A Thousand Splendid Suns

I bought The Kite Runner and The Da Vinci Code on the way back to Singapore from Alabama, knowing that it will be a long flight home, and I need something to keep me occupied in case there are no other forms of entertainment and I couldn’t get any forty winks. As I have not read novels in such a long time, I wondered whether I will be able to finish reading these two acclaimed and one partly, controversial novel. I did, much to my own amazement.

I read DaVinci on the flight, and it kept me awake while hubby and little kiddo were catching up with their much needed sleep. I was intrigued, and can’t help wondering the truths or myths of Dan Brown’s claims. It definitely requires much discourse with someone who has read the book, or someone in the know of things, if there is ever such a person.

What’s more astounding is that, I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini in double speed time. Sidney Sheldon used to be one of my favourites when I was younger and I have read many of his novels and simply can’t put them down. With The Kite Runner, I am so immersed and felt transported into its fictional realm, and yet it felt so real. I imagined myself being there, observing the going-ons in the lives of Amir and Hassan.

After I reached Singapore, I introduced both books to my dad. He said, he’ll read it sometime. Unsuspectingly, my youngest brother took The Kite Runner since it was highly recommended by me and he took only two days to read it. Seeing that, my dad read the book, and he too, couldn’t put it down, until he finished it.

With both The Kite Runner and Da Vinci Code, it makes me forget the world that I’m in, neglecting people around me eventhough I could be in the same room as them. I felt like I was somewhere else, and I’m not too sure whether a good book is good for me, since it can make me neglectful of my chores and responsibility.

And to my surprise, it was dad who introduced me to A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini’s second novel. He had bought the book at the airport at a discount since he was a staff there, and is now reading it. He has not finished reading but I have stolen 10 chapters of it in between dad’s read. Again, Khaled has brilliantly transported me back to Herat to share the life of Mariam, as of now, this is the only character I knew that is central to the book at this point in time of the read. And I can’t wait to see what awaits Mariam, or how life is unfolding for her. He is definitely a brilliant storyteller.

“Father, can I read it now, please….?!!!”