i was crying by the end of the book. yet something stops me from raving about the book.
the story of Afghanistan is out there for all to know. the plight of women and children in particular. it needs world attention, i dont deny that. i am sitting in a far-off country and commenting on it and i admit i cannot even imagine the horror of everyday life there. but i am digressing from my point. what i am trying to say is that if you take-out the Afghanistan part of the story and try to juxtapose it somewhere else, i think it will not be so effective. the sheer desperation of the lives of the people in the country is what makes the book. and that is a fact. other than that there is little else. he's no Vikram Seth who creates a beautiful languid story out of places that have only a historical importance. nor is he like Rushdie whose writings feels like he is weaving a magical thread of story around you. what i mean to say is the writer here has only Afghanistan and the real happenings there to convert into a work of fiction. not much of imagination.
yet, in all fairness, with this book, he has reached-out to more people than a Nat-Geo article or a news piece in CNN, BBC or any other news channel can. when one reads the detailed horror of life that people have to go through, then it is hard to stay impassive and just treat it as a piece of news article. page after page of vivid description compels you to think, feel, form an opinion and perhaps read more about them. probably that's why it is definitely an important piece of literature.
and yes, i did buy this book after reading a copy from a friend.
Mariam, if I am not wrong and I sincerely pray is merely a fictitious character and nothing near reality, who lives and dies in the modern world, who is not merely fictitious, still haunts me!
ReplyDeleteThat is probably one of the few times when prayed! Brilliant book though!