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bsolarz's review against another edition
5.0
Khaled Hosseini has a way with words that entices you, lures you in and captures your thoughts, dreams and emotions... and then you just can't put the damn book down. Each chapter had a different story to tell, but each sentence and story he put down in this book was clearly intricately thought out, with every detail planned and executed perfectly.
One small detail I thoroughly enjoyed about this book was that he did not tell you where you were, in relation to the characters. He would leave little hints for you to figure it out and while it wasn't difficult to figure out who's story you were reading, it was uniquely fun to find out through all the little hints dropped.
I originally picked this book up because, while working, I saw a woman crying and upon asking her what was wrong, she just pointed to the book. I'm so glad that day happened and I'm so glad that I had enough sense to pick the book up.
One small detail I thoroughly enjoyed about this book was that he did not tell you where you were, in relation to the characters. He would leave little hints for you to figure it out and while it wasn't difficult to figure out who's story you were reading, it was uniquely fun to find out through all the little hints dropped.
I originally picked this book up because, while working, I saw a woman crying and upon asking her what was wrong, she just pointed to the book. I'm so glad that day happened and I'm so glad that I had enough sense to pick the book up.
manpreetchauhan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
laurenk7's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.5
ainara_ayerbe's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
kral's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
ellenbeattie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Audiobook performed by Shohreh Aghdashloo, Khaled Hosseini and Navid Negahban.
From book jacket: It begins with the unparalleled bond between two motherless siblings in an Afghan village. To three-year-old Pari, big brother Abdullah is more mother than brother. To ten-year-old Abdullah, little Pari is his everything What happens to them – and the large and small ways in which it echoes through the lives of so many other people – is proof of the moral complexity of life.
My reactions
Hosseini is a great storyteller. This is his most ambitious novel, covering several generations over six decades and across continents from Afghanistan to Paris to San Francisco to Greece.
There are many heart-wrenching scenes that echo what happens to Pari and Abdullah: Parwana and her twin Masooma; Nabi and Nila; Mr Wahdati and Nabi; Nila and Pari; Markos and Thalia. And however far apart – in terms of time, or distance, or relationship – these stories are, they are all connected.
Having multiple narrators and multiple time lines is a difficult style to pull off successfully. Hosseini does it masterfully in this novel. However, it did take me a while to get the rhythm of the story arc because of the changes in narrator, focus, time frame and location. The audio actually helps in this regard because of the three distinct performers. And once I was accustomed to the way Hosseini shifted focus, but still stayed centered on that central theme and story arc, my appreciation for the way he wove the stories together grew.
Khaled Hosseini, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Navid Negahban are all skilled narrators, with good pacing.
From book jacket: It begins with the unparalleled bond between two motherless siblings in an Afghan village. To three-year-old Pari, big brother Abdullah is more mother than brother. To ten-year-old Abdullah, little Pari is his everything What happens to them – and the large and small ways in which it echoes through the lives of so many other people – is proof of the moral complexity of life.
My reactions
Hosseini is a great storyteller. This is his most ambitious novel, covering several generations over six decades and across continents from Afghanistan to Paris to San Francisco to Greece.
There are many heart-wrenching scenes that echo what happens to Pari and Abdullah: Parwana and her twin Masooma; Nabi and Nila; Mr Wahdati and Nabi; Nila and Pari; Markos and Thalia. And however far apart – in terms of time, or distance, or relationship – these stories are, they are all connected.
Having multiple narrators and multiple time lines is a difficult style to pull off successfully. Hosseini does it masterfully in this novel. However, it did take me a while to get the rhythm of the story arc because of the changes in narrator, focus, time frame and location. The audio actually helps in this regard because of the three distinct performers. And once I was accustomed to the way Hosseini shifted focus, but still stayed centered on that central theme and story arc, my appreciation for the way he wove the stories together grew.
Khaled Hosseini, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Navid Negahban are all skilled narrators, with good pacing.
howtobebooks's review against another edition
5.0
Khaled Hosseini is one of the most amazing storytellers. His descriptions are moving and stunning told with such delicacy and subtlety, I shed many a tear listening to it. Spanning across generations, the group of people all tied together experience both wonder and loss. Highly recommended.
samanthajanecates's review against another edition
4.0
Giving a Khaled Hosseini book anything less than 5 stars seems criminal in my mind. And yet I was debating if And the Mountains Echoed was even worthy of 4 stars.
Here's the thing. This was a good book. I cried from time to time and gasped at some revelations as my slow brain connected the dots. Hosseini is an amazing storyteller, but I couldn't help but think this story had too many moving parts.
From the beginning, Hosseini has us readers forming a bond with characters Pari and Abdullah. And then we are ripped away from them to hear stories of Parwana and Mosooma, the Wahdatis, Dr. Markos and Thalia, and the Bashiri cousins, to name a few. While some of these storylines are pertinent to the plot, I wanted more of the original characters. I found it hard to stay engaged in the book, as I felt it lacked a strong plot, and simply shared stories of slightly connected individuals.
Why the 4 stars then? Because if you can tough it out and get through the slow parts, there are lessons to be learned in every chapter. Hosseini digs deep to describe humanity in a way that we can all relate to (this is his superpower as an author). This is evident in just a few of the book's famous quotes:
“I suspect the truth is that we are waiting, all of us, against insurmountable odds, for something extraordinary to happen to us.”
“The rope that pulls you from the flood can become a noose around your neck.”
“Nothing good came free. Even love. You paid for all things. And if you were poor, suffering was your currency.”
And the Mountains Echoed is worth the read if you give yourself the patience to see it through.
Here's the thing. This was a good book. I cried from time to time and gasped at some revelations as my slow brain connected the dots. Hosseini is an amazing storyteller, but I couldn't help but think this story had too many moving parts.
From the beginning, Hosseini has us readers forming a bond with characters Pari and Abdullah. And then we are ripped away from them to hear stories of Parwana and Mosooma, the Wahdatis, Dr. Markos and Thalia, and the Bashiri cousins, to name a few. While some of these storylines are pertinent to the plot, I wanted more of the original characters. I found it hard to stay engaged in the book, as I felt it lacked a strong plot, and simply shared stories of slightly connected individuals.
Why the 4 stars then? Because if you can tough it out and get through the slow parts, there are lessons to be learned in every chapter. Hosseini digs deep to describe humanity in a way that we can all relate to (this is his superpower as an author). This is evident in just a few of the book's famous quotes:
“I suspect the truth is that we are waiting, all of us, against insurmountable odds, for something extraordinary to happen to us.”
“The rope that pulls you from the flood can become a noose around your neck.”
“Nothing good came free. Even love. You paid for all things. And if you were poor, suffering was your currency.”
And the Mountains Echoed is worth the read if you give yourself the patience to see it through.