So it’s Khaled Hosseini-one of the best writers of the era. In March 2001, while practicing medicine, Hosseini began writing his first novel, The Kite Runner. It went on to become an international bestseller, sold in at least seventy countries and spending more than a hundred weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. In May 2007 his second novel A Thousand Splendid Suns was on the top in the New York Times bestseller list. After this brilliant success he came up with his third novel And the Mountains Echoed, in May 2013 and it debuted near the top of the Times list and remained on it for 33 weeks until January 2014.
He was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and his writing depicts the very culture and nature of the country he was born in, trying to educate others about it. His every novel is bathed in sadness and despair, with the occasional ray of hope.
Work of Khaled Hosseini along the years
The Kite Runner
This is the novel which actually thrilled and moved me at the same time. It is an emotional story of betrayal and redemption. It tells the story of two close friends Amir and Hassan who are more like brothers and are fond of kite flying. As their friendship grows stronger, war comes to Afghanistan and the country becomes an extremely dangerous place. Amir commits an act of betrayal towards his friend Hassan which is going to haunt him for the rest of his life.
The writer finds a great balance between being clear and yet powerful, and not only is the story itself brilliantly constructed, but the book also explores the very art of storytelling. Besides introducing me to the Afghan life, this novel told me about relationships. Specifically the relationships between Amir and Hassan, Baba, Rahim Khan, Soraya, and Sohrab and how the complex relationships in our lives overlap and connect to make us the people we are. It’s a worth reading novel and you will end up for more.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
This story is so heart touching that it really forces you to bawl like a child. It is a deeply moving story of friendship, faith and salvation to be found in love. Mariam and Laila are two women who are brought together by war and fate. Their bond grows stronger day by day which makes them sisters and mother daughter to each other. It is actually a narration of two women, both trying to make do, jumbling through life trying to find joy through the darkness, one innocent yet hiding a terrible secret and another bitter with age and resenting her life. They still have a ray of hope and their love for family shows that love, or even the memory of love is often the key to survival.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a heartbreaking yet compelling story. At the end you are not only left with a tear, but with a fire lit within it. Inspiring and amazingly written everyone must read this novel!
And The Mountains Echoed
This novel is also one of the masterpieces. It is actually an opening which leaves a boulder in the reader’s throat. The writer explores many ways in which families nurture and sacrifice for each other and how often we are surprised by the actions and words of people who are closer to us. The story becomes more emotional and complex with each turning page. It investigates the consequences of a desperate act that scars two young lives and oscillates through many others. From Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Ti nos, the story expands gradually outwards. In the closing section of the story Hosseini pulls off his usual and impressive trick of breaking your heart and leaving you smiling. You should certainly go for it as it’s nearly perfect just as it is!