And the Mountains Echoed

Although, as an initial impression at first glance, this story's structure feels disjointed, I found it to be spectacular where its plot, characters, and the author’s skill in storytelling are concerned, and I am afraid no review, starting with this one, can do justice to such a great novel. The core story has to do with the selling of a child to a childless, disturbed woman and thus forcibly separating her, Pari Wahdati, from her older brother Abdullah who cared for her ever since their mother died. I am not going to give away the story's ending by answering the question of if the two children ever find each other again or cross paths in some ways. The novel opens with Saboor, who is Pari and Abdullah’s father, telling a tale to his children about a young boy who is taken by a div (a giant ogre) and how that fate might not be too bad. This opening introduces the main plot and points to Saboor as the father who is made to sell his child (Pari) because of poverty, after his children's uncle Nabi's urging. Still, the book is not only about this core plot. There are several subplots relating the characters to one another in some way. Each character is realistically and masterfully portrayed and each character is human and complex, even those that have a bit of wickedness in them. Like the multifaceted plot, the themes also abound in this remarkable story. Some of them touch the dynamic between mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, siblings and friends, and husband and wife relationships, making the events and actions sparkle through the lives of several pairs of characters. Pain, love, trauma, guilt, gratitude, loyalty, loss, friendship, adoption, and family themes run throughout the story that has several settings worldwide, such as Afghanistan especially Shadbagh, Greece, Paris, London, Jalozai Refugee Camp in Pakistan, and the US. Especially, the subplots and the main storyline that touch the political and social upheavals in Afghanistan are stunning, but even then, this book is mainly about people as human beings. The story is told through shifting viewpoints, mostly in the third person from the perspective of the character whose story is being presented, but a reader can relate to each viewpoint or voice and character very well. If any gaps are left while presenting another character’s subplot, in another side story another character informs the readers of the outcome of the first subplot. Thus, the story’s timeline stretches between 1952 to our time in the twenty-first century. Despite being a story so vast in time and focus and so rich with subplots and characters, its smooth flow or fluidity is a testament to the skill of this author. To say the least, I would consider myself shortchanged from the literary point of view if I had missed reading this novel. I am very glad I had enough curiosity to purchase this book.

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

Me ha gustado mucho, en realidad, más que su gran éxito "The Kite Runner". Historias de gente que se entrelaza unida por su pasado y las relaciones entre las personas, muchas marcadas por la tremenda dependencia de unos y otros. Personajes muy bien trazados, que te hacen tenerlos muy cerca. Me ha parecido muy emotivo y te quedas pensando en el libro mucho tiempo después. Lo recomiendo al cien por cien.

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”.

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.