A Thousand Splendid Suns

"One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs

And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls"

This line is the basis of the book - it captures Afghanistan through it's people, it's customs, it's life. It could be also be written as the "Thousand splendid Sons that hide behind her walls" - a nation of strong men who have chosen to not move ahead with the times and remain locked in their history. In the book, a character predicts, if the Afghan's don't have a Soviet Union to fight, there is always each other. The aggression is channeled not into improving thier lot in life but making sure noone else gets ahead either - and people talk about the Indian Crab mentality!!

The book is well written but I can't help but have the feeling that I have read it somewhere before or something like it. 'The Kite Runner' was really a novel novel - a subject not breached at the time. This one though set in Afghanistan giving it character and surrounding - the story itself did not seem so unheard of. Love between friends, a mother and daughter, illegitimate children is the same across the world and not specific to Afghanistan. Kite Runner on the other end, the problem is specific to the country, to the choices Amir made. Here, it's destiny!!

Don't get me wrong - I love the way it is written, the details, the world as seen through Laila's eyes, brought up by forward thinking parents or even Mariam, brought up far away from Society. Don't get scandalised - but I don't hate Rasheed - not knowing any better. He was taught that his way is the best way, women are not meant to be seen, they have no value so to beat them is not a great sin. I do think Jalil is a pig - making the easier choices, never standing up for himself. I'm not sure if the line is true that in trouble, a man will always point the finger of blame towards a woman - but if it is, it explains why the term 'Jezebel' originated.

All in all, I liked the book, it did not stir in me the emotion that 'Kite Runner' did where I cried while reading the book in the Crossword in Ahmedabad but I did manage to finish the book in one shot from 11 - 2.30!!