A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini

"One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic." Josef Stalin

I have never met a single person who did not like The Kite Runner. (If you have never read it you have a real treat in store for yourself.) The author, Khaled Hosseini has now published his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Set in Afghanistan, covering about a 50 year period, this novel weaves together the lives of very intriguing characters within the context of the horrific history of wars, revolutions, and the excruciating examples of man’s inhumanity to man.

Hosseini is a masterful storyteller, and I found the book very difficult to put down, even though, at times, it was very painful to share the suffering of the main characters. One cannot help but be moved by the accounts of love, hate, family relationships, loss, and the triumph of the human spirit. Quite frankly, I did not think this book was as good as The Kite Runner, but that is like saying that Lou Gehrig was not as good as Babe Ruth. In fact, A Thousand Splendid Suns is among the best fiction written in recent years, and your only choice is do you rush out to buy it hardbound or do you wait for the paperback. (We offer 20% of the list price for the hardbound edition.)

While reading this book I kept thinking of the observation by Stalin, quoted above. I remember my reaction to the notice of deaths from Vietnam, the Middle East, Darfur, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Often the death tolls did not affect my heart, simply because they were merely statistics. When I read a novel like this, my heart is opened and my tear ducts are activated, because the tragedy is to the individual and not just an abstract number. I think this is a very good thing. This is a wonderful book! I am envious of you who have not yet read this book, and can look forward to the pleasure of reading it.

Review by Len Oppenheim

20% off hardcover price