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margaret21's review against another edition
4.0
This book is about five very different characters who come together in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attacks. There's Marcus, an English doctor who married an Afghani, converting to become a Muslim to do so. She is now dead, killed by the regime. There's Lara, a Russian, trying to discover the fate of her brother. There's Casa, a zealous Muslim jihadist. There's David, an American ex-CIA agent is looking for his son - once he was in love with Marcus' daughter. And there's James, US Special Forces, working against terror in Afghanistan. This disparate band all find themselves living for a while in Marcus house, and we learn to have sympathy with each of them. We learn of the sights, sounds and smells of an Afghanistan which remains beautiful through all the privations and sufferings of war and a punishing regime.
This is a novel to experience rather than simply to read. Its style is poetic, and brings to life the day-to-day reality of harsh and often brutalised lives. I didn't quite believe in the situation which brought these five characters together, but it didn't matter. The story is powerful and affecting in any case.
This is a novel to experience rather than simply to read. Its style is poetic, and brings to life the day-to-day reality of harsh and often brutalised lives. I didn't quite believe in the situation which brought these five characters together, but it didn't matter. The story is powerful and affecting in any case.
misspalah's review against another edition
4.0
I can't figure out the right angle for this book. I like his writing, it was brilliant and bluntly confronting the ugly side of war and extremism. However, the author often quoting the Quran and what prophet Muhammad said in the misleading way. If it was to show that the extremists think such way, I will not object but somehow, Islam and Quran was portrayed in a bad light. It's disappointing to say the least for this part. Still, I settled for 4 stars and I am going to check his other books too.
tonichkab's review against another edition
2.0
For some reason I felt compelled to finish the book. Although he has a beautiful writing style, he skips around in places and I felt I had to reread to understand which character he was talking about. The main reason why I gave this two stars and hesitated for one, is because of the author's blatant MISrepresentation of Islam. His quotes from the Quran are completely fabricated. Granted, part of this may be in trying to show the mindset of the Taliban, but with absolutely no clarification whatsoever. There was only one character who represented moderate Islam and she made only a very slight appearance about three quarters of the way into the book. To me, this book was about Islamic fundamentalism vs. atheism, with the author glorifying atheism. Very disappointing...
elsiebrady's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting with the combination of characters who descend on a Brit widower in Afghanistan post 9/11--one from Russia, looking for a lost brother; an ex-CIA operative, a jihadist, and a young woman driven out by her village.
chrysalis11's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant writing! Aslam's words are sheer poetry! The characters are so memorable and real and leave an impression. No good or bad, they all have their own reasons. Maybe that's why it's so immensely striking.
nadiaa3's review against another edition
4.0
the setting reminds Michael Oondatje's The English Patient: isolated grand decadent mansion where devastated foreign people in foreign lands find each other and reminisce...
and strangely, it has made me more tolerant about young men who tend to fundamentalism
and strangely, it has made me more tolerant about young men who tend to fundamentalism
hmcgee's review against another edition
5.0
I will be absorbing this book for a long while yet. It was terribly beautiful.
gnoe's review against another edition
5.0
Probably the best book I read this. Aslam instantly became one of my favourite authors.
nmcspadd's review against another edition
I just couldn't quite get into this book and am not going to finish. I'm not sure if I gave it a fair shake or not, I think I got about 100 pages in or so. I found that the author kept me at arm's length and I just couldn't really care for any of the characters.
paganathiest's review against another edition
5.0
An engaging story set in a post 9/11 Afghanistan that both subverts expectations, and paints a bitter picture of a war that is not as black and white as we hope.