BOOK REVIEW||A Thousand Splendid Suns||TheNerdCorner

One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.

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You need to read this book

You understand me? You NEED to.

You know when somethings are just beautiful and there’s no other way to describe it?

When all the big words fail to explain the sensation you feel right at that moment, when you love something despite knowing all their flaws, problems and issues?

This is that book.

Flawed but beautiful.

And this beauty cannot be scripted, it is only felt.

The story is about the two protagonists; Mariam and Laila.

Set in Afghanistan from 1960s through the 2000s, we get to know a lot about the environment, the mindset, the people, culture and of course the Soviet Afghan War.

Now, there are things that will disturb you okay? There are plenty.

I mean you’ll read Khaled’s cantankerous uncouth character Rasheed whose demeanour is enough to leave you mildly depressed and staggered (I mean, why need mean girls when you have him? Only he’s a million times more cruel) So don’t say that I didn’t warn you.

Rasheed was so disturbing that my brain couldn’t grasp the amount of time he spent only to torment Mariam’s life, pass judgements and make her life choices.

There are some issues that your 21st Century mindset wouldn’t be able to comprehend or handle but you shouldn’t forget that this story is based back in the 1900s.

Learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.

-Nana

There are four parts in the story.

The first part is about Mariam’s life, the injustice that happened in her life still aches my heart.

Imagine someone else making decisions for you in your life, would you like to live that way?

Imagine getting forcefully married to somebody who is almost twenty five years older than you, abusive and dominating, would you like to live that way? But Mariam was forced to. In her life, she wasn’t the one who made decisions. At first it was her mother then her father and then her brooding evil husband. The only decision that she ever made in her life is perhaps the best part in the story (I so badly want tell you the reason but I can’t)

In the next part, we get to know about Laila’s upbringing.

Laila, beautiful and loving, is the only daughter to her parents. She has two brothers who join the military in the Soviet Afghan War.

What I really loved about Laila’s proverb was her relationship with her father whom she called Babi.

And of course, how can I ever forget Tariq? Everything about him is so very charming. I love him so much.

He’s somebody who said this and completely totally made me fall in love with him

I will follow you to the ends of the world

Now don’t blame a reader for falling in love with a fictional character ☺

Now keeping all my fan girly-ness aside, let’s get back to the story.

There’s a chain of events in the second part. We get to know about Laila’s early lifestyle and how it drastically changes when she gets married.

In the third part, we get to know more about the war. It is explained with more details, more reference and I know that you’ll love it. You’ll also get to know more about the Soviet Afghan War and how people left their home to survive the catastrophe.

In the fourth part, we get to see the older versions of all the characters and how the story ends. What happens in Laila’s life and what happens in Mariam’s life and the others.

I so badly want to narrate the whole story (and I meant it, I’m literally giggling out of excitement right now) but it would spoil the fun. Because throughout the book, I had different reactions (and this time it’s not only because I’m such a dramatic wreck). I would LOVE to explain but it will ruin all the suspense. So read the book okay?

There is one thing that I think could’ve been more precisely explained and it is death.Because that’s what we (at least I) think should be more explained in a historic fiction. Sometimes it felt a little bit rushed. But if that’s only me then that’s fine as well.

The best thing about this book?

It is the pain, the hate, the love, the suffering and everything that is in it. The mysteries that unravel, the questions that are answered after such a long time, the love that is felt and given and the smiling faces with hope in their eyes after all the suffering and remorse.

I’m blessed that I got the chance to read this book. I hope that I get more recommendations!

Now WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Grab the book from the library or bookstore and read it!