This was the first book that I've read that was written by Khaled Hosseini. And after I started reading it, two of my friends told me that this was his weakest work. All I have to say is, if this was his weakest, then I can't imagine the amount of brilliance that I'm yet to read. I had mixed feelings about the plot but, the writing was beautiful and the depth of the characters and the complexity of emotions portrayed in the book blew me away.
The book consists of chapters titled on the basis of the season and the year the incidents were based in. Each chapter follows the perspective of a different character and are interconnected. Now, this format was a little confusing to me at first because I did not read the synopsis. And because of that, I was a little irritated when the story shifted from Abdullah and Pari to Parwana in the second chapter. In fact, throughout the book, I was more invested in certain characters than others. And the constant jump from one character to the other while leaving some of the stories open-ended irritated me a bit.
As for the plot, it starts out with Pari and Abdullah - siblings who love each other more than anything else. They accompany their father from their village, Shadbagh to Kabul where he goes to find work and an incident occurs that changes their lives forever. Then we are introduced to some other characters - most of them living with the consequences of their actions or a heavy guilt weighing down their conscience. And through these characters, we feel the guilt, remorse and moments of joy that surround our lives. While some make sacrifices for the sake of their loved ones, others can't see beyond themselves. Pitiably human.
There are no perfect characters in this book. No one's a clear cut hero, everyone is undeniably flawed. For example, there is a side character in the book who donates a lot but, he makes sure that there's an audience and that people know of his good deeds. This character also cheats on his wife regularly. But, he ends up helping out an orphaned girl with severe facial deformities caused by an act of rage by her uncle. It is not clear to us whether his intentions were noble, but he helps her out all the same. Now, isn't that how we are as humans? Even the most charitable deeds have complex and sometimes, not entirely heartfelt incentives guiding them. But, it is still making an impact for the better. How do we judge a person under such circumstances? As the author points out, "Human behaviour is messy and unpredictable and unconcerned with convenient symmetries"
The book consists of chapters titled on the basis of the season and the year the incidents were based in. Each chapter follows the perspective of a different character and are interconnected. Now, this format was a little confusing to me at first because I did not read the synopsis. And because of that, I was a little irritated when the story shifted from Abdullah and Pari to Parwana in the second chapter. In fact, throughout the book, I was more invested in certain characters than others. And the constant jump from one character to the other while leaving some of the stories open-ended irritated me a bit.
As for the plot, it starts out with Pari and Abdullah - siblings who love each other more than anything else. They accompany their father from their village, Shadbagh to Kabul where he goes to find work and an incident occurs that changes their lives forever. Then we are introduced to some other characters - most of them living with the consequences of their actions or a heavy guilt weighing down their conscience. And through these characters, we feel the guilt, remorse and moments of joy that surround our lives. While some make sacrifices for the sake of their loved ones, others can't see beyond themselves. Pitiably human.
There are no perfect characters in this book. No one's a clear cut hero, everyone is undeniably flawed. For example, there is a side character in the book who donates a lot but, he makes sure that there's an audience and that people know of his good deeds. This character also cheats on his wife regularly. But, he ends up helping out an orphaned girl with severe facial deformities caused by an act of rage by her uncle. It is not clear to us whether his intentions were noble, but he helps her out all the same. Now, isn't that how we are as humans? Even the most charitable deeds have complex and sometimes, not entirely heartfelt incentives guiding them. But, it is still making an impact for the better. How do we judge a person under such circumstances? As the author points out, "Human behaviour is messy and unpredictable and unconcerned with convenient symmetries"
That's the true beauty of the book. We read a book for a lot of reasons. Read this book to think about life, reality, people we meet, their struggles and most importantly - to understand others. Read this book to rid yourself of judgement because that's the impact this book has on you.
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