Written in the year 2007, this intense Khaled Hosseini novel tells two parallel tales of Afghani women amidst the torn nation of Afghanistan. The story in itself is inextricably linked to the backdrop of historical and political scenario that was happening in Afghanistan. It goes perfectly well with the volatile happenings in their country. From the vulnerable Afghani communist government to the Soviet invasion, to the oppressive rule of Taliban, and then the hope of post-Taliban rebuilding, this tragic story takes us through the violence, abuse, fear, and longing that justifies itself with the tumultuous state of this nation. The story revolves around two women, Mariam and Laila, born 20 years apart, but whose lives are intertwined through the events of the novel. Mariam was 5 years old when she first came to know the meaning of the word ‘harami’ - an illegitimate child. And thus began her heart-rending story with this word always looming at the back of her head, and the forefront of her life. Laila, on the other hand, was born in a well-to-do literate family that offered no obstacle in any of her undertakings. There is a generation gap between both these women, but their rueful story entangles to make perfect sense somewhere down the middle. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a book divided into 4 parts and it spans over a period of 40 years. The writing style of the author makes each line of this book grab your attention to the core. The book tells a fictional tale but when you’re reading it, you will feel how real everything sounds. I loved how Hosseini took great care to never betray the emotional tone of the story to mere melodrama. There is a connection between Indians and Afghanis, both groups being a part of two neighboring countries, which makes itself evident throughout the story. As an Indian reader, you will find how similar both India and Afghanistan are. The prejudices, the backwardness, and the unprogressive - are some things which both these countries share in common. But the extent to which Afghani people have seen plight because of such regressive thinking is incomparable for any of us. Though this book tells an enthralling story, there is the reader’s discretion advised. The plot deals with topics like child marriage, abuse, and the untimely death of loved ones, among many other such topics. When I first read this book it left me feeling depressed for days. There were more than a few passages which left me in deep contemplation after which I was filled with a big sense of gratitude for the life I had. I was so moved by my ignorance of the terrible history of Afghanistan. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is my favorite book and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who would like to see their whole perspective on life shift gradually with the run of this book. At the end of reading it, you will be more respectful, you will take better care of your relationships, and for sure you will be filled with a sense of gratitude. I won’t say that this book will leave you feeling happy at the end, but you will definitely be a more thoughtful individual once you read through its pages. It's a stunningly beautiful story of a time which couldn’t have been worse, of innocent people who suffered the cruelty of others and at the end an imperishable love story. “One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.”

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

It’s kind of a pertinent question that I’ve been musing on lately. I first thought of it while I was immersed in Murakami’s Sputnik Sweetheart. Before that, I had read three of his novels, and I was already in awe of his strange and subtle tales. I was on a Murakami reading quest. I wanted to read all of his works and continue to be a part of his surreal realities. With each story, I could feel my reality being subjugated by his tensed and engulfing make-believes. There was also a mutual agreement going on between what I was reading and how I felt. This wasn’t the first time that I chased the voice of an author. In the past, I had been on an author spree with this same devotion. Agatha Christie, Khaled Hosseini, John Green - each of them had been a subject of my fixation at some point. I found a clear resemblance between myself and these author’s signature protagonists during each of these periods. That’s the most important thing that binds a reader to an author - the congruence between the words on paper and the bits of beliefs he holds sacred. This time around, it was Murakami who established such rapport with his slightly dark, melancholic stories. Maybe that’s the kind of place I paralleled to where I could only have trusted a literary genius and his take on the absurdity of quotidian life. I am not as delusional to think of these outlying authors as my friends (not yet); our communication is too one-sided to think of them as someone close. But yes, I do feel fixated when I read those conceited thoughts of the author projected on paper. When I am inside the mythical world of a novel, a part of me can’t wait to see how that story unfolds and see it through to the end. But there’s also a silent, a more cardinal part who wants to build a home in that same world and live through my time with its characters. There’s an unsaid agreement between a reader and an author, one that binds the former to the latter’s fancy depiction. The promise to never let go until he takes us to the end of the story. This is the assurance a reader finds while investing his time in a book. Some stories are left without an ending; thankfully, not the ones in published and appraised novels. And now back to the question: do we become what we read, or do we read what we are? Just like most things in life, the answer to this is not clear. I believe in the theory that we are the average of five people we spend the most time with. If these five people happen to be the characters in a novel or the fancy authors you read on the trot, you inevitably impart some of their traits. Having said that, this is just an opinion, and the answer can only be highly subjective. There are days when I might be a little biased towards the latter argument, but then again, we are not constants; with our ever-changing moods, and desires, and needs, each of us may better resemble a variable. There’s no denying that we become what we feed off of. All the protagonists I’ve read and known still breathe a quiet and sustained breath in me. Their blithe undertakings and strong resolves will continue to influence my own way of upholding in one way or another. Even so, I don’t feel compelled to get started on a story if the characters or the plot are too remote for me. One needs to relate to a story and its characters for a flawless resonance to take place. Those few lines on the back of a book help me to check my harmony with the story. Reading is an effortless and enjoyable undertaking for those who find what they’re looking for and arduous mental torture for those who never find their cup of tea. Whichever argument you are inclined towards, we must agree that reading can be a form of bargained therapy. Depending on what you read, you can help yourself to get in a better mental shape. There’s a whole new world waiting for you to witness it in every book that you may hold; dive in, swim with the mythical beings and see for yourself if the journey was worth it.

Do we become what we read, or do we read what we are?

With the spotlight always around the big three of tennis, the casual millennial sports enthusiast may have never heard of the name Andre Agassi. The former world no. 1 American tennis star player who is the author of this month’s book review Open. If you’re anything like me, you may have assumed that any sportsperson who has ever held the title of being the world no. 1 in his/her sports, must be a gifted individual. A former world no. 1 tennis legend wrote about his struggles throughout his professional and personal life as a tennis player in his incredibly vulnerable autobiography, Open. Open takes you through the entire lifespan of a champion, who in his own words used to “hate tennis”, the sport which earned him both the name and fame that would last long after he’s gone. Untrue to what you may think, Andre didn’t start off with an unabiding attraction to tennis. He was born in a middle class family, with a frustrated man for a father. The most distinct childhood memories that he had was of his father either yelling at him to “smash the ball harder”, or of the furious sound his incredulous bowling machine used to make. In his book, Andre opens up about his failures and losses both as a professional tennis player, and as a person growing in the limelight. Andre’s autobiography is the most interesting anti-sports book written by a superstar athlete. In his book, he was trying to put forth how the game he mastered seemed to him like a prison he wanted to escape. Labeled throughout his life as an “attention-seeker”, Andre tells us of the unforgiving nature of media when you’re always in the limelight. Although sports enthusiasts would not see Agassi as the GOAT of the game, only a few can argue that nobody stayed as much in the news as he did when he was playing. Now as a retired legend, he tries to explain the complexities and dilemmas he faced during his tennis career. The thing which I admired the most about this autobiography was how honestly it was written. Agassi didn’t try to portray himself as some godlike phenomenon who always had things under control. Instead, he talks a lot more about his failures than his achievements. He showcased himself in the most vulnerable way. For instance, he talks about a time in his life when he had hit rock-bottom and he leaned on consuming methamphetamine, and later lied about it to tennis officials to avoid a suspension. With a detailed account of his tennis career, Open also talks about Andre’s personal life. His two big-shot marriages are talked about as honestly as his tennis career. Brooke Shield, Agassi’s first wife and big Hollywood actress, lasted only a couple of years. Besides the fact that both the two lived all their life in media limelight, there was little common to each of them. After his divorce with Brooke, and a obviously dark period which entails any separation, Andre found himself pulled towards his long crush Steffi Graf. If it were not for Serena Williams, Steffi Graf would be known as the best woman tennis player of all time. Only a few people in the world could dwarf Andre’s achievements and Steffi was one of them. Each page of Open is illuminated by an incredible piece of clean and precise writing. It makes sense to name J. R. Moehringer, author of the memoir “The Tender Bar,” who helped Agassi enhance his story with an immaculate use of language. Agassi says he read Moehringer’s memoir at his last US Open and recruited him to help write his own book. The result is a memoir which not only inspires, but also illuminates the reader about the importance of hardships in one’s life. It also makes a point that not everyone who seems like an attention-seeker is seeking attention. Some are just conducting a struggle to find selfhood in a world that threatens to devour them.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Do we become what we read, or do we read what we are?

Open by Andre Agassi