Got my hands on A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini yesterday....Thanks to my beloved parents who bought it for me because I'm 100% broke...hehehe..I have read until Part 4...I just can't put it down..I only put it down when I go to sleep..Will continue to read it after this and then I'll write my review on it here!!So far,it definitely is better than The Kite Runner..Khaled Hosseini is definitely an amazing author...
Updates... Finish reading the book less than half an hour ago.It is amazing.Truly amazing.Touching,beautiful,sad,shocking,educational,eye-opening,compelling,riveting and so many more.I am in awe over Khaled Hosseini's ability to write an even better book than his first book,The Kite Runner.I don't want to spoil much of the storyline because to me it is a very worth book to buy,read and keep.The book revolves around two female characters,Mariam and Laila and how hard life was to them.Mariam,a harami (a child born out of wedlock) and how her life took a turn for the worse just because her father was ashamed of her existence.And of Laila, a beautiful girl whose life is just like any other girl in the world, but it all change one day because of the war.The brutality of it will shock others who read the story but that is the reality of life for women there.But the theme of the book to me is also important.It tells us that because of love,pure love that is not tainted by anything,a person will be able to overcome abuse,hardship and many more brutality of life.Which some people might scoff at..,but really,read the book and you'll see how trivial your everyday problems are compared to those who are living in oppression.
A thousand splendid suns will be turned into a movie too as I read about it on Khaled Hosseini's blog--
I am glad that finally,after many years of searching,I have found an author that I could look up to,that inspires me to write a book of my own,that opened up my eyes to the brutality of life in Afghanistan,that is able to write a second book that is better than the first(which is rare because usually,an author's second book doesn't measure up to the success of the 1st book).I can't wait to see what Khaled Hosseini's third offering will be.
The Kite Runner,blew my mind.As I finish reading it 2 weeks ago(Moja,I forgot to give it back to you but I'll keep it elok2..hehehe),I came to the realization that this world is not just about me,my family and my friends and my country.Reading the book made me realize although I know that the situation in Afghanistan is bad,to get the perspective of a real Afghan author,was mind blowing and it really shattered me.It could happen to anyone.One day your country that was peaceful and beautiful suddenly become bleak,filled with death and all the happiness and the wealth is gone in a split second.And then what is left?The simple conclusion is love and friendship.That is the essence that bind The Kite Runner about the love of friendship.And I can't wait to read A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini as well.
I watched the movie yesterday and...I don't know how many times my tears fell down my face.I didn't cry like 'gila2' but it touched my heart so many times.And there are moments in the movie that absolutely kills me...Like when Hassan was raped by Assef, when Amir throw pomegranates at Hassan and when Sohrab danced with the bells around his ankles...that scene really killed me..the humiliation was just too painful to watch.Also when the man who took care of the orphanage blasted at Amir for getting angry at him....what he said about the bleakness of life at that moment,God,that really killed me too...(although I have read it in the book,seeing in on screen and the fact that the actor did a very good job really touched my heart).And the one that scared me the most was at the stadium during the killing with stones.I was like 'Astaghfirullahalazim' all the way through that scene.
Hassan and Amir.
My friend Chip who saw the movie long before I did said that it didn't follow the book right but I thought that it was a good interpretation of the book though the last half of the movie when Amir manage to get Sohrab...suddenly they were back in America.They didn't show how hard it was for Amir to adopt Sohrab and the fact that Sohrab tried to commit suicide was not shown either. And I thought that the first half of the movie,they didn't really show the extremely close friendship between Amir and Hassan which in turn made the betrayal and the cowardice of Amir, very,very painful for one who have read the book.
But I understand the fact that the book is very long and to be able to cramp everything into 2 hours is impossible.And for that matter,The Kite Runner is a great movie.It gotten great reviews in the US.I especially love the kite race because it was amazing seeing all the kites and the special effects that they did to make the race look so enjoyable. The actors are great too.Khalid Abdallah who played the older Amir did a great job in portraying the character.And so did the little Hassan.In fact everyone of the cast was great.If you have read about the movie in The Star a few weeks ago you would have known for a fact that the child actors were relocated to United Arab Emirates because they fear their safety in their own country,over the fact of the rape scene(a Pashtun boy raping a Hazara.Again,you might not understand this so please READ the book.You WON'T regret it.).
Khalid Abdalla.
But for the people who haven't watched it yet,I suggest that you read the book first,because there will be parts in the movie where you might not be able to connect with or understand (like the part of Sohrab dancing) because the pace was quite fast.I love the book and the movie a lot and again,can't wait to read A thousand splendid suns.So now I also can't wait to watch Prince Caspian because I have been reading the whole Narnia series years ago and want to see if it does the book justice.
Yeehhaawwwwwwwww!!!My most favorite song of the moment--Violet Hill from Coldplay's 'Viva la Vida' and the video have just came out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VIOLET HILL
Was a long and dark December From the rooftops i remember There was snow White snow
Clearly i remember From the windows they were watching While we froze down below
When the future's architectured By a carnival of idiots on show You'd better lie low
If you love me Won't you let me know?
Was a long and dark December When the banks became cathedrals And the fog Became God
Priests clutched onto bibles And went out to fit their rifles And the cross was held aloft
Bury me in honor When i'm dead and hit the ground A love back home unfolds
If you love me Won't you let me know?
(Guitar Solo)
I don't want to be a soldier With the captain of some sinking ship With snow, far below
So if you love me Why'd you let me go?
I took my love down to violet hill There we sat in snow All that time she was silent still
It happened again Everything came back In my mind. I tried hard not to. To not, Let it get to me But I am not, That strong. And the pain, That lurks inside. It never seem to leave And the tears starts to fall One by one.
For how many times Have I tried to forget. Though the memories Are still there The feelings are still there Only time will tell. If someone can save me From all this pain, Let it be...
