A Thousand Splendid Suns
Okay, because I'm smart and I foresee the need for a book review in the future, I shall attempt to blog abt this book so tt in the future, I wont actually need to read another book. =D
Basically this book is abit similar to 'The Kite Runner' in the sense that they both depict the discrimination against people in Afghanistan. From what I gathered from cynthia, 'The Kite Runner' seems to describe the situation of the ostracised minority ethnic groups. 'A Thousand Splendid Suns', however, focuses on the lives of average Afghan women, exploring the extent of gender discrimination against the fairer sex. Interwoven into the plot is a concise history of the numerous wars which have constantly plagued the land of Afghanistan, focusing on Kabul, where the stage was set, and was coincidentally the author's birthplace.
The story revolves around the lives of the two female protagonists, Marian and Laila, and the author shows how both the war as well as the society's bias against women have contributed to their sad fate. Both forced to marry against their will, to the same man, they realise that they have to spend the rest of their lives subject to the whims and fancies of this one man, whom, in my opinion, regards them as nothing more than sex slaves. Try as they might, their society's distinct gender bias prevents them from escaping and is ultimately what condemns them to a lifetime of suffering.
khaled Hosseini skilfully links the lives of two average women together, and tells the story from both perspectives, thereby allowing readers a clearer insight into their thoughts and emotions. This structure abandons the mise-en-abyme format, although there remains faint traces of it, apparant in the later chapters of the novel, where Mariam's story is concluded through Laila. In this way, the author allows readers to explore the many different possible endings which could have been possible, thus invoking a sense of regret.
One general theme is prevalent throughout the novel, which is that of love. It is displayed in many different forms, such as the love of a father for his daughter (seen through Marian and Jalil), the love of a mother for her child ( only the great love of a mother for her child would have given Laila the courage to undergo a Caesarean section without anaesthesia), as well as the love of one soulmate for another (exemplified through Laila and Tariq.
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Okay, I'm getting bored of writing this thing, so I guess that's all for now. Wait until there really is a need for the book review then I write bah.
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