A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - Book Review

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies is a common phrase that many book lovers, such as myself, tend to use. However, in all the abundance of books available, there will be at least one book that spoke out to the reader above anything else. The enriching world, gripping story and engaging characters allow the reader to be completely immersed and feel a sense of accomplishment once the last few pages of the book are turned. To me, that special book is “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and in this review, I shall attempt to critique the book and how much my love for this book will shine through the ages

Story/The Premise

Written by Khaled Hosseini, infamous for writing the classical “The Kite Runner”, the story is divided into four sections, told from the 1960s to 2003. One is the tale of Mariam, and the story of her growing up in an unwelcoming household and the domestic abuse faced by her forced arranged marriage.  The second is the tale of Laila, the story of her friendship with the boy Tariq and the tribulations faced by her adolescence. The third arc is based on both of the heroines, about their relationship and the hardships faced by them. The last tale is based around Laila and Tariq and the events that occur in their lives together. It is to be noted that the last arc is the only one written in the present tense. While at first glance it may seem to be a simple story about two women, at its core, the story is enriched with themes of womanhood, domestic abuse and familial love, especially of a mother-daughter relationship. It brings out your inner feminist, seeing these characters go through so much hardship and tribulations in their lives. While some of the transitions between arcs and some of the events may seem a bit too convenient, the story was suspenseful, thoughtful and gripping enough to make up for it. Overall, while it still has it’s flaws, the story of A Thousand Splendid Suns is truly splendid and not one to be missed.

The Characters

Khaled Hosseini once again weaved his magic in this book by writing some of the most humane, down-to-earth and realistic characters depicted in any form of literature. While I would really like to talk about all of them, especially the despicable villain, Rasheed, I will primarily focus on the two main leads: Mariam and Laila. Firstly, Mariam had led a poor childhood with unpleasant memories and for most of her life was ridiculed for being an illegitimate child. While on the other side of the spectrum, Laila had a far more optimistic childhood with a loving family and a great best friend. On the surface, these two may seem complete opposites, but once you delve deeper, their circumstances and lives are far more similar than you think. During the third arc, they share great chemistry with each other, reminiscent of a mother-daughter relationship, which Hosseini confirmed was his true intention. Some of the tribulations they faced were downright painful and you really root for them to have a better future. Overall, the two leads were what made this book shine, for they were likeable, realistic and the type of characters that leaves a lasting impression on you.

Presentation/Layout

There is nothing much I can say in this section, other than the fact that the book was well presented, had clever writing and thoughtful descriptives. This is a trend common in all of Hosseini’s books. However, I do think that comparatively, the Kite Runner had a lot more memorable lines than A Thousand Splendid Suns, but I digress. Also, like I previously mentioned, some of the events and the transitions of arcs could have been handled better, but nevertheless, these are minor nitpicks to an overall solidly written book.

Enjoyment/Morals received

Honestly, at this point of my redundantly long review, it is very clear that I truly love this book with all my heart. The story and characters spoke to me unlike any other book before, the themes were thought-provoking and captivated me but above all – this book brought light to several issues that I never really bothered before in my life. It made me feel thankful for the current Muslim era I live in – for my whines feel like a dime in a snowstorm compared to the hardships these characters went through in this book. As mediocre as it may sound – this book honestly changed my life and I will truly cherish it to this very day.