Reader's Paradise discussion

Did reading A thousand Splendid Suns, being a book about traumatised characters and domestic abuse, help you with your own trauma? did it present you with insights on your personal wounds? and did it make you reflect on them? If the book influenced you in any way on a personal level, would you please share how? Every answer will be deeply appreciated

Hi Zizou

I am currently reading A Thousand Splendid Suns. It took a while for me to get really interested in the story, but I'm now halfway through and completely hooked. I enjoy reading books by Khaled Hosseini, he is great writer. Have you finished this book already?

I can't comment on your questions directly, I enjoy reading books with characters who lead very different lives to my own. But in the end of the day we are all humans with joy and pain and we can empathize with each other. I especially like reading this book because it is the portrayal of fictitious characters against the backdrop of a sad reality. So far my favourite scene is where Layla, her dad and Tariq goes to see the Buddhas of Bamiyan.

Hey Maya!
Thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate it. & if you ever wish to add in the future, please don't hesitate to share.

No problem :)
I am about 76% into the book. It's very good but also very sad. How are you finding it so far?

this was my first Khalid Hosseini's book after reading which I'm now his fan. This book gave a total different insight of the place Afghanistan to me and its conditions amongst war and Talibans. Nothing worse like in this book happened in my life but every reader knows, while reading any book you become a part of that book, part of the character's lives and setting. THIS BOOK IS SIMPLY AWESOME.

Oh my goodness, I just finished this book yesterday. I felt like it was a marathon and I was dying to get to the end! I summarized the story over dinner for my husband and he loved the story line. I found it interesting that he seemed to think it’s all about legacy.

Don't read this spoiler if you don't want to know what happens in the end.

(view spoiler)[ It was all about Mariam's legacy to be more specific. Mariam's entry into this world and her entire life was based on her father and mother's shame. She was deprived of love and education. And in the end she found love (In Laila and the kids) and her legacy was that of education for the children in the orphanage where Laila ended up working in Afghanistan. The whole story unfolds against the backdrop of the fragile political and economic situation Kabul (Very interesting to see this embedded in the characters lives)
What a twist in the plot to learn that Tariq was alive!! What a surprise... I didn't see that coming!
My husband loved hearing about how Mariam smashed Rasheed! Taking control over her life for the first time as she said. Oh my goodness... such a sad and dramatic story! (hide spoiler)]

Overall I think The Kite Runner was better than A Thousand Splendid Suns... it had more suspense. Maybe A Thousand Splendid Suns was just too sad, especially reading it as a woman. However, it was written so well and it was fantastic. I gave it 3 starts.

That's all from me folks, thanks for listening to me rave on and on... :)