Book Club - A Thousand Splendid Suns

[ScrapMel]

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Leave your thoughts and impressions here in this thread. If you are going to refer to a scene in the book, please leave the page number in the title of your post in case someone hasn't gotten that far into the book yet! Try not to spoil it for others!

[ScrapMel]

Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions on A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini reveal important details from the novel. Finish the book before reading on!



1. What did A Thousand Splendid Suns teach you about the history of Afghanistan? Did anything surprise you?

2. Mariam’s mother says: "Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have." In what ways is this true? How do Mariam and Laila endure? How is their endurance different from the ways their mothers faced their trials?

3. Several times Mariam passes herself off as Laila's mother. In what way is their relationship like mother-daughter? How did their own relationships with their mothers shape how they treated each other and their family?

4. What is the significance of Laila's childhood trip to see the giant stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley? Why did her father take her on this trip? How did his influence shape the way Laila would cope with her future?

5. Afghanistan changes rulers several times in the story. During the Soviet occupation, the people felt life would be better once the foreigners were defeated. Why do you think the quality of life deteriorated after the occupation rather than returning to the way it was in the pre-communist era?
6. When the Taliban first enter the city, Laila does not believe women will tolerate being forced out of jobs and treated with such indignity. Why do the educated women of Kabul endure such treatment? Why are the Taliban accepted?

7. The Taliban forbid "writing books, watching films, and painting pictures;" yet the film Titanic becomes a sensation on the black market. Why would people risk the Taliban’s violence to watch the film? Why do you think this particular film became so popular? How does Hosseini use films throughout the novel to symbolize relationships between people and the state of the country (i.e. Jalil's theater, Tariq & Laila's outings to the movies)?

8. Were you surprised when Tariq returned? Had you suspected the depth of Rasheed's deceit?

9. Why does Mariam refuse to call witnesses at her trial? Why didn't she try to escape with Laila and Tariq? Do you think Mariam made the right decision? Even though her life was hard, Mariam wishes for more of it in the end. Why do you think that is?

10. Do you think Laila and Tariq can be happy?

11. Afghanistan is still in the news a lot. Do you think the situation will truly improve there?

12. Rate A Thousand Splendid Suns on a scale of 1 to 5.

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

Ok, I reserved my copy at the library yesterday. Will read it as soon as I get it.

[ScrapMel]

Reading Groups Guides

1. The phrase “a thousand splendid suns,” from the poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi, is quoted twice in the novel – once as Laila’s family prepares to leave Kabul, and again when she decides to return there from Pakistan. It is also echoed in one of the final lines: “Miriam is in Laila’s own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns.” Discuss the thematic significance of this phrase.

2. Mariam’s mother tells her: “Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have.” Discuss how this sentiment informs Mariam’s life and how it relates to the larger themes of the novel.

3. By the time Laila is rescued from the rubble of her home by Rasheed and Mariam, Mariam’s marriage has become a miserable existence of neglect and abuse. Yet when she realizes that Rasheed intends to marry Laila, she reacts with outrage. Given that Laila’s presence actually tempers Rasheed’s abuse, why is Mariam so hostile toward her?

4. Laila’s friendship with Mariam begins when she defends Mariam from a beating by Rasheed. Why does Laila take this action, despite the contempt Mariam has consistently shown her?

5. Growing up, Laila feels that her mother’s love is reserved for her two brothers. “People,” she decides, “shouldn’t be allowed to have new children if they’d already given away all their love to their old ones.” How does this sentiment inform Laila’s reaction to becoming pregnant with Rasheed’s child? What lessons from her childhood does Laila apply in raising her own children?

6. At several points in the story, Mariam and Laila pass themselves off as mother and daughter. What is the symbolic importance of this subterfuge? In what ways is Mariam’s and Laila’s relationship with each other informed by their relationships with their own mothers?

7. One of the Taliban judges at Mariam’s trial tells her, “God has made us different, you women and us men. Our brains are different. You are not able to think like we can. Western doctors and their science have proven this.” What is the irony in this statement? How is irony employed throughout the novel?

8. Laila’s father tells her, “You’re a very, very bright girl. Truly you are. You can be anything that you want.” Discuss Laila’s relationship with her father. What aspects of his character does she inherit? In what ways is she different?

9. Mariam refuses to see visitors while she is imprisoned, and she calls no witnesses at her trial. Why does she make these decisions?

10. The driver who takes Babi, Laila, and Tariq to the giant stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley describes the crumbling fortress of Shahr-e-Zohak as “the story of our country, one invader after another… we’re like those walls up there. Battered, and nothing pretty to look at, but still standing.” Discuss the metaphorical import of this passage as it relates to Miriam and Laila. In what ways does their story reflect the larger story of Afghanistan’s troubled history?

11. Among other things, the Taliban forbid “writing books, watching films, and painting pictures.” Yet despite this edict, the film Titanic becomes a sensation on the black market. Why would people risk the Taliban’s violent reprisals for a taste of popcorn entertainment? What do the Taliban’s restrictions on such material say about the power of artistic expression and the threat it poses to repressive political regimes?

12. While the first three parts of the novel are written in the past tense, the final part is written in present tense. What do you think was the author’s intent in making this shift? How does it change the effect of this final section?

[Amy Eileen]

I need to finish Jane Eyre and then I will check into this one!

[ScrapMel]

How is everyone doing? Able to find the book okay? In the midst of reading it? What are your thoughts so far?

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

I just got notification from the library that my copy is in. HOWEVER, I have no time to read from now til ??? We are having a bbq here on Sunday and have invited all of the church members to attend. The October mini class is also on my to-do list as is my October featured product. I'll check the book out and renew it on the same day so I can have it for a month!

I haven't had time to go to the bookstore, which is a shame since I have time to read on the plane today.

[ScrapMel]

Okay, bumping this to the top - anyone else in the process of reading or has read this and wanna chat/share insights?

I do have a 'side' question for those who have also read The Kit Runner - how would you compare the two? Which did you find more disturbing?

[nancyr]

Well I finished the book in one afternoon. I told you I love to read and when a book grabs me I cant put it down.
Dont read futher if you have not read the book
Are we going to chat?


It was hard to read about the way women are treated even though I know it happens. But I hate that it is so tollerated and there is no where for these women to go for help. I would have been beaten so badly as I just cant deal with unequal treatment. I guess because of how I grew up I have little tollerance of men telling me how to believe. I could not stand not being able to chose who I would marry. I have had co-workers who had arranged marriages and I find it mind boggling. But it can work so who am I to say anything.

Nothing in the story surprised me in the manner the women were treated. It has been happening for centuries in all countries. But what always makes me glad I am a woman is the way we can help each other. I love the way Laila brought out the best in Miriam. I think it was always in Miriam but being beaten down first by her mom, then father and finally her husband it was buried. For Miriam to finally find that one person to stand up for her showed Mariam she was a person of worth. To me that is the lesson I learned.

I do not see Afghanistan changing for several generations. It takes time for new ideas to be shown that they dont really conflict with centuries of tradition or if they do conflict it is okay to change. My son was in Kabal as a Marine and brought home photos. The mountains and land were so beautiful covered with snow. But there was not much green. Alot of building was going on so maybe there will be change!

To me the major surprise of the novel was the return of Tariq. I was floored by the deceit of Rasheed. What a horrible position Laila was in when she discovered she was pregant. Here she is this young educated but no hope girl. She was so young but I hated that she felt she had to hide her condition. I wonder what would have happened if she had confided in Miriam her problem instead wanting to marry Rasheed. I think she would have had an ally earlier. Rasheed was a sick man.

I found it interesting how the events in the world has such little effect on their everyday lives. So many invaders came yet their lives stayed hard. They only knew what Rasheed told them. The fact that the underground was there shows me that freedom of choice is an integral part of ourselves. But now that I think about it while I know the world events and can see the suffering my daily life really is as insulated as theirs. My life as theirs revolves around getting up working and making the best life for my children.

Thanks for suggesting this book.