A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

The very first issue I had with this book was that I didn't like reading about a woman that is married against her will and that is afterward beaten for various reasons and trapped in an unhappy marriage. Because this is also the story of many real women, I felt bad and didn't enjoy reading the first few chapters. I nevertheless pushed myself and made it to the end rather satisfied.

I picked up A Thousand Splendid Suns mainly because I wanted to learn something new. This book is rich in history and culture of Afghanistan, and I'm glad it enlightened me.

This is the story of Mariam and Laila who survive the many conflicts in Afghanistan and also the hardships of their marriage to the same man, Rasheed, your typical cruel husband who beats and reduces the freedom of his wives. It's the story of how, despite those hardships, they create a family and find happiness after many years of death and war.

The book is written in the point of view of Mariam and Laila, and alternates between the two. The plot itself is quite good, but to me most of the characters seemed flat, at the beginning especially. There isn't much I could say about any of them. They aren't memorable characters, either, and got better only towards the ending of the book. Look how short my review is! I really don't have much to say about it. It is a book that will be appreciated for the mass of information it contains, for its message and meaning, but not for the characters.

I think this story should be read for the context and history it presents. It definitively has something to teach, but I consider A Thousand Splendid Suns as the kind of book that is only good to read if you want to get a good portrait of some chunk of history: The characters are flat, the writing style is simple and uninspiring, and so all you pay attention to or remember after the read is the drama and the moral.

-Beryl

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Rating: 7,7/10

The Book Thief

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

This is a magnificent story about the power of words set in Nazi Germany, where Death tells the tale of a little girl who started an affair with books that eventually saved her life.

The writing is rich and Zusak toys with the words like only the best authors do; those that write for the joy of doing so. He painted the book like you paint an artwork, but with the use of words alone. The story flows easily and the plot is ingenious while being very simple. It stretches on four years, from the moment Liesel Memminger meets her foster family until the 'end of the world' arrives. This book is filled with feelings. The reader can definitively not ignore them.

The characters are true and it is hard to let go of them. You do not love them at first sight. You grow to love them, and I think that is what makes them such good, strong and willing characters. What I loved the most about The Book Thief was of how the narrator was Death. It fits, I think, for after all, the World War II was all about death, and death had become man's best friend. But in this book, instead of having a cruel and merciless picture of the end itself, Death is afraid of humans, and is described in almost a gentle way. It makes me want to believe that when I die, it is this Death that I shall meet.

Zusak offers the reader a different perspective on Nazi Germany, one where more than one person despises Hitler and his doings, and where children see Hitler's Youth as boring. It never occurred to me that German children could see Hitler's Youth as boring, or even have the opportunity to think so. But here you have Rudy defying his Hitler's Youth leaders and Liesiel adopting the uncanny hobby of book stealing.

This book is truly beautiful, and on the way to become a classic. It is a must-read that you should have on your shelf.

-Beryl

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Rating: 9,8/10

Daughters of Fire

The Romans are landing in Britannia...

Cartimandua, the young woman destined to rule the great tribe of the Brigantes, watches the invaders come ever closer. From the start her world is a maelstrom of love and conflict, revenge and retribution. Cartimandua's life becomes more turbulent and complicated as her power grows, and her political skills are threatened by her personal choices. She has formidable enemies on all asides as she faces a decision which will change the future of all around her.

In the present day, historian Viv Lloyd Rees has immersed herself in the legends surroundings the Celtic queen. Viv struggles to hide her visions of Cartimandua and her conviction that they are real. But her obsession becomes ever more persistent as she takes possession of an ancient brooch that carries a curse. bitter rivalries and overwhelming passions are reawakened as past envelops present and Viv finds herself in the greatest danger of her life.

The first thing that surprised me while reading Daughters of Fire was how the plot didn't need to be amazing to pull me in. The story is basically about Viv having flash backs of Cartimandua's life and bringing lots of people around her in the unraveling dramatic events that follow. The resume didn't make me excited and all, just slightly curious, but i was already hooked ever since the first page.

I guess this is because of the beautiful, smooth and lyrical writing of Erskine. It's this kind of writing that inspires you automatically, that makes you want to go on with the story and that illustrates everything so well. Physical descriptions included too! It irks me so much when in books no descriptions of the characters are given, and you are just left to wonder how everyone and everything looks; I take authors who forget to describe their characters in such disdain! This time I was pleased. Good descriptions are good. Both of the characters and environment.

As I said, the plot wasn't amazing. It was a good read, a very interesting book that portrays well the Celts and that makes you learn a lot. It was long, though (not that I have anything against long books! The bigger the more I like them! It's just that when a plot isn't juicy enough, my interest falters..) and around the middle it started to slightly drag and you tell yourself 'ngngn hurry up...' because you want to get to the core of it all already. The last hundred pages are packed with drama and action and all and so the book ends pretty well. I actually liked the conclusion and the whole unraveling. It has a dramatic touch to it. You all know how much I love drama. :)

For the characters, just as the plot, I was content, but not amazed. They are very well developed, very different and each of them stand out with their own personality. And guess what. No silly teens have the spotlight! It's goodbye teen drama and hello adult drama! Indeed, most of the characters were over their thirties, and I liked that. It's a bit strange for me to think of fantasy and paranormal with adults involved, but it was good. I didn't get that attached to the characters as I usually do, perhaps because here we deal with ye old folks, but I didn't mind them either. They weren't bad, but neither were they amazing.

So, in conclusion, a good read. I have another book by Erskine in my possession, The Warrior's Princess, but I'll pick it up a bit later. I heard that all of Erskine's books are written in the present/past flashback style and even if it might be a bit repetitive, it's still an interesting trademark and a fun way to learn history slightly altered by fiction. Now I enjoy reading about Cartimandua on wikipedia and looking for pictures of her and reviving the character of the book in my head.

-Beryl

Daughter of Fire by Barbara Erskine
Rating: 8,6/10

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

1940s, Berlin. World War 2 is raging around Nazi Germany, yet Bruno, 8 years old, sees nothing wrong with it. His parents, especially his father, an important officer who knows Hitler personally, speak very fondly of the war and Germany’s strength. When his father is transferred to a strange place near a large village enclosed by barbed wire , Out-With’s (Auschwitz), Bruno is not too pleased. His luxurious Berlin mansion has been replaced by a smaller sized house. He no longer sees his friends, and his sister seems even meaner than before.

One morning, he decides to go exploring. One of Bruno’s favored activities is to pretend he is a renown explorer, discovering new places. He starts with the garden, then, against his father’s recommendations, continues toward the wire fence. He follows it for some time, seeing no one on its grey, dull grounds. Then, he meets Schmuel, a scrawny, skeleton-like boy on the other side of the fence.

I found the beginning of the book rather slow paced, and it took me some time before getting hooked. Luckily, this period was rather short and once I got into it, I couldn’t set the novel down. I finished it the same evening.

This has to be one of the best, most adorable, yet one of the saddest books I have ever read. The friendship between Bruno and Schmuel is typical of children that age: their friendship isn’t unconditional, and more than once, Bruno selfishly eats the food he had brought for his (starving) friend on the other side of the metal fence. Bruno seems his age: he doesn’t see what is happening on Schmuel’s side of the fence, he idolizes his father, he mocks his older sister. He doesn’t understand the war, and doesn’t understand why his friend was brought to such a dull place on the other side of the fence. Often, his childish, yet insightful remarks made me reflect on the horrible war that devastated Europe, and the legitimacy of the motives behind it.

Bruno’s character, even if he is very wealthy, isn’t the stereotypical rich-kid papa’s boy Nazi youth soldier. In fact, he has no idea about what is going on in his country, or what his father does, or why some people are behind the fence. Schmuel, even if he is as young as Bruno, has lived so much more, and his cautious, saddened nature is very different from his friend’s attitude. The two, even if contrasting, have a unique friendship. As Bruno brings food to his hungered friend, sometimes eating pieces along the way, he discovers he no longer remembers his Berlin friend’s names. Now, his only friend is a boy he shouldn’t even have met in the first place.

Adorable characters in such a ruthless setting, the powerful tale of friendship and the sad, sad, sad ending made this book marvellous. Finally a war story not centered on the war itself, fleeing the war, death of close people! I simply fell in love with it. Bruno and Schmuel will always have a special place in my heart.

Finally, the title is related to the fact that everyone, on the other side of the barbed wire, seems to wear the same clothing: grey and white striped pyjamas.

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas is a very touching book about friendship and misunderstandings. By the end of the book, I was bawling my eyeballs out. And I’m not even an overly sensitive person.

-Aithen

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
Rating : 9/10