And the Mountains Echoed

If you intend to read Khaled Hosseini's third novel And the Mountains Echoed and you're expecting something along the lines of his first two blockbusters (The Kite Runners and A Thousand Splendid Suns), you won't get exactly what you're looking for, but I promise it's going to hook you from page one. First off, Hosseini has a style of writing that can be described as nothing short of poetic. He's a master storyteller, and the first chapter was so beautifully written that I knew it would be a matter of days before I'd end up turning the last page and heaving a sigh of regret at having it end so soon. And the Mountains Echoed opens in a tiny village in Afghanistan in the mid 1950s, where a young father is telling a local fairy tale to his two young children. The next day, their lives change irrevocably when they depart for Kabul, starting off a series of events that takes the reader on a journey across the world and spanning several generations of families. "So, then. You want a story and I will tell you one. But just the one. Don't either of you ask me for more." But this isn't just one story. It's a collection of nine interconnected stories, all of which have been woven together along parallel themes of family, dependance, loyalty, betrayal, and abandonment. Each story introduces the reader to new members of this first young Afghan family, and to the people whose lives they intermingle with. All in all, a terrific read, and one that I happily recommend. Throughout these stories, we feel sadness and sorrow for these characters, but we also feel compassion, joy and happiness at seeing everything come full circle. Hosseini shows us time and time again with his writing that Afghanistan isn't a country to be reviled or feared, no matter what the media would have us think. America and Afghanistan may be interlocked in their present day stories of war, but we share a common bond in the feelings of guilt and gratitude that come with being dependent on the people that we care about most in the world. These are feelings that we all share and understand. As with his first two novels, Hosseini does a terrific job of humanizing his beloved homeland of Afghanistan. It's hard not to see this country with different eyes once you've read one of his books.

And the Mountains Echoed: A Novel Having read Khaled Hosseini's previous two novels: The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, which I found real page turners and very dramatic, I decided to read his latest novel. This novel was very different in style but also illustrated Hosseini's remarkable talent for writing interesting novels. This novel was slower moving with myriads of characters interconnecting with each other. They were either relatives, friends or neighbors spreading over two generations or even three in some cases. The novel begins with a folk tale about a div, a giant in Afghan folklore, who steals the youngest son of an impoverished family in a poverty stricken village. When the father sets out to find his son, the div shows him that the child is living happily in a palace, playing with other children. The father then has to decide whether to turn back and leave his son where he is or take him back to a difficult life in the village. This story is told to Abdullah and Pari, a day before they take a long and difficult journey from their village to Kabul, where the father leaves Pari, the sister of Abdullah, with a rich childless couple as it was difficult for the father to support both children. Abdullah was devastated by this for a long time as he and his sister were very close. The separation of the two siblings forms the basis of this incredible novel which at times seems rather long-winded as it is composed of a number of short stories, told from a number of different angles by the various characters in the book. The actual story begins in 1952 and meanders along with the various players relating their own experiences and their connections with the various characters in the book. Hosseini's medical knowledge in describing the illnesses and handicaps of some of the characters makes the novel even more realistic. The writer is a qualified physician and this blends very well in adding a lot of realism to the novel itself. The characters actually flip out of the pages making the reader empathize with their misfortunes, desires and the brilliance of this writer's portrayal of them makes the book really hard to lay aside. I would recommend that the reader not put the book aside but read it from beginning to end in as short a time as possible. If this is not possible the reader can lose the thread as there are so many characters involved who have much to say from their perspective that one can get confused. This is the reason why I feel that this novel is short of a 5-star rating. Despite this all the loose ends seem to tie up towards the end as the families had spread out over a number of countries. I found the book very readable even though I would have preferred less characters and more emphasis on the main players that make up the story.

Here is a book that will speak to you about the ties that bind and the fragility of familial relationships.In this stirring book we see the ways in which family members are capable of supporting each other,standing up for each other,respecting one another,and yet,are also capable of deceiving each other and disgracing one another.All things are possible,and we are witness to the complexities that weave this tale. This is a gripping story which holds many surprising turns. It will keep your interest from start to finish.Enjoy!

I always cry reading his books and finish them in 2 days! He always touches my soul with his stories

Sensacional. Profundamente humano, mas entendam-me, fugindo do clichê: o autor trabalha com personagens “estranhas” à nossa cultura, mas que em suas diferenças mostram como somos profundamente iguais – simplesmente humanos, com nossas virtudes e defeitos! Sem concessões ao pieguismo, o autor não propõe um final feliz, exceto se o leitor for capaz de mergulhar fundo na alma das personagens, especialmente das principais, Abdullah e sua irmã Pari. O tema central – as escolhas que cada um de nós faz ao longo da vida, não tendo outras bases senão nossa intuição e nossa cultura a nos orientar, e como tais escolhas afetam a todos os que nos rodeiam – nos faz refletir sobre o relativismo do que é certo e errado: afinal, o ditado “de boas intenções o inferno está cheio” é válido? Boa literatura é isto: está além do tempo e do espaço e nos atinge em cheio, fazendo-nos pensar e – por que não? – reformular nossos valores e nos fazer crescer como seres humanos. Ao acabar de ler o livro, as personagens continuam esvoaçando em torno de nós, como se reais fossem! É quando nos identificamos com um afegão ou um cazaque, ainda que tenhamos apenas uma vaga ideia do país onde nasceu... P.S.: Não deixem de tentar responder às perguntas do “Readers Guide – Discussion Questions”.

I enjoyed this book a lot. If in The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns the plot was built around two characters, in And The Mountains Echoed it involves a lot of people, a lot of destinies, a lot of personalities. I truly enjoyed both the way the book is written. Now it's time to wait for the next one:)

Le livre est merveilleux, jolie écriture, l'histoire profondément touchante. La vie d'une famille se brise en mille morceaux, et, tel un puzzle, la suite est reconstituée par d'autres personnages en lien avec les héros. Certes beaucoup racontent une partie d'histoire pour disparaître ensuite sans qu'on apprenne ce qu'ils sont devenus eux-mêmes. Mais c'est la meilleure façon de reconstituer ce puzzle pour le rendre le plus réel possible et tellement émouvant. Tel un documentaire où les différents témoignages sont recueillis d'une si belle façon, l'histoire est parfaitement réussie. Mon premier roman de Khaled Hosseini qui m'a beaucoup ému.