Reviews tagging 'Classism'

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

24 reviews

imaginefishes's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Just like The Kite Runner, this book hit me right where it hurts. Hosseini’s writing style was a welcome sight, and I deeply enjoyed reading about another facet of Afghan living and history in this book. While the gut-wrenching moments here were perhaps not as severe as in The Kite Runner (after all, that sort of betrayal is hard to beat), the domestic abuse and oppression of women delineated in its pages left me breathless and at times, fearful with anxiety. We follow the story of Mariam at the start, and I was confused initially as to why the perspective began to change from chapter to chapter (between Mariam and Laila), until the moment it clicked into place. This story is heartbreaking, once again touching on the idea of parental love (or rather, its lack thereof) but from a female lens instead, where powers continuously attempt to strip them of their agency and how these women act in different ways to manage it, one in subservient acceptance and one in defiant resistance. I was drawn in from the beginning, and my attention would drift to the book and its characters up to the moment I finished its story. Another brilliant, masterfully woven story by Hosseini about the tribulations of Afghanistan.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Sexism, Blood, Child death, Domestic abuse, Violence, War, Misogyny, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Grief, Racism, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, and Rape

Minor: Infidelity, Islamophobia, Murder, Ableism, Classism, and Confinement

I was hoping that they would both be able to get the happy ending they deserved, but alas, in life, you don’t always get what you wish for. It is tragic, and yet, there is a poetic beauty to it.

sadiaa's review against another edition

5.0

I read this book when I was a teenager so this is a reread, but it will always be 5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Genocide, War, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, Infertility, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Ableism, Child death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, and Physical abuse

theelliad's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

this was so beautiful to read and so eye opening to read a history, raw and realistic though fictional, so ignored by the western curriculum. mapping these events to pop culture moments and more recognisable (to western readers) events gives the story such a followable timeline despite it spanning such a wide time period 

the writing style of this is so beautiful and emotional and hosseini approaches such difficult themes in such a gentle and humane way, overall a very beautiful read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Torture, Grief, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Gaslighting, War, Child death, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Gore, Hate crime, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Abortion, Rape, Cursing, and Police brutality

andreaah's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, Violence, War, Sexism, Infertility, Emotional abuse, Classism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Death, Misogyny, Miscarriage, and Gun violence

wifeslife's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Child abuse, Sexism, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, War, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Confinement, Bullying, Blood, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Death, Violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Infertility, Grief, Domestic abuse, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Police brutality

stephmcoakley's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Murder, Sexual assault, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Gore, War, Violence, Grief, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Rape, Abandonment, Abortion, Genocide, Gun violence, Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Blood, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Death, and Infidelity

arthur_ant18's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Death, Adult/minor relationship, War, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Classism, Child abuse, Torture, Suicide, Child death, Murder, Rape, Islamophobia, and Genocide

ktv's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

this book made me flare up in a rage 70 pages in and then i was crying another several chapters down the road. it kept pulling me along on this wonderful (not rly) emotional roller coaster ride. i have never cried this extensively while reading a book. thank u to khaled hosseini for creating this masterpiece and teaching me what its like to feel again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Murder, Blood, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Pedophilia, Child death, Death of parent, War, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Torture, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Classism

Minor: Miscarriage, Alcohol, and Fire/Fire injury

laurynreadsbooks's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, War, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Classism

lajoy's review

dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Torture, Violence, and War

Moderate: Abortion