A Thousand Splendid Suns

By Khaled Hosseini

Book Overview

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, the #1 New York Times bestseller A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594489505
• ISBN13: 9781594489501
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Riverhead
• Length: 372 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.2" x 6.2"

Customer Reviews

Not for the weak hearted

I finished this book in a day because I couldn’t put it down. So addicting. The lives of two women intertwined in a way that’s so captivating that you cant put the book down. Khalid Hosseini is an amazing writer

One of my new favorite books ever

This book is a tear jerker it’s so emotional and raw I JUST LOVED IT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ IT PLEASE 🤧

Everyone should read this book

An unbelievably well written book. I think that EVERYONE should read this book because it is truly so good. Do have to warn you that it is heartbreak in a book. I cried reading every single chapter and dreaded finishing it because I wanted to make it last as long as possible.

this is a great book

wonderful book that will make you appreciate the life you have

One of my top 5

I found this one on Tik-tok and quite honestly had no idea what the plot was about. I just heard stellar reviews constantly and ordered in a haul. From the moment I cracked the cover, I could not set this book down. One of the most marvelous, heart wrenching, and beautifully written stories I have ever read. It’s been two months since I finished it and I think about it constantly. This will be one I read every couple years.

A Thousand Splended Suns is one of my TOP 5 reads for 2022! I would definitely recommend this book t

The characters are easy to follow and the scenery is just so vivid!

A very, VERY good book.

This book will punch you in the feelings. All of them. Several times. It made me cry at least once. This is one of those books where I wish I could give the characters a long, warm hug and shield them from the cruelty of the world. Highly recommend.

Gut wrenching but really good

This book ripped my heart out and threw it on the ground and stomped on it over and over and over. It was SAD and completely gut wrenching. It was amazingly written. I can’t even describe how good it is. Check our trigger warnings for this book before you read. But I definitely recommend. It’s a hard read. It’s worth it.

Great story but I wasn't wowed.

This was a good read...but not great. I personally thought "The Kite Runner" was better. Give it a go, though. It's sad...and it makes me grateful that I am a woman in the United States. It still baffles me the oppression women face around the world.

incredible

had to read this for a class but i loved it!

It changed MY LIFE!!!

As an Afghan myself this book was so true of tragedy, it remarkably explained every aspect of ones life. The emotions, and feelings, its so heart wrenching and factly raw. Let's just say I cried a-lot. I would recommend this book to anyone. It's a must have and a once in a life time read. (I will re-read this book over and over as long as I live (i'm 16) hahah)

Heart wrenching

A beautiful story that will make you cry, laugh, angry, and happy. Just a wonderful story read this book

Beautifully Written

This is beautifully written! I love how the story was built up and the switch to different characters. The ending was beautiful and sad at the same time. After finishing it, I was left feeling a type of way and usually, that means the book really was amazing.

A must read

This book is amazing. The way it presents timelines while keeping the story interesting is exceptional. And, unlike The Kite Runner, it’s ending is less bitter and more sweet.

Enjoyed it

Very good story. I cried

Give it a chance.

This is one of those books that you must read once in your life.

Heartbreaking and overwhelming!!!

Much of Hosseini's fame can be attributed to the book the followed this (The Kite Runner), but for those who truly wants to know about betrayal and redemption, READ THIS BOOK and grab a full box of tissue, because you will be moved!

Incredibly well written

Incredible book! I personally thought it was better than The Kite Runner

Heart-wrenching

The book is very well written where one can feel all the emotions exuded by the characters. It’s not all fiction though, this is centered around the war in the Middle East around the late 1900s and extending to modern day. The book keeps you entranced from the beginning to the end. Truly leaves you thinking!

Love this book!

If you were thinking about getting this book, go for it! I read this after The Kite Runner and it did not disappoint! Hosseini really has a way of making you feel every word he writes.

Beautiful

I have read this book (literally) 5 times and each time it gets better. It is a gorgeous love story and a gorgeous story of friendship even in the worst times of their lives. It talks about war, love and forgiveness. I love it.

Great great book.

This book is one of my favorites books. I want to read all his books. I also read the kite runner. I will read also when the mountains echoed and whatever others books he will write.

Favorite book in the recent past

This book draws you in and keeps you in in a way I haven experienced in years. Absolutely recommended. Heart felt and moving from cover to cover.

So Extremely Beautiful

This book is gorgeously written with a story and characters that will stay with you long after you finish the story.

Leaves the reader feeling despondent. An incredible tale.

This is among the best books I have ever read. Its strongest point is its ability to make the reader FEEL – every single emotion. Hosseini presents an incredible, awe-striking tale of two very different women with very different moral compasses, whose paths become inextricably linked. I found myself in love with the characters, and my heart broke for them and leapt for them as the story took its various twists and turns. It perfectly wove the fictional tale of its characters with nearly 40 years of jarring history surrounding the Middle East conflicts. Perhaps the most devastating part of the novel is the end, when the reader is left feeling so much hope for the book's heroine, but knows from seeing history in action that things will only continue to get worse in Afghanistan after that. That realization left me feeling utterly despondent – but I don't regret it for one second. I would highly recommend this book.

One of the most striking literary pieces of the past few decades

Khaled Hosseini has a track record of splendid books with his renowned book The Kite Runner, so I was eager to read this book when I discovered it. It is in the same realm as the first book, centered around the war in Afghanistan. The main characters are two women who come from different backgrounds but ultimately join forces for the better. Without revealing too much of the plot, this book is incredibly gut-wrenching. It is descriptive beyond belief and visual to a near-visceral extent. Absolutely flawless. Characterization flows seamlessly throughout and provides a very historically accurate look into the Middle East.

Powerful insight into modern day Afghanistan

This book is not for the faint of heart. Is a tragic tale, told through the eyes of two seemingly different women, who come together to defeat a common evil. Right from the very start nothing goes right for Mariam, and the whole story just spirals down from there with only a few breif periods of sunshine. This book will have you emotionally attached to the characters and make you feel so spoiled and lucky, and make you feel powerless in your ability to do something to help. Should be required reading for all schools. It is extremely important for people to read this book or the Kite Runner before forming their own opinion about Afghanistan. This has the potential to change minds and shape a new generation of people who care.

Highly recommend!

I read this directly after reading Hosseini's first novel "The Kite Runner," and, although the two are not connected in any way other than the historical context, they seemed to flow into one another. So I recommend reading the two in sequence. But regardless of the order, it's a very easy and enjoyable read. I envy those who get to read it for the first time. And fair warning for those first time readers, this book will crush your soul, but it will also bring you so much happiness. It's quite a beautiful piece of art.

A look into daily Afghan life

Khaled Hosseini follows his best-selling debut novel "The Kite Runner" The Kite Runner with a sequel that is every bit as splendid as the title suggests. The tone is set early: this is a story about the hardships women face in Afghanistan. Mariam is the daughter of a well-to-do man. Her mother had ended her own life, and Mariam feels a great shame about her life...is married-off to a much older man named Rasheed. Rasheed believes women are the property of their husbands and forces Mariam into a degrading life. This causes the young lady to live a fearful existence...for his temper can result in punches, slaps, and kicks...only to be followed by insincere apologies. Laila is the second heroine in the story - she becomes Rasheed's second wife. Her life, though a bit brighter, also finds sudden tragedy. She was raised by an intellect who encouraged Laila to follow her dreams. One day, a wayward rocket fired by a warring faction lands on her house and kills her parents. Tariq, her boyfriend, had fled with his family only to become refugees in Pakistan. So now poor Laila, who once had a promising life, finds herself alone. When she discovers she is pregnant with Tariq's child and learns Tariq has been killed (supposedly) near the Pakistani border, she agrees to marry Rasheed. Once Laila and Rasheed get married, Mariam becomes jealous of Laila, that is, until Aziza )Laila's child) is born. Mariam eventually becomes a second mother to Aziza, and the two woman become friends...and later allies, protecting each other from the abuse suffered by Rasheed. Some have mentioned that this book starts slow...and yes, it does. But eventually Khaled Hosseini's impeccable writing talent shines through and the emotions these two women must tolerate makes the reader forget about the early flaws. His ability to convey daily life for women in this harsh reality is something truly special and evident as to why Mr. Hosseini is a well-renowned author.

You Will Be Disturbed & Will Feel Great Empathy.

This is not a book for the timid, this is a melancholy story with four parts that eventually overlap. This emotional rollercoaster ride of a story covers the period from 1964 to roughly the present day in the hardluck country of Afghanistan. It centers on the lives of two women, Mariam { a harami= illegitimate} raised in a hut by her mother, the only highlight of her destitute life is the Thursday visits from her father. When her fathers family rejects her she is forced into a marriage with the brutal shoemaker Rasheed. A devout follower of the Taliban's cruelty towards females. Laila lives down the street from Mariam in very different circumstances. She is raised in a modern family, by a loving father & depressive mother. The book covers the issues of class, religion, work, education, sexual roles, & raising children. All are highlighted by the tumult of Afghanistan's history. This is a very descriptive, well written story, you can feel & sense the characters lives. The first half was a little slow, & it is clear that this will be a "blue journey." The sacrifices these two women gives the reader a slideshow of the harshness of their lives. Part three, is the peak of the story. This is where the two women's relationship truly meshed. The fourth part sees Afghanistan opening to modernity & is less traumatic. A very good & poignant read.

Power of love, bonds of friendship, love of country, struggle to survive...

I read many books in a year. Some I read for entertainment and others to increase my knowledge. Then there is the rare book that does both of those things, plus touches your heart as well. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini does just that. Hosseini's The Kite Runner was a magnificent book, and I enjoyed A Thousand Splendid Suns even more. Splendid Suns follows the lives of two Afghani women, Mariam and Laila, as they move from children to adults. The book spans 30 years, beginning with the Soviet invasion and ending with the overthrow of the Taliban. It's difficult to explain more of the story without spoiling the plot, but these two women go from being enemies to unlikely friends. A Thousand Suns is a moving story about the power of love, the bonds of friendship, the love of country, and the struggle to survive. I hated to see it end. I like books that teach me something, and there is a lot to learn in Splendid Suns. Previously, I didn't know much about the political turmoil in Afghanistan and the various factions vying for power. I knew women had an appalling time living under the Taliban regime, but I didn't realize how horrible conditions really were. The childbirth section will fill you with horror. I also learned of the natural beauty of Afghanistan and her fascinating history. I was especially moved by Hesseini's eloquent writing and observations. In writing of friendship, "Boys, Laila came to see, treated friendship the way they treated the sun: its existence undisputed; its radiance best enjoyed, not beheld directly." There aren't too many writers who can produce back-to-back masterpieces. Khaled Hosseini is one of those rare talents who can pull off such a feat.

An Afghani 'War and Peace' That Promises To Be One of 2007's Best Novels

Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is a genuine instant literary classic, and one destined to be remembered as one of 2007's best novels. It should be compared favorably to such legendary Russian novels like "War and Peace" and "Doctor Zhivago". And yet it is ironic to compare Hosseini's latest novel to such classic works written by Tolstoy and Pasternak, especially in light of their country's recent sordid history with Afghanistan, Hosseini's country of birth. However, I believe that this comparison is most apt, since he joins them in recounting most vividly, an intense, horrific period in his homeland's recent history, which shows no immediate prospect yet of a peaceful resolution. Hosseini also demonstrates that he is both a literary master of exquisite detail and dialogue which so easily reminds me of Salman Rushdie's extraordinary literary skills; these are demonstrated most notably in his great early novel "Midnight's Children". Indeed Hosseini, like Rushdie, is yet another South Asian writer committed to writing great novels in the English language, demonstrating once more the Indian subcontinent's rapid ascendancy as an important source of original first-rate English language literature. Fans of "The Kite Runner", his critically acclaimed literary debut, will rejoice after reading his second novel, and share my observation that he has become one of our most compelling writers of contemporary fiction. Afghanistan's tumultuous, tragic recent history is told in riveting, exquisite detail by Hosseini, which is seen through the eyes of two extraordinary young intelligent women. We are introduced first to Mariam, the harami (bastard) daughter of wealthy Jalil Khan, a prominent Herat businessman, and his servant, Nana. And then later, but still early on in the novel, we will meet Laila, the youngest child of Babi and Fariba, both members of Kabul's early 1970s educated middle class. Mariam's heart-wrenching efforts in trying to gain her father's acceptance as his legitimate daughter lead unexpectedly to personal tragedy and a new life as the wife of Rasheed, an elderly Kabul shoemaker. Against her own free-spirited will, and inquisitive nature, Mariam reluctantly submits to age-old Islamic Afghani customs even as she realizes that some fellow Afghani women - Khan's legitimate daughters from his three wives - are acquiring a Western-oriented educated lifestyle in the provincial city of Herat. In Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, the relatively illiterate, young Mariam soon finds some solace in a brief, tenuous friendship with the older Fariba. Fariba's husband Babi is a Kabul University-educated former teacher fully conversant in both traditional Afghani literature and Western civilization. When Kabul erupts into a bloody civil war soon after the fall of its Communist regime, Babi will teach their daughter Laila both modern Western mathematics and medieval Afghani poetry at home; its war-ravaged streets permanently ending her attendance a