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June 2014: And the Mountains Echoed
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Rach , Moderator
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Jun 05, 2014 07:12PM
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It seems that Khaled Hosseini is suffering from a curse. The Kite Runner was so well received that everything he has written since has been compared to it by readers and reviewers and has been found wanting. After reading the first third of ATME, I have come to the conclusion that Khaled's writing is as good as it ever was. After reading just a few pages he has taken me once again to a land I have never visited (and will probably never get to) and has allowed me to see it with an almost crystal clarity. I am convinced that Nabi lived in is similar to the one that Khaled lived in as a boy. It seems unlikely that anyone can describe a place so well without being intimately familiar with it. It also seems remarkably similar to the house he described in Kite Runner.
I am about halfway through ATME, and I have noticed the description as well. He certainly seems familiar with the place so much that it is easy to infer that Khaled has been there for an extended time. I am having some difficulty tracking the characters and needed to reread part of chapter 2 because I was too distracted during the first read to remember relationships and to make connections. I have not read Kite Runner. I assume it is a recommended read?
Sonya wrote: "I have not read Kite Runner. I assume it is a recommended read? "Absolutely! Khaled's life mirrors those of Amir in TKR and Idris in ATME insofar as they are all boys from a privileged families who left Kabul as children, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and later returned temporarily to the home of their birth. It is in these two books that one sees most clearly Khaled's tremendous ability to draw the reader into his story and make them feel as if they are a part of it. His second book, which dealt mostly with the war as seen by those still living in Afghanistan, lacked a bit of that first-hand feel to it. It was still a really great book, though.
I have about 100 pages left and every chapter is very emotional. So far, the second chapter with Abdullah and Pari is my favorite. Also chapter from Pari's POV is exceptional.
Kaya wrote: "So far, the second chapter with Abdullah and Pari is my favorite."I agree. I also really like the chapter about Idris. It reminds me of a chapter from "The Ugly American" in which a visitor to a foreign country gets inspired to help out but the commitment wanes once he gets back home and settles into his comfortable life.
I find that chapter very disturbing, mainly because I was so disappointed in Idris. He was so judgmental about his brother and his motives but in the end, his brother was a better man than he was.
I too really appreciated the imagery he creates in his novels. It's what makes them so engrossing. I was surprised by one of the critical reviews of this book who claimed it was too cutesy. I felt like he made no effort to wrap everything up in a neat little package. He left things unanswered. There was no unrealistic moment of clarity. It felt very real to me, which makes me appreciate the book even more.
I liked the chapter with Idris. It reflects how most people behave. We have moment of inspiration, but rarely do we have the drive to follow through. Unfortunately it's painful to recognize those shortcomings in ourselves, but in contrast it's very easy to identify them in others.
I guess that is exactly why I wasn't enjoying the chapter. I don't know how I would act in his position and that gives me mixed feelings.
Rachel wrote: "I liked the chapter with Idris. It reflects how most people behave. We have moment of inspiration, but rarely do we have the drive to follow through. Unfortunately it's painful to recognize those s..."I agree. In fact, there are several moments that present insight into human behavior such as the decisions of Pawana and Pari. The moments of conviction and determination do not always transfer to sustained action.
Earlier I wrote: "The Kite Runner was so well received that everything he has written since has been compared to it by readers and reviewers and has been found wanting"I've just finished ATME and I believe that Khaled Hosseini has surpassed himself. When compared to this book, parts of Kite Runner come off as choppy and some characters are rather two-dimensional. ATME, is nine stories, that while separate, interrelate with each other seamlessly in a way that is tremendously compelling. What I really found fascinating is that there wasn't a single character that I didn't really like, even those that did less than likeable things. They were all so well crafted that I felt like I understood them all and why they were the way they were.
I read this book about a year ago, and loved it. I have read everything Khaled Hosseini has written, and I love all of them. "The Kite Runner," "A Thousand Splendid Suns," and now "And the Mountains Echoed" all have a place on my Keeper Shelf. :)
