Straight up, Hosseini is gifted and the man can write. Making the ugly shine like jewels. For example, when a character is describing his dementia diagnosis:
They tell me I must wade into waters, where I will soon drown. Before I march in, I leave this on the shore for you. I pray you find it, sister, so you will know what was in my heart as I went under.
Hosseini's ability to write has never been in doubt but I am sorry to say some misgivings have crept in with his latest effort. In all fairness this is still a good read, but when your other two works are masterpieces it is difficult to keep outdoing yourself.
The downfall with this book is Hosseini's attempts to include too many tales that somewhat intertwine. This leaves some of the most intriguing characters and story lines not fully developed, allowing tad boring scenarios to take up valuable page space. This left me frustrated and I put And the Mountains Echoed down for a few months. However, this was not entirely Hosseini's fault. With a sick toddler, lack of sleep and other pressures of life, I just didn't have the mental energy to read.
I am glad I pursued with this book which, as with all Hosseini's work, has me thinking and visualising long after the last page has turned. It is by no means a disaster and I do recommend you give it a go over summer. The pinnacle events in the book will leave you heartbroken and touched. If you do, please let me know what you think, because I'm unsure if I'm just being too harsh!
My dear sister-in-law Miss T gifted me The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton for my birthday last week. I'm looking forward to reading this Man Booker Prize winner but might take me awhile due to its length!
Have you read And The Mountains Echoed? What books are on your summer reading pile?
No comments:
Post a Comment