A forum for the discussion of books and other things
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Currently reading . . .
1 comment:
Anonymous
said...
Hi everyone,
I'm not sure how to post a new item so I'm adding my ideas as a comment.
This is one of my top five books this decade. It explores so many issues in a moving and gripping way. Perhaps it's a bit formulaic and predictable, but it was the first time in a long time that I was sucked into a book and read it quickly. Incidentally, I didn't think its structure was formulaic and I did enjoy the flashback style.
The existential and spiritual issues raised in this book, interwoven with snippets about pre-and post-occupation Afghanistan, made for fascinating reading. I was particularly moved by the themes of guilt and making amends, although I thought that Amir's opportunity to make amends by caring for Hassan's son was a bit convenient. More often is the case that we don't have a chance to make amends with those we have wronged.
There wasn't much about this book that I didn't like. I enjoyed reading about the complex friendship between the two young boys. Amir writes about his child self in an almost loving and sympathetic way, knowing that such a young boy would be very conflicted by the complexity of their relationship. I enjoyed learning about a sport that is clearly a vital part of Afghan culture. I was interested to read that Afghani winter holidays are like the Western world's summer holidays. I liked the descriptions of traditional food. I found hope in reading about a man who had migrated to the US and who could see and silently scorn the oppression of women in his homeland. I sympathised with returning to one's place of upbringing and not finding anything as it had been.
Because I enjoyed the book so much, I have actually chosen not to see the movie. My experience is that I'm usually disappointed by movie adaptations of books, and I prefer to have Hassan and Amir live in my mind the way I imagine them. Although I read this book months ago, I still have very vivid images in my mind, which I like to take out and examine every now and again.
March: Midwives (Chris Bohjalian)
April: Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
May: The Chrysalids (John Wyndham)
June: Born To Run (Christopher McDougall)
July: Post Mortem (Patricia Cornwall)
August: Breath (Tim Winton)
Sept: From Berlin to Biere (Joseph Spring)
October: 'In Defence of Food: An Eater's Manifesto' (Michael Pollan)
November:
December: Murder at Longbourn: A Mystery (Tracy Kiely)
Reading list for 2009
March: Into the wild by Jon Krakauer
April: Nine parts of desire by Geraldine Brooks
May: Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card
June: Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
July: Kazan by James Curwood
August: Kids books by various authors
September: Possession by A.S. Byatt
October: The power of five: Necropolis (book 4) by Anthony Horowitz
November: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
December: Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Reading list for 2008
March: Northern Lights/The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
April: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
May: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
June: Buffy: The Long Way Home; Angel: After the Fall (Graphic Novels)
1 comment:
Hi everyone,
I'm not sure how to post a new item so I'm adding my ideas as a comment.
This is one of my top five books this decade. It explores so many issues in a moving and gripping way. Perhaps it's a bit formulaic and predictable, but it was the first time in a long time that I was sucked into a book and read it quickly. Incidentally, I didn't think its structure was formulaic and I did enjoy the flashback style.
The existential and spiritual issues raised in this book, interwoven with snippets about pre-and post-occupation Afghanistan, made for fascinating reading. I was particularly moved by the themes of guilt and making amends, although I thought that Amir's opportunity to make amends by caring for Hassan's son was a bit convenient. More often is the case that we don't have a chance to make amends with those we have wronged.
There wasn't much about this book that I didn't like. I enjoyed reading about the complex friendship between the two young boys. Amir writes about his child self in an almost loving and sympathetic way, knowing that such a young boy would be very conflicted by the complexity of their relationship. I enjoyed learning about a sport that is clearly a vital part of Afghan culture. I was interested to read that Afghani winter holidays are like the Western world's summer holidays. I liked the descriptions of traditional food. I found hope in reading about a man who had migrated to the US and who could see and silently scorn the oppression of women in his homeland. I sympathised with returning to one's place of upbringing and not finding anything as it had been.
Because I enjoyed the book so much, I have actually chosen not to see the movie. My experience is that I'm usually disappointed by movie adaptations of books, and I prefer to have Hassan and Amir live in my mind the way I imagine them. Although I read this book months ago, I still have very vivid images in my mind, which I like to take out and examine every now and again.
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