The Book:
After the huge success of Kite Runner, expectations were sky high with Khaled Hosseini. Kite Runner was a gem and so is ATSS. A thousand splendid suns lives up to the huge expectations. KR told a heart touching tale of the bond between two men.
ATSS tells a heart wrenching anecdote of two women. It dives into the livelihood and sufferings of women in Afghanistan and successfully takes you into another world which is beyond your imagination.
This small 350+ page sensation will change your perception of women forever. Note it!
The Title:
The name of the novel comes from Josephine Davis'
translation of the Persian poet Saeb-e-Tabrizi's poem.
"One Could Not Count The Moons That Shimmer On Her Roofs
* Or The Thousand Splendid Suns
That Hide Behind Her Walls"*
Author is patriotic – which is evident from the fact that
these lines come twice in the novel and they highlight the beauty of Kabul.
Apart from such obvious meanings, the title goes very well with the theme of
the novel.
The Story:
(Don’t read this portion if you want to enjoy novel to the
fullest. And if you are too enthusiastic to resist then go on:-)
Mariam and Laila are the lead protagonists.
Mariam was born as a harami(illegitimate).
Her mother Nana commits suicide. 14 year old Mariam’s illegitimate father(Jalil)
marries her to a 40 year old shoe-maker of Kabul(Rashid). Laila on the other
hand was raised by a very supporting and liberal father. Unfortunately Laila’s
parents die in a rocket blast. Laila’s childhood love Tariq leaves Afghanistan along
with his family. Fate brings Laila to Rashid and she had to marry Rashid(who is
around 60 by then). Laila and Mariam don’t like each other in the
beginning. But Rashid’s atrocities make them come closer. Gradually there grows
a bond among them – they are best friends, mother-daughter and off course they
both are wives of ageing Rashid.
(That’s all I can tell. Else you
guyz would kill me :-)
Anyway. Story takes many amazing
twists and turns after that. Don’t miss the thrill of reading this dazzling work
by Khaled Hosseini.
The Analysis:
Khaled Hosseini has once again
proved his mettle as a brilliant story teller. Though it is a work of fiction
but it is based on real life incidents. Khaled interviewed a lot of women
before writing this book. Their sufferings and agony can horrify anybody. So
much pain, so much torture is everywhere in Afghanistan. The story covers
almost 30 years from 1974 to 2004. In these 30 years Afghanistan has seen loads
of changes - political parties rising and falling from power, men dying and
killing in the name of Jehad, attacks from Russia and USA, millions of innocent
civilians being killed, thousands leaving Afghanistan and settling as refugees
in other parts of world. In all this period of Turmoil the beautiful
Afghanistan has turned into a heap of dust.
One thing which nobody paid
attention is the condition of women. This is a brave attempt on the part of
author to bring forth the unnoticed!
The story and incidences are so
tragic that even the toughest of hearts are going to shed tears.
Do read this novel – not for your
tears but for theirs.
Not for the tragedy but for the victory
of existence.
Not for cruelties but for the magnificence
of life.
Plus Points
Wonderful Story and Storytelling.
Great writing skills.
Showcases culture of Afghanistan.
Weak Points
Though I may not
consider it as a weak point but the feeling of fear, sadness, tragedy –
sometimes make novel too depressing. When I was reading this book I was on my
toes(which is a good thing for a novel) throughout the novel. I was so involved
with the characters that I could feel their anxiety, plight and terror. I just
wish there were few more happy moments in the tale.
*The Rating
Story = 9/10
Storytelling = 8/10
Dialogues = 8/10
Grip = 9/10
Intensity =
7/10
X-Factor = 8/10
Value for money = 7/10(Yes, Its expensive @ 500 bucks!)
The Bonus
Here are some
dialogues/moments from the novel which I loved the most:
"This was a legitimate end to a life of
illegitimate beginnings."
“For one last time, she obeyed what she was told.”
“..but the game involves only male names...because,
if its a girl, Laila has already named her.”
I was shocked to tears
when Laila makes the choice of getting a caesarean operation done without any
anesthesia or pain-killers.
When Mariam leaves
Jalil at the bus stop and says she didn’t want to hear from him ever again and
that he didnt even have the decency to give her the time to say goodbye to
mullah faizullah.
When Mariam pleads Jalil
not to marry her and says –‘ you cannot do this to me’.
When Mariam tells
Laila that Rasheed is planning to marry her and he’s asking for an answer by tomorrow
morning and Laila says-‘You can have my answer now. Its Yes!’
When Laila does the ‘Babalu prayers’ with Zalmai(her son).
When Laila decides to
let Rashid get physical with her so that she could raise Tariq’s child.
When Mariam was forced
to eat pebbles because Rasheed did not like her food. Khaled writes, “Then he was gone, leaving Mariam to spit out
pebbles, blood, and the fragments of two broken molars.”
Final Verdict
You-cannot-afford-to-miss-this-masterpiece.
