lottie29's review
4.0
Hosseini writes incredibly real characters. I genuinely believe they each have a past and a future, beyond the covers of the book. His writing is stunning, and my heart aches.
stephanie19's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
This is interesting and easy to understand
marisapurcell's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
borna761's review
5.0
Khaled Hosseini's book always make me shed a tear or two. This one was no different.
And the Mountains Echoed tells the story of a family in Afghanistan whose events in life scatter them around the world. We get to follow a series of interconnected stories, where the main protagonists of the book weave in and out of each other's lives, for better or worse. Each chapter has an element of sadness and almost despair to it, which is then interwoven with some sort of joy and happiness. There is something gripping in the way the chapter alternates back and forth between past and present, making you want to just continue reading on and on.
As with his other books, And the Mountains Echoed makes me think of our relationships and how we act towards each other. The consequences of our actions go a long way, even though we may not have that intention or foresight. This book really takes an interesting look at it, when the consequences of an act of seeming kindness ends up not working out well for almost anyone.
I highly recommend reading this book, even though it has its heartbreaking moments.
And the Mountains Echoed tells the story of a family in Afghanistan whose events in life scatter them around the world. We get to follow a series of interconnected stories, where the main protagonists of the book weave in and out of each other's lives, for better or worse. Each chapter has an element of sadness and almost despair to it, which is then interwoven with some sort of joy and happiness. There is something gripping in the way the chapter alternates back and forth between past and present, making you want to just continue reading on and on.
As with his other books, And the Mountains Echoed makes me think of our relationships and how we act towards each other. The consequences of our actions go a long way, even though we may not have that intention or foresight. This book really takes an interesting look at it, when the consequences of an act of seeming kindness ends up not working out well for almost anyone.
I highly recommend reading this book, even though it has its heartbreaking moments.
kbratten's review
4.0
This book covers some of my favorite elements: multi-generational, spanning the world, complex characters, and unique points of view (from a doctor writer, no less!) It is almost more linked short stories than a traditional novel. Those complaining about disconnected stories aren't wrong, but I do think even the less central characters' stories contribute to the 'echo' of the whole.
Hosseini writes beautifully about culture, identity and family. He has a knack for picking just the right details to convey the character of his people. I enjoyed this book's leaps through time and place, trusting readers to fill in the blanks he intentionally left in the story.
Hosseini writes beautifully about culture, identity and family. He has a knack for picking just the right details to convey the character of his people. I enjoyed this book's leaps through time and place, trusting readers to fill in the blanks he intentionally left in the story.
altlovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This just wasn’t as good as The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns, I’ll just say that up front. I hate saying that because those books are very good books, but this one just felt disjointed and not altogether what I was hoping for from Hosseini.
Abdullah and Pari, brother and sister, grow up in a small village in Afghanistan—at least, until their father, lured in with money by his brother, sells Pari off to a well-off family in Kabul, breaking the two apart for the rest of their lives. Apart from the very beginning and the very end, the rest of this book concerns tangential people in Afghanistan and Paris, people who have contact with either Abdullah or Pari, or people related to them, and we hear their stories unfolding alongside these two siblings. A doctor, a neighbor, a friend of the family, several generations of stories are included here, all with their own related story that we hear instead of resolving what happens to Abdullah and Pari.
It’s an interesting format, but the feel of the whole book was like a compilation of short stories more than it is a cohesive whole. Some of these short stories are written well and compelling, but others (the one involving the son of the commander comes to mind) felt rushed and incomplete. These could be entire books in their own right if given the time and the pages, but instead are condensed down into 80 or so pages each. It just made the whole thing feel fragmented. I also wasn’t quite satisfied with the resolution to the "main" Abdullah/Pari story either, because we spend so much time on other characters, I never really got to know them enough to really feel invested in what happens.
I don’t know, this was kind of a miss for me. Still a decent book, but I feel like it isn’t the author’s best work by a long shot.
Abdullah and Pari, brother and sister, grow up in a small village in Afghanistan—at least, until their father, lured in with money by his brother, sells Pari off to a well-off family in Kabul, breaking the two apart for the rest of their lives. Apart from the very beginning and the very end, the rest of this book concerns tangential people in Afghanistan and Paris, people who have contact with either Abdullah or Pari, or people related to them, and we hear their stories unfolding alongside these two siblings. A doctor, a neighbor, a friend of the family, several generations of stories are included here, all with their own related story that we hear instead of resolving what happens to Abdullah and Pari.
It’s an interesting format, but the feel of the whole book was like a compilation of short stories more than it is a cohesive whole. Some of these short stories are written well and compelling, but others (the one involving the son of the commander comes to mind) felt rushed and incomplete. These could be entire books in their own right if given the time and the pages, but instead are condensed down into 80 or so pages each. It just made the whole thing feel fragmented. I also wasn’t quite satisfied with the resolution to the "main" Abdullah/Pari story either, because we spend so much time on other characters, I never really got to know them enough to really feel invested in what happens.
I don’t know, this was kind of a miss for me. Still a decent book, but I feel like it isn’t the author’s best work by a long shot.
maxjgraham's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ponderinstuff's review
2.0
Although I love Khaled Hosseini's previous books, I had a lot of difficulty following the story told in this particular book. The book moved around in time as well as skipping back and forth between characters, and it was not always immediately apparent which character's story line the author had switched over to.
I know many books today are written in this manner, but I found Hosseini's extreme use of this 'skipping around' style detracted from this story, rather than adding to it. That said, I will still look forward to Khaled Hosseini's next book.
I know many books today are written in this manner, but I found Hosseini's extreme use of this 'skipping around' style detracted from this story, rather than adding to it. That said, I will still look forward to Khaled Hosseini's next book.
aumika's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25