Finished book 1 of my 25 in 2009 book challenge, A Thousand Splendid Suns, this morning. This book was a thoughtful gift from my secret santa. I have a huge stack of books, ones that I have been meaning to read, to choose from to kick off my book challenge. The title of this one caught my eye.
I enjoy learning about different cultures and this book did not disappoint in that area. There are two main characters. both female, and the perspectives are interwoven throughout the book. Set in Afghanistan, I found this book to be well written although disturbingly violent at times. Surprisingly, I was able to locate the poem from which the title of this book references. It is a 17th century persian poem and this is the english translation.
Kabul
Ah! How beautiful is Kabul encircled by her arid mountains
And Rose, of the trails of thorns she envies
Her gusts of powdered soil, slightly sting my eyes
But I love her, for knowing and loving are born of this same dust
My song exhalts her dazzling tulips
And at the beauty of her trees, I blush
How sparkling the water flows from Pul-I Bastaan!
May Allah protect such beauty from the evil eye of man!
Khizr chose the path to Kabul in order to reach Paradise
For her mountains brought him close to the delights of heaven
From the fort with sprawling walls, A Dragon of protection
Each stone is there more precious than the treasure of Shayagan
Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye
Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls
Her laughter of mornings has the gaiety of flowers
Her nights of darkness, the reflections of lustrous hair
Her melodious nightingales, with passion sing their songs
Ardent tunes, as leaves enflamed, cascading from their throats
And I, I sing in the gardens of Jahanara, of Sharbara
And even the trumpets of heaven envy their green pastures
Overall, this book is a worthy read. However, I don't think it will knock your socks off.
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2 comments:
I enjoyed reading your review of this book. I've heard that its a great book, but I haven't read it myself because I was afraid that it would be, as you said, "disturbingly violent at times."
I still believe it to be worth reading, but it did become so excrutiating to read that I had to take a couple of breaks (and I am not too squeamish).
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