a sweetheart <3
Manju wrote:"so do the the bad things!."Yes, so do the bad things.
I remembered that line from Breaking Bad. :)
Mod
Yes, so do the bad things.
I remembered that line from Breaking Bad. :)"
I love that show!:D
Sharadha wrote: "Aye, they do :( Especially when it comes to Hosseini - he doesn't do happy.. That stupid brother ditcher at the bus stop - how could he do this to Laila and Mariam? They could have run off by now..."
What a sick mindset that women should always be accompanied by men. There is no shred of logic in that
Also, the laws enforced by Taliban were ludicrous.
Ankit, I was reading them today morning and in my mind, I kept repeating 'Die, sinners, die!' :( I doubt that it's any different for people in war-torn countries even today.
Manju wrote: "Ankit wrote: "Manju wrote:"so do the the bad things!."Yes, so do the bad things.
I remembered that line from Breaking Bad. :)"
I love that show!:D"
It is THE BEST tv show.
If you liked it, you should also watch the spin-off series Better Call Saul.
Sharadha wrote: "Ankit, I was reading them today morning and in my mind, I kept repeating 'Die, sinners, die!' :( I doubt that it's any different for people in war-torn countries even today."I wonder.
Reading such books and watching such films makes us realize that we have much to be thankful for.
Rasheed is such a pig! I thought that I couldn't hate anyone more than Jalil for his ostentatiousness in the novel but Rasheed proved to be leagues above him. For what he did, I couldn't even rejoice Tariq's homecoming :( Die, sinner, die :( He didn't ace much in his life but he also ruined Mariam's life in the end - that oaf! :-xI didn't like Hosseini squeezing in bin Laden and 9/11 in the end though, feels a kind of a stretch as I near the last two chapters.
On a lighter note, how much fun was Titanic-mania? :D :D :D :D :D
Drat. I've already read this and was looking forward to reading something new.I love this book, don't get me wrong. But I am not up for a re-read.
Sharadha wrote: "On a lighter note, how much fun was Titanic-mania? :D :D :D :D :D"Did it really came to be called as Titanic city?
Done with it :D It doesn't compare to Kite Runner, but I won't make such a comparison either. I thought that the last two chapters dragged on a bit, unlike Hosseini but anyway - at least I liked Jalil a little more in the end. The last line of the chapter made up for the stretch though:But the game involves only male names. Because, if it's a girl, Laila has already named her.
Salud, Hosseini \m/
Ankit wrote: "Sharadha wrote: "On a lighter note, how much fun was Titanic-mania? :D :D :D :D :D"Did it really came to be called as Titanic city?"
Check this out, Ankit - http://www.news24.com/xArchive/Archiv... :P Even rice is called Titanic these days hahahahahahaha xD
Found many more such articles lol
I have the book already but did not find time to read it. This book discussion will give me a good push to read it at last.
I have the book. Been thinking since long to start. Now, i will start thanks to this group. So, what do we do in the group exactly while/after reading the book ? i mean whats the protocol? new member. help me out.
Arun wrote: "I have the book. Been thinking since long to start. Now, i will start thanks to this group. So, what do we do in the group exactly while/after reading the book ? i mean whats the protocol? new memb..."While reading the book, we utilise this thread to discuss it for the course of the month it's won. After reading the book, we vote for the Book of the Month for next month :D
If you finish it within the month, then you can pick up any of the other challenges (pick-it-for-me, for example) or buddy read with other members on the group :) Hope this helps, Arun.
Oh, welcome to the group!
Sharadha wrote: "Arun wrote: "I have the book. Been thinking since long to start. Now, i will start thanks to this group. So, what do we do in the group exactly while/after reading the book ? i mean whats the proto..."Okay. Thanks Sharadha.
Too tragic. I wished to see Mariam fight back but not this way
This book was amazing.
Rakhi wrote: "Too tragic. I wished to see Mariam fight back but not this way"I guess that was THE ONLY way she could fight back in the situation. Did she really have any other option?
Abhinav wrote: "I guess that was THE ONLY way she could fight back in the situation. Did she really have any other option?"If not for the Taliban, she would have had many options :( Laila could have saved her as a witness.
Sharadha wrote: "If not for the Taliban, she would have had many options :( Laila could have saved her as a witness."They believed her when she said that she killed her husband but didn't (want to?) believe the part where she explained why she did it. I doubt that the Taliban would have admitted Laila's testimony. They seem to do what they want to do.
Mariam's objective was to keep Laila out of it. It was heart breaking for us, but she was satisfied with it: knowing that Laila and her children would be safe for the rest of their lives with Tariq in Pakistan.
And yes, that was the best closing line.
I guess you are right in a way, Ankit. I am biased to Mariam so I am a little blinded to anyone else hehe But what you say makes sense - Taliban would probably have ended two lives instead of one. Mariam jo deserved better for her resilience though :'( :'(
I have reread this book atleast 3 times. One amazing story, though it's laced with tragedy.
Rereading the book this month gave me a whole new perspective to it. Of course the stories of Mariam (whose father's intention in educating her arose from his guilt, and who only signed her name twice, both times writing her life away) and Laila (whose father ensured her education in hope that her own and her country's future needs educated girls) both suffered the same fate. I think Mariam was more resilient of the two while Laila was the kind of person we call a survivor.Besides all this Hosseini has subtly dealt with process the rise of extremism in the face of war... first the Mujaheddin and then Taliban... perhaps the seeds of inhumanity lies dormant inside. I see here a theme of self vs the other... first the Mujaheddin vs. the Soviets... then between the different factions of Mujaheddin then the refugees rising against the oppression of war by the Mujaheddin. Obviously in all of this the classes to suffer the most is that of the women who are suppressed under each of these groups.
This is a slice of life and history and the sad part is that as of now the condition remains the same if only the names differ perhaps, regions, languages differ but the stories of so many millions of women remains the same.
It was a wonderful but hard read because of the many tragic scenes in the book. Mariam's and Laila's bonding was rushed. It would have been better if more pages were dedicated to their bond.
Poongothai wrote: "It was a wonderful but hard read because of the many tragic scenes in the book. Mariam's and Laila's bonding was rushed. It would have been better if more pages were dedicated to their bond."I know, the fourth book seemed a little useless to me, Hosseini could have utilised all those pages to describe Mariam and Laila's bond in some more depth.
We are starting the group read for June.
I had read this book as soon as it was released. Couldn't resist a mint new copy seen at the Bangalore Bus stand book vendor shop, and this was even before I came to know of Khaled Hosseini or his writings.
And remember finishing it off in 2-3 longish stretches. It was very heartwarming and touching.
So am glad that this was chosen as group read for June, and those who have not read it yet, will be motivated to read.
BLURB
Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them—in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul—they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation.