lit. letter 12
April 28, 2009A Thousand Splendid Suns
Written by: Khaled Hosseini
Beautiful beauuutifull book!! After Stephanie Mayer and Dan Brown’s books, I vote A Thousand Splendid Suns. Great book and genuinely touching. It is truly one of the can’t-be-put-down novels. It amazingly goes in a flow. Everything is so detailed but in a way that does not bore a person at all. I admire the way he writes. After bringing up a topic or event in the book, he does not directly explain what is going on.
For example, when the topic of a letter was brought up in the book, the reader (I) had been so curious as to what letter Mariam, one of the main characters in the book, had received. As it turned out, she tore and threw it away. For a while I was like, ‘That’s quite a useless thing to bring up if the readers are not even going to know of it’. Yet, Mr. Khaled did bring back the topic…at the end of the book. And it suited the story! As I said, he goes with the flow, plotting events where they precisely fit.
The story is about how two women become so close to each other after a bit a rough patch between them. Mariam and Laila are their names. Although Mariam was at least fifteen years older than Laila, they had become as close as sisters. The story took a great turn when Mariam’s crabby old husband married Laila, just so she could give him a child, specifically a boy. The husband’s character was really cruel. He’d literally beat the blood out of his wives. It was sickening just reading about them.
The conclusion is the best and the most moving part of the story.
Mariam dies.
She kills her husband. Just so Laila does not have to suffer the consequences, Mariam makes Laila run away while she stays back to be sentenced to death and executed. That was heartbreaking.
It was great knowing, however, that Laila at least moves on to her happier life. With kids and her beloved husband, she felt the satisfaction she longed for.
I’m not sure I would’ve done what Mariam did, though I do know that a person cannot endure suffering their whole life. There comes a time when anger takes over, and the tyrant then goes through the time he deserves to go though.
Brilliantly written. I give this big fat story a big fat A!
OH YES MAN!!! this book does deserve a big fat A!!! this is my favorite book, its just amazing. Exactly man those parts when Laila and MAriam’s husband keeps beating them up was just to depressing, i felt like killing him. I was sooo happy when Mariam kills him. you are right, i am not sure i would have done what Mariam did for Laila, i don’t think i would have, not that brave. I guess Mariam thought she is old now,and knows that her husbands hare her because she can’t have babies, and she knew some one is waiting for LAila who loves her a lot and Mariam doesn’t have anyone.
This book made me cry many times man, wonder if this really happens.
you know while i am writing this i am listening to a very sad song, it is making me cry man, so i’ll go and cry a bit.