REVIEW – 5
TITLE: A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
AUTHOR: KHALED HOSSEINI
GENRE: NOVEL, FICTION
PLOT
“One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls”
SPOILER ALERT!
A thousand splendid suns is a tale of two women, Mariam and Laila, brought together by fate. Book has four parts, set up in volatile Afghanistan from the time of Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban. First part narrated in the perspective of Maryam, an illegitimate child of her rich father, Jalil. She lived with her mentally unstable mother at a long distance from her father. Mariam was always desperate to see him, comes once or twice in a month. Mullah Faizullah was the spiritual teacher of Mariam. He was a role model for Mariam. One day she went to Jalil’s place without the consent of her mother, that act devastated her entire life. Maryam’s mother had committed suicide left her alone at the age of 15. Jalil had no way other than taking her to his home where his other wives and children lived. They showed no compassion for her, considered Mariam as a burden. After a month later, they married her off to a 40-year-old widower, Rasheed. He was a shoemaker lived in Kabul. Rasheed showed kindness and empathy to her in the earlier stages of marriage. He expected a male heir from Mariam. But she failed to bear him children, made him flip his kindness to hatred towards her.
The second part starts after a 9 years leap and narrates in the perspective of Laila, who was the daughter of Maryam’s neighbour Hakim and Fariba. At the starting of this part, Laila was 9 years old, lived with her mother and father. She had two brothers both were off to war, caused mental distraught to her mother and lack of affection towards her. Tariq, Laila’s best friend lived next door with his parents. They used to play and roam around, shared their happiness and sorrows each other. In the meantime, Afghanistan conquered by new powers and started rule over it. When the plight became more turbulent, Tariq’s parent fled from Kabul to Pakistan. Tariq left his love Laila heavy heartened gave her promise he would come back soon. Later, her parents resolved to flee to America, but everything has gone in vain when a missile dropped at home, left her to suffer alone with fate.
In the past three, Laila was lying in Rasheed’s home, who helped her out of concrete masses. She stayed with them and recovered from the traumas of impact. The author alternates the narration between Mariam and Laila from part three onwards. On that days she heard heartbreaking news from a messenger from Pakistan that Tariq was dead. She was expecting Tariq’s child and kept as a secret to others. Rasheed had forced her to either marry him or left the house. Helpless Laila agreed to the greedy old man and got married. Mariam had grown hatred towards her. Rasheed found Laila was pregnant and joyed while unknown to the truth. He showed kindness and taken care of her needs, ignored Mariam. Laila gave birth to a girl, named her Aziza, Rasheed lost his temperament again. He became gruff and restless. Aziza’s relation with Mariam grew stronger, so with Laila. Amid, the reign of the Taliban introduced in Afghanistan. Those were the terrible days Afghani peoples ever have seen. Barbarian rules introduced, the punishment was heinous, the whole country especially Kabul shattered by the oppression and killing. Laila got pregnant again, this time she gave birth to a boy through vigorous cesarean without anaesthesia (that much pathetic had been the condition of Afghanistan during Taliban rule!!!). Rasheed loved his son more than anyone. His shop burned to the ground, left him in poverty and anger. He became more abusive towards Mariam. One day a visitor came to Rasheed’s house, it brought a big twist in the story and seeded further terrific events. What are the big twists? Read the book!
MAIN CHARACTERS
Mariam: Protagonist -1
Laila: Protagonist -2
Nana: Mariam’s mother
Jalil: Mariam’s father
Mullah Faizullah : Mariam’s spiritual teacher
Rasheed: Mariam’s and Laila’s husband
Hakim: Laila’s father
Fariba: Laila’s mother
Tariq: Laila’s friend
Aziza: Laila and Tariq’s daughter
Zalmai: Laila and Rasheed’s son.
MY REVIEW
I heard of this book while watching Malala’s interview with Emma Watson. Emma asked Malala about her current favourite book, and she replied “A thousand splendid suns”. She recommended the book to everyone. I grabbed the book and read it. This book changed my perspective, I became more compassionate to women and children over the world. The reader can get a better overview of Afghanistan history and how did citizens suffer on these reigns. I was unaware of this invasion before reading the book. I sobbed a lot in several situations and it was like someone piercing a pointed dagger into my heart. It left me devastated to a couple of days after finished the book. Nonetheless, the memory of those incidents in the book still vexed me.
Khaled Hosseini’s writing style is subtle yet effective. He never stops describing an incident until the emotions deeply convey with the reader. Book portrayed the landscape and sculptures of Afghanistan in words. It gave a picture to the readers how these exquisite beauties turned ashes and concrete masses during the foreign invasions. The author explained how women were treated by men and their captive life. Afghani girls had forbidden from going to schools during the Taliban reign. He efficiently gathered the pain, helplessness and emotions of women in a war zone in his book. Even though Laila and Mariam are fictional characters, they took place in the deepest corner of my heart and they will be safe there always.
MY RATINGS
5 out of 5 stars
AFTERTHOUGHTS!
I had read this book last year, never thought to review it then, but now I do. Chemical attacks, missile droppings, attack on children… this news have been occupying newspapers nowadays. Millions of human suffering from this abominable act. Every day thousands of innocent children dying due to these blind act. Even the newborns became victims of war. I want to ask every nation, who have been taking part “why did children suffer?”. Time is up, every human should stand against the war. We need a safer and peaceful world. Everyone must express compassion for others. If you have a right to live, so have them. We should be obliged to expand our horizon of mutual love and respect. Remember, we all were one once, time made us separate on nationality, religion, continent, colour, economy. No nation in this earth is supreme over others.
STOP WAR! STOP BLOODSHED! STOP DISCRIMINATION
