A Thousand Splendid Suns
Ratings535
Average rating4.3
‘'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.wordpress.com/
Not as good as the Kite Runner, but still a fascinating portrait of contemporary Afghanistan.
"Hati pria sangat berbeda dengan rahim ibu, Mariam.
Rahim tak akan berdarah ataupun melar karena harus menampungmu.
Hanya akulah yang kau miliki di dunia ini,
dan kalau aku mati, kau tak akan punya siapa-siapa lagi.
Tak akan ada siapa pun yang peduli padamu. Karena kau tidak berarti!"
Kalimat itu sering kali diucapkan ibunya setiap kali Mariam bersikeras ingin berjumpa dengan Jalil, ayah yang tak pernah secara sah mengakuinya sebagai anak.
Dan kenekatan Mariam harus dibayarnya dengan sangat mahal. Sepulang menemui Jalil secara diam-diam, Mariam menemukan ibunya tewas gantung diri.
Sontak kehidupan Mariam pun berubah. Sendiri kini dia menapaki hidup. Mengais-ngais cinta di tengah kepahitan sebagai anak haram. Pasrah akan pernikahan yang dipaksakan, menanggung perihnya luka yang disayatkan sang suami. Namun, dalam kehampaan dan pudarnya asa, seribu mentari surga muncul di hadapannya.
Sama seperti The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns adalah cerita yang sunggu menyesakkan hati.
I bet that this book will make you feel things that you never thought were humanely possible. A story beautifully blended into the history of Afghanistan is something that everyone should read not only for its writing but also for the ignorance we might hold to the atrocities that bud all around us.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is the story of two Afghan women - Mariam and Laila. Spanning across 3 decades is their story of yearning for love, dealing with grief and surviving the political horrors of Afghanistan. I cannot tell anything about the story beyond this. You need to read it. And cry.
Watching the lives of Mariam and Laila, especially Mariam, will make you want to give them a big hug and maybe, just maybe console them it's going to be okay. I am sorry, I cannot write anything more than this as I am genuinely out of words.
This book will not be the same for me knowing that Talibans are ruling over Afghanistan now. You will understand what I mean once you have read the book.
Lendo ao redor do mundo: Afeganistão 🇦🇫
Eu já estava preparado para a leitura extremamente pesada e poética do Khaled Hosseini depois de “O Caçador de Pipas”, mas, mesmo assim, este livro me impactou mais do que eu esperava.
Acompanhamos Mariam e Laila, duas meninas de diferentes épocas do Afeganistão, crescendo e passando por todas as dificuldades impostas às mulheres, desde o regime comunista até a entrada do Talibã.
O livro é pesado e contém diversas cenas de abuso e violência doméstica, mas vai muito além disso. O livro nos mostra uma realidade que muitos de nós fechamos os olhos ou simplesmente não compreendemos por completo. Temos desde não poder mais estudar até não ter o direito de ir e vir sozinha sendo perfeitamente executados e mostrados nesse livro, que permeia toda a narrativa com um sentimento de indignação, raiva e tristeza.
Foi um livro fenomenal e fico extremamente feliz que Hosseini tenha tirado esse tempo para pesquisar e escrever um livro sobre as mulheres no Afeganistão, dado o fato de ter um público fiel e grande e, assim, poder sensibilizar mais pessoas.
Recomendo demais, mas leia com calma e tranquilidade, pois definitivamente é um livro com maior carga emocional.
Difficult to rate because while it was well written and engaging, the story is utterly horrific and brutal, so not a particularly enjoyable experience.
One of my favorite books and why I learned Dari. I actually have a copy of the book in Persian. I will re-read it again someday.
You need to read this book!
It's the best and worst of humanity.told in a way that will touch your heart.
It's finding hope in the midst of despair.
It's zooming in on global tragedy to see the small suffering through it and endure.
And my heart broke for Afghanistan. For what it was, for what it could've been. May they endure and flourish again.
I cried like a baby and oddly enough feel more hopeful after it.
Final Thoughts from my notes:
I'm kinda on the fence about this one, because there were times when the book felt difficult to read. I remember reading it when I was in high school and the story sat with me for years and years, which made me want to pick it up again when I saw it sitting on the shelf at my local Savers. I wandered into the book aisle and looked at what sat on the shelves — hoping to find this book, which was a required reading for my English class at my high school.
I found this book and Hosseini's “Kite Runner,” which I never read but always wanted to after reading this book.
Now during my reread, I still found myself mad at the same characters. I also liked the themes of grief, love, war and the way it affects civilians, the history of Kabul and Afghanistan. A collective grief — there was a scene/lines that really stuck with me, especially this one:
“'I'm sorry,' Laila says, marveling at how every Afghan story is marked by death and loss and unimaginable grief. And yet, she sees, people find a way to survive, to go on.” (p.350)
this isn't an actual review since I read it in May of last year (it is now January)
my mother is currently reading this. I haven't said anything, because I hate talking about books outside of my disgusting, old computer. this is especially uncomfortable because I know what happens at the end and she is already sad. I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING
send help
Second re-read. A Thousand Splendid Suns was so eye-opening to me the first time that I read it and it is such a rich and beautiful book. It made me think of the women in Afghanistan and all that they endured because of not only war but because of the brutal and restrictive regime of the Taliban. Even in the present, it is so devastating to think of all the women under the Taliban. I don't think I could do justice in words to how tragic these events are. A very abrupt ending because i truly am at a loss of words for how tragic it is
This book is more of one traumatic and sad event after another with no time to process or with no happy events in-between that would make you feel hopeful. I felt it lacked some character development and some focus on how these events affect the characters.
বিশেষণ বসানোর জন্য বসানো না, সত্যিকার অর্থে ‘হৃদয়বিদারক' বলা যায় এই উপন্যাসটি।
শৈলীর বিচারে অবশ্য আহামরি কিছু না। যে গল্প অন্তঃসলীলা নদীর মত দুঃখ আনে তাকে বলি দুর্দান্ত গল্প, ভাবানো গল্প। এ সে ধরণের গল্প না। গলার কাছে দলা পাকানো গল্প এটা। সাবলীল, শৈলী ছাপিয়ে উঠে যাওয়া আরেক ধরণের দুর্দান্ত বই।
This book is amazing. Very telling of what's happening in Afghanistan right now. Hosseini is an amazing author with wonderful insights.
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. I am............speechless. After reading this book most of the books I have read in the past that I gave five stars to, seem to pale in comparison to this masterpiece. What a breathtaking journey Hosseini has brought to life in the pages of this book. It was definitely not an easy read, far from it, but what I got in the end was more valuable than gold. This book has taught me so many things and I will carry it with me for as long as I live, that's how deeply profound and meaningful it truly is.
This story centers around two girls, Mariam and Laila and how their lives intertwine and leave permanent marks on the other. There was a heavy historical component to this book and even though I'm not usually crazy into those, in this case I loved every moment of it and it taught me many things I did not know and opened my eyes to a lot. I feel like this book should be a requirement to read because even though it ripped my heart wide open and made my cry like I've never cried for a book before, it left me a better person and made me ponder.....everything I've ever known or believed about life.
To begin with, the way this story is told, it is easily the best written book I have ever read in my whole life. The way that Hosseini is able to paint a scene so vividly, take us straight into the middle of the action, make us feel and see exactly what the character is seeing, that's an experience like no other. I will definitely be reading the other books by this author, if only just for the writing because it was something on a whole other level that I've never come across before in my life.
Secondly, the characters are vivid and real and will live on in my heart and soul for the rest of my life, of that I am sure. I seriously feel as though I have taken this heartbreaking and breathtaking journey along with them and they are now forever part of me. They are some of the most complex, intricate beings I have encountered, even in real life, and we get a complete picture of them, right down to the very deepest parts of their soul.
Further on, the plot, going along with the mesmerizing writing is something out of this world. It's so intricate, intimate, winding and gives us a full journey into the lives of these two amazing heroines. Even if their lives weren't full of fancy things and materialistic aspects, that's what made them even more breathtaking, their trials and tribulations are beyond anything I can even fathom and it really reminded me not to take anything for granted. All of the obstacles they had to overcome, it really puts everything into perspective and makes it clear that the most important things we need in life are within us.
In conclusion, this book would easily make it into the top five best books I have ever read in my whole entire life, if not the best. I would recommend it to EVERYONE and I will, especially those readers who want to be moved and transformed from their reading experience. It is definitely not an easy read, in terms of the topics that are covered but the writing is beyond flawless and there are vital truths in this book that we often forget or completely lose sight of today's world. Please, just read this book.