Well, I just realized that my brother Mark has my book and when I wrote some notes on the book I didn't add the names of the characters! Maybe someone can remind me of the names and I can speak further about them.
first of all, I loved the book - I couldn't put it down. I read his first book the Kite Runner which I believe is equally as good. I liked 1000 Splendid Suns because it's characters were mainly women and it was a nice contrast from the 1st book whose main characters where men. I love his books because it shows us, teach us, a real part of the culture and life in Afghanistan that we aren't able to see. The only images or news we get about Afghanistan is about the Taliban and war and even though these are issues in the book at least we get personal, back stories of how people really live (even though the characters are fictional).
I loved learning about the history of Afghanistan. It really humanized these people which the media tend to dehuminize or desensitize us through constant images of war etc... I loved how the author really showed us the innocence of childhood, friendship and first loves. Those first relationships are so important and when you get older you forget how powerful they are and how they are your world so they are so powerful. Laila (i'm not sure if that's her name) was so sweet, and they way he wrote about her and her love I could totally imagine them in my head. I realized that we are not very different at all - that most of us in the world are all the same. We want love, safety, and health and peace. and we go through the same experiences - first loves, best friends etc...
The taliban is so crazy and these poor women being treated liked animals - worse than animals! it's strange how these people (the taliban) could think that the word of god would mean treating women like shit.....and how they would put their country in economic jeopardy over religion which i believe is only about male power.
i thought the auther had an intersting story, his characters were all full and interesting and i really loved it!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Kim's Review
Friday, September 21, 2007
(THIS IS NICOLE'S POST - I TOOK IT FROM THE LAST BLOG AND PASTED IT HERE)
I loved the book too. The author did a fantastic job in flushing out the characters just enough that I could get a clear picture of them in my head. I think he is an expert at describing them to the point where I can fully understand how he wants us to see them and also add enough of my own imagination to create characters that I could empathize and sympathize with. I felt like they were familiar and although our lives are completely different I could imagine their daily living and feel their joys, hopes, and pains. I too am grateful that I now have further understanding for women's lives under the different Warlord regimes, including the Taliban. I also enjoyed the Afghan history lesson and the fervor with which the author described the change in the landscapes both political and physical. I empathized completely with Mariam when she thought about how much she loved her father and how she truly wanted to be part of his life. I felt her pain when her mother took her own life and she had to live with the burden of guilt even though it shouldn't have been hers to bear. I fell in love with Laila as a child and continued to love her and eventually develop great respect for her as an adult and mother. The sacrifices she made for her children were incredible. I can't fathom going through a C-section without any form of anesthetic. I sincerely enjoyed the book and hope to read the Kite Runner in the immediate future.
September 21, 2007 9:25 AM
I loved the book too. The author did a fantastic job in flushing out the characters just enough that I could get a clear picture of them in my head. I think he is an expert at describing them to the point where I can fully understand how he wants us to see them and also add enough of my own imagination to create characters that I could empathize and sympathize with. I felt like they were familiar and although our lives are completely different I could imagine their daily living and feel their joys, hopes, and pains. I too am grateful that I now have further understanding for women's lives under the different Warlord regimes, including the Taliban. I also enjoyed the Afghan history lesson and the fervor with which the author described the change in the landscapes both political and physical. I empathized completely with Mariam when she thought about how much she loved her father and how she truly wanted to be part of his life. I felt her pain when her mother took her own life and she had to live with the burden of guilt even though it shouldn't have been hers to bear. I fell in love with Laila as a child and continued to love her and eventually develop great respect for her as an adult and mother. The sacrifices she made for her children were incredible. I can't fathom going through a C-section without any form of anesthetic. I sincerely enjoyed the book and hope to read the Kite Runner in the immediate future.
September 21, 2007 9:25 AM
One Thousand Splendid Suns
Hi, everyone, maybe some day I'll get this right. my computer wasn't accepting certain cookies to make this whole thing work properly. Hopefully, I got it now.
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