1000 Splendid Suns

Sure, the setting is the book's USP. I wonder if it would have been such a hit if he hadn't written the Kite Runner first? And what will he write about next?

Yes I agree. Author was definitely trying to meet his western audience's preconceptions/expectations about Afghanistan.

Can I also say that I was quite annoyed by the blatant sucking up to America? Not only the references to Hemingway, etc but especially Laila's father saying "Americans are a generous people. They will help us with food and money"

Toe curlingly bad.

gotcha! thought we were talking about the first few years of her life at that point inthe thread

"If the book was based anywhere else, it wouldn't be a bestseller though, would it?" - I agree. This is what I was getting at in my first post.

suedonim - If the book was based anywhere else, it wouldn't be a bestseller though, would it?

Wellies - That is at the very beginning, before she gets married and the rest of her life begins.

suedonim, yes, exactly, that'a what I felt.
I also agree with chunky, I never thought it was an all time great, but do think it's a good read and really enjoyed it. I certainly wouldn't didmiss it.

Cote, yes, the people who only talk about Steiner stuff. Apparently that'a the reason they,ve been banned, but coupled with the fact that legal action has been threatened.Veryu obscure,b, because the rest of us, who post elsewhere have said the same stuff as them.
SORRY to high jack...

Had high expectations after so many people recommended it. Didn't live up to them, good read, but nothing brilliant.

My book group felt that the 'outdoors' details weren't all that important. I assumed that Rashid did/arranged all the shopping stuff as part of his controlling nature. The group were much more focused on the close relationships in the book and to some extent the story could have been set anywhere. It depends on whether KH's main aim was trying to depict a country or relationships.

Anyway, I'm now busy reading a Melvyn Bragg novel, set in the Lake District - a bit of a contrast.

I thought the groceries were brought by her half-brothers. Left by the stream?

No, not interested in S discussions. Too many weirdos.

Interesting that some people were banned. People who are on MN just to talk about S?

I wondered where groceries appear from, because in over a decade Miriam doesn't have any human contact whatsoever. Even assuming nobody talks to her because she is a bastard (although they can't know that in the beginning) and she doesn't seek out company for one reason or another, she should at least have a bit of a contact at the village market.

Actually, it would have made a more interesting book if Hosseini cared to elaborate on any such self-imposed isolation.

Hey Cote are you still interested in the S threads? There's a scandal going on atm because "someone" has threatened mn with legal action over them
and some people have been banned.....

But just where do groceries appear from? He perhaps just didn't feel the ned to write that in that's all cote...

northern - Read my last post. It is not about every single boring detail of every day.

I've read both 1000 suns and KR and both times felt that the author was trying to meet his audience's preconceptions and expectations of the culture and religion, i.e. he was describing it as many Western readers believe/expect it to be. Perfect timing to release novels like these, dare I say it.
However, I place both books on my list of 'books I don't want to put down'. He is a good storyteller.

I don't think details about shopping appearing etc and doing the washing in a group are relevent particularly... a writer isn't compelled to make a diary of events. They ahve a choice ...
My kids sometimes say whent they're watching a film... you know Mum, he's been chasing so and so all day and hasn't even had lunch.... now that is understandable because the visual time line is there.

Buit a book does not have to do the miutiae of every day, or explain every detail.

Just because he didn't write about trips to the market or washrooms doesn't mean she didn't do it....spare writing style...

If she chose not to have any contact with people, then that theme should have been developed. If the villagers shunned her for being a bastard (did they even know this at the beginning?) then that theme should have been developed.

Instead, we have a woman who has never had any contact with anybody (groceries appear miraculously in the house for her to cook?) for over a decade and there is no explanation.

I got the feeling that it was because author didn't know what to say about the outside world.

Yes, that's true. Other women thought that Mariam didn't mix with people because she felt stigmatised by her harami label. I was 'voted down' over another issue but another unconvincing part to me was her father. He'd visited her regularly for 15yrs and then abandoned her, apart from one attempt to visit? Weird. Still, it provoked a lot of discussion, 2.5hrs worth!

Miriam had no contact with anybody before the Taliban came to power, though.

I'm back from book group, after (wo)manfully making my way through torrential rain and extensive flooding - I thought the car was going to be swept away in one place.

The concensus is that both of KH's books are good. Your point, CoteDazure, about the lack of interaction didn't find any takers, everyone felt it was meant to reflect the restrictions of life under the Taliban. Even one Muslim attendee agreed with that. Your point about Mariam's ability to mix relatively easily did find some takers, though.

While we were discussing both books it became obvious that there are so many shared themes. The cinema, infertility, the orphanage...um...and several others which I've forgotten already. It does make me wonder if KH has anything else to write about.

Yes CoteDAzur that's the kind of thing I'm talking about.

I would recommend Half a Yellow Sun,, it is a wonderful book and I now understand the history of the area and Biafra. I also liked Purple Hibiscus.

And Laila was born with 'jade green eyes'

I haven't read Half of a Yellow Sun, but I didn't much care for 1000 Splendid Suns. I found it a bit relentless and contrived, especially the misery after misery after misery of the women. I found Mariam and her abusive husband quite two dimensional characters, one "nice" ("yay!") one not nice ("boo!). It was a page turner but it also annoyed me after a while.

Some bits just didn't ring true, and reminded me this was written by a man. In the beginning, Nana pushes for two days to give birth to Mariam. WTF. Then at the end of Chapter 32 (sorry to be pedantic ) Laila catches her breath suddenly when the baby kicks for the first time. For me, and everyone I know, the first kicks are like funny little bubbles ("Was that really a kick? Or just indigestion?") and not big events that send your "hands shooting down to your belly". Feel free to argue!

Did you read half of a yellow sun?

Did anyone enjoy that?