Tuesday, August 5, 2008

"A Thousand Splendid Suns", a wonderful story

The last book of Khaled Hosseini ‘The kite runner’ had brought lumps on my throat while his ‘A thousand splendid suns’ gave the final stroke. Last evening sitting in my low bed with one hand holding the book, I saw the papers wet, it had brought tears. I had felt the pain a little earlier but when I finally couldn’t stop I didn’t know. I didn’t know when did the tears roll but there they were in the book. I realized the cup of tea which had been brought earlier had become cold, it had entered my room an hour earlier. I do not remember who had brought it, I only remembered I had asked him/her to put the tea in the table near by. I had been reading the book from Wednesday morning and couldn’t postpone the pages to be turned; I had finished it in two days.
I hadn’t picked the book intentionally. I had in fact gone in search of another book and when the seller said he didn’t have that book, I just took a walk in the store to fall upon something interesting where I picked Khaled Hosseini. I read the reviews and it was probably the book I had yearned to read.
The book is about an Afgani child Mariam, who grows into a girl and a woman, its story of her struggle, of her hardships. She establishes a special relationship with another girl Laila. The story is also about Laila and her hardships. It shows the picture of a country battered in war against the monarch, then against the Russians, against the Mujahiddins and finally against the Taliban. It tells a story of country where the life has no value, right has no value and where women are cursed and loathed. How in the name of religion, the Sharia law forbids women to get education, to walk freely, to get a job even to speak in public and to talk with strangers.
Had I been a woman I might have cried lot earlier but it was towards the end I broke. The exploitation of women, her treatment like an animal is painful. When one thinks it might be the last incident where the heart moans and pains, the incidents that come later become harder and more painful. The sacrifices a woman makes will leave the reader appreciating the greatness of woman being. “How much can she tolerate?” we keep on asking. “How low can a man go?” to worsen the life of his wife or any other female part leaves us torn apart.
After reading the book, the face of Mariam, her sacrifices denied to leave me. I sat almost an hour, staring the ceiling of my room as I lied on my back in my bed. I believe the women still live in situations worse than described in the novel, her greatness is more than shown in the book. Mariam will be with me for a real long time with me. I wouldn’t have regretted if this book had cost me more than thousand. A thousand splendid suns is a splendid story. Those who like reading will love this and for those who do not like reading it will spring love for books and to read more.

3 comments:

Keshi said...

Alot of ppl suggested this book to me..but I still didnt get a chance to read it.


**The book is about an Afgani child Mariam, who grows into a girl and a woman, its story of her struggle, of her hardships.

sounds like just the kind of book I'd love to read!


Keshi.

Macadamia The Nut said...

This is one of my recent favourites books too!
How can a movie do justice to the book man??
Sheesh!

Solitaire said...

I am so afraid to read this book. I am a cry baby.