A Thousand Splendid Suns -- A book review?

Its hardly fair to the author if I start my book review with "Do not read this book .." but thts exactly how I felt. I have never felt so depressed or drained of all positive energy as I was after I read this book. I am by nature a bit emotional and sensitive, but I did not expect to find myself crying after reading the first few pages. In fact, the unraveling of the relationship between Jalil and Miriam was like a punch in the stomach.

In most stories, there is a lot of hype about a particular scenario and you know for sure that that will soon hit rock bottom. Its more like a Tell. Its like how you know someone is lying. For instance, when the person rubs their nose or when they do not look at you while telling the lie. Authors also have a Tell. They hype-up the scenario into something too huge and almost too good. You know the main character is having all their hopes riding on this one thing - the idea, job, relationship, person, etc. and you know they will not get it.

However, in this story, the author makes you feel sorry for Miriam and the relationship she shares with her mother, and you are lulled into hoping the relationship with the father, Jalil, would somehow make things ok. And thats why when it unravelled, I felt like I had been punched. It was actually a double Tell. Grr..

I know I am talking in riddles. You'll understand wen you read the book. I think I should say If you read the book. At this point, I would like to say that there is no doubt tht the author is a fantastic writer, and extremely talented. Inspite of the punch, I felt compelled to read on. Maybe I needed to know if Miriam would ever be happy. For a reader like me, who keeps an eye out for the Tell, he lulled me and my eye before he punched me - quite a few times, I must say. Having said that, I must state that it is not a book for the faint-hearted or for the ppl who are looking for something light to read to pass the time. If you have read "The Kite Runner" and feel you can manage another book by the same author - go ahead and try it.