A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan’s last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to the post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them.
Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment
I was too affected by this novel. I'll admit this is one of
those few adult novels I read, I usually love reading pre-teens and love
stories and real life stories and those fantasy novels. It took me off guard
reading this. Well I guess it is time to jump out of the comfort zone of my own
genre.
I don't know whether because of the brutality about Muslim
culture or because of my understanding what it felt being in the war, that
touches my soul big time. And it sucks being in both situation right at the same
time.
I don't have anything against the Muslims, but I am glad I
was not one of them. My heart, my mind and my soul would die, and I don't know
if I have the strength to survive its culture. I am strong, but I don't think I
am that strong.
I would say I was culture shocked and felt a pang of sadness
that I can’t explain. I was culture shock about the Muslim life, how a
fourteen years old young girl can suddenly become a mom. Those young girls who
can marry a man as old as their grandfather. How those young girls be a slave
of man's lust. How those young girls can be unloved when their older husband
finds a younger one. How can such man marry a lot of young girls and how can a
parent give their young girls away. I can never understand its culture, and I
will be happy not knowing it anyway.
I felt sadness about those people whose life suddenly ends
because of the selfishness of other human being. You will never know when a blissful laugh,
will turn into a sudden grief. I felt sadness because of those children who
doesn't have the chance to feel love, to enjoy education and to have a children
of their own, because they have died young.
Maybe one of those children might change the world, might be
one of those successful people who would save our world today. One of those
children might invent something big, or can explore outer space and find a
second earth. We will never know, because they died and no one mourns for them.
Now I do understand when they say some of the children never
enjoy their childhood. Their childhood are stolen for them, they never did
enjoy it.
I suddenly fear death, I never thought about it, but it
creep me now. How would I like to die? Can I choose it? Would I die young and
brave? Or would I die with sudden death. I am afraid of it, I will no longer
see my daughter and embrace her, and I would love to grow old with her. And I
hope this creepy feeling will leave me as soon as it came.
I am thankful though that I did enjoy my childhood, I learn
to write and read, I learn many things and I am happy being part of a culture
where woman, like me, can express herself.
Reality strikes me hard and I am glad it did.
No comments:
Post a Comment