Afghan women endure, despite grief, hardships and resistance
Hosseini speaks at Elon’s Fall Convocation about Afghan women’s struggle for an identity

By Mary Yost

“‘I’m sorry,’ Laila says, marveling at how every Afghan story is marked by death and loss and unimaginable grief.  And yet, she sees, people find a way to survive, to go on.  Laila thinks of her own life and all that has happened to her, and she is astonished that she too has survived, that she is alive and sitting in this taxi listening to this man’s story.“–“A Thousand Splendid Suns”

Strength.  Vigor.  Energy.  Determination.

Author Khaled Hosseini says Afghan women have one characteristic that allows them to survive: endurance.  In his book “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” he submerges readers into the struggles of two Afghan women’s lives as they endure through the hardships of war and a changing culture.

Hosseini is the author of the freshmen’s common reading book.  Every year, the Elon Common Reading Program selects one book they think best encourages students to critically think about important global and national topics and then invites the author to speak to students, faculty and community members.  Hosseini addressed this audience Tuesday afternoon in Alumni Gym.

THE BOOK:
Hosseini’s novel “A Thousand Splendid Suns” traces Afghanistan’s history through the eyes of two women whose lives coincide because of the country’s conflicts—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to the post-Taliban rebuilding.  The women’s struggles to survive, raise a family and find happiness evoke human emotions that capture reader’s attention.

THE AUTHOR:
Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965.  His family was granted political asylum to the United States in 1980.  In San Jose, Calif., Hosseini and his family assimilated into an unknown culture, working hard to learn the foreign language and customs.

This new place did not keep Hosseini from dreaming about becoming a writer.  “In my heart, I wanted to become a writer,” Hosseini said.  “But how could I go to my parents and say I wanted to make up stories in this language I didn’t yet know?  Here you go and thank you for your sacrifices.  That would be so ambitious and so irresponsible.  I needed to pick a career where I would never have to go on welfare again.”

Hosseini’s practicality and desire to be successful led to his entry into medical school in 1989.  While in medical practice, Hosseini began writing his first novel, “The Kite Runner,” in March 2001.  In 2006, he was named a goodwill envoy to the UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency.  “A Thousand Splendid Suns” was published in May 2007.

WHY HE WROTE “A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS”:
Hosseini’s goal for his books is simple—he wants to increase people’s awareness of Afghanistan’s struggles and give Afghan refugees a voice.   “The purpose of a novel is precisely to talk about things people don’t want to talk about, to create a debate rather than to sweep unpleasant truths under a rug,” Hosseini said.

“A Thousand Splendid Suns” was inspired by Hosseini’s trip to Afghanistan in 2003.  He left Afghanistan when he was 11 years old and he returned to a different world 27 years later.  “Arriving in Kabul and seeing the city for the first time was a shock,” the author recalled.  “When I left, it was a functioning city.  When I returned, it had become a warzone.”

Hosseini began walking the streets and talking to anyone, trying to reconnect with his birthplace.  “What eventually surfaced and emerged from that was an unbelievable portrait of tragedy, suffering,” he said.
While there, Hosseini learned about women’s hardships  “I felt there was this entire other aspect of Afghan society I wanted to speak about,” Hosseini said.  “I think women in Afghanistan are in many ways the answer to the future of Afghanistan.”

This inspiration led to Hosseini’s creation of the two main female characters.  “I hope readers respond to the emotions of this story, despite vast cultural differences, they identify with Mariam and Laila and their dreams and ordinary hopes and day-to-day struggle to survive,” Hosseini said.  “As an Afghan, I would like readers to walk away with a sense of empathy for Afghans, and more specifically for Afghan women, on whom the effects of war and extremism have been devastating. I hope this novel brings depth, nuance and emotional subtext to the familiar image of the burqa-clad woman walking down a dusty street.”

WHY THE BOOK WAS SELECTED:

Hosseini signing a copy of "A Thousand Splendid Suns" for an Elon University student after Fall Convocation. Photograph taken by Mary Yost.

“We selected Hosseini’s novel because it is focused on a country where we have been at war for eight years (since October 2001), but which most Americans still know very little about,” said Jean Schwind, an English professor and member of the Common Reading Committee.  “It also focuses on the systematic disadvantaging of women in radical Islamic cultures, which is a crucial issue in global feminism.”

The United States’ current dilemma about sending additional troops to Afghanistan has made it necessary for students to increase their awareness of the United States’ involvement in that country.  “If our country is involved in a country by sending troops there, it is incumbent upon us to know more about that country, its people and their cultures,” said Janet Warman, the chair of the Common Reading Committee.

Jason Springer, the director of Elon 101 and member of the Common Reading Committee, said the novel gives readers a better understanding of human beings.  “As much as we assume we have huge differences, it’s important to understand the core similarities among peoples of different cultures,” he stated.

HOSSEINI’S CURRENT WORK:
Hosseini is working to provide humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan through the Khaled Hosseini Foundation.  When Hosseini visited a refugee settlement in Northern Afghanistan in 2007, he was appalled at the poverty of his fellow countrymen and women.  Winter was swiftly approaching, but the Afghani seemed unable to cope with the upcoming brutal weather due to their lack of shelter, he said.

The author asked a boy what shelter his family had during the cold months.  “He took my hand and walked me to a hole in the ground,” Hosseini recalled.  “I walked down the steps.  There was one window.   His family spent the last three winters huddling in this hole.”

Shelter is one of the most basic human rights, the author argued.  “Without shelter, we cannot do anything,” Hosseini simply stated.

This memory greatly impacted Hosseini’s life and led to his creation of the Khaled Hosseini Foundation, he said.  For $1500, the foundation can build a permanent house for an Afghan family.  They have provided 71 families with money for shelters.

MORE INFORMATION:

For more information about Hosseini and Afghanistan, visit the following Web sites:
www.khaledhosseini.com, www.khaledhosseinifoundation.org, www.elon.edu/e-web/library/reserch_guides/commonreading.xhtml.

As promised in my previous post, I am adding this poem “Kabul”, by the 17th-century Persian poet Saib-e-Tabrizi. This is one translation of the poem that has inspired the title of “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini. A second translation can be found here

Ah! How beautiful is Kabul encircled by her arid mountains
And Rose, of the trails of thorns she envies
Her gusts of powdered soil, slightly sting my eyes
But I love her, for knowing and loving are born of this same dust

And I, I sing in the gardens of Jahanara, of Sharbara
And even the trumpets of heaven envy their green pastures

Hope you like it!

Love that she's walking in high heels across the rocky terrain

Mariam is an illegitimate child who is forced to marry Rasheed, an abusive husband at age 15. Rasheed is an ugly, cruel man who breaks Mariam’s spirit time and again. Laila is an attractive girl who lives just up the street. She is born to educated, liberal parents and enjoys the freedoms Mariam is restricted from. She has a boyfriend, but their plans to marry get derailed when he has to leave the country and move to Pakistan as a refugee. Although he offers to marry Laila and take her with him, she opts to stay back with her parents who need her.

During the wars of the 1980’s and 1990’s, a rocket destroys Laila’s home and family. Finding herself alone and pregnant with her boyfriend’s child, she decides to accept Rasheed’s offer of marriage and becomes his second wife. The story then deals with how Mariam and Laila form an almost impossible friendship, and how they support each other through all their travails.

My Review:

A Thousand Splendid Suns does a wonderful job of giving glimpses and insight into the daily life in Afghanistan through the eyes of two very different women who become friends and allies.

I was very apprehensive to pick up this book. I hadn’t much liked “The Kite Runner”, and all that I read about this book made me feel it would be a tear-jerker, overly emotional kind of novel. The sort I normally try to avoid.

Anyway, I did eventually read it, and I must admit that I loved this one so much better than The Kite Runner. I really loved the 2 main characters. They are not spineless at all, but each show maturity and strength in the midst of unimaginable hardships. The ending of the book is superb, redemptive, and hopeful.

Khaled Hosseini paints a stark picture of what it means to be a woman in a culture where they are valued only for how well they keep a house, and how many sons they produce. A culture where they are subject to the whims of men. Those that value them as worthwhile human beings are welcome oases – they seem to be the exceptions in their world, rather than the norm.

To my surprise, there were also some subtle humorous passages in the book.

There is a hilarious aside in the book about a painter who is forced to draw pants on his paintings of flamingos to hide their “nudity”. I also loved reading about how people worked around the Taliban ban on TVs by burying it in the garden during raids.

What horrified me in the novel was the actuality of how rubbish daily life really was under the Taliban regime – no TV, no cinema, no books (apart from Islamic religious texts), no kite flying, full burqas, no cosmetic use, women could not travel without a man to escort them. What on earth did people do for recreation? I mean all the simple pleasures of life were taken away.

I am not even looking at this from a gender perspective. Life would have been hellish for men too, I am sure.

There are some nice bits of Islamic poetry and songs scattered through the novel, which I loved.

I will be posting a longer poem in a separate post, but I thought I would end this review with an excerpt from this shorter, very lovely ghazal that was included in this book, and which epitomizes its very spirit. This ghazal is by someone called Hafez:

Joseph shall return to Canaan, grieve not,
Hovels shall turn to rose garden, grieve not,
If a flood should arrive to drown all that’s alive,
Noah is your guide in the typhoon’s eye, grieve not.

In short, this book is every bit as splendid as the title suggests. Go read!

De repente, me deu vontade de desistir. Pegar as minhas coisas e ir embora para casa. O que é que estava pensando? Por que estava me metendo nessa enrascada, se já sabia qual seria o resultado? Baba estava lá em cima do telhado, olhando para mim. Sentia o seu olhar no meu corpo como a gente sente o calor do sol ardente. Ia ser um fracasso estrondoso, mesmo para alguém como eu…

— Não sei se estou a fim de empinar pipa hoje — disse.

— Está um dia lindo —retrucou Hassan.

Passei o peso do corpo de um pé para o outro. Tentei desviar os olhos do telhado lá de casa.

— Não sei, não. Talvez seja melhor voltar. Então, ele deu um passo na minha direção e, baixinho, disse uma coisa que me deixou um pouco assustado.

— Não se esqueça, Amir agha. Não tem monstro nenhum; só um lindo dia.

Como eu podia ser assim tão transparente para ele quando, pelo menos em cinqüenta por cento das vezes, não fazia a menor idéia do que estaria passando pela sua cabeça? E era eu que ia ao colégio. Era eu que sabia ler e escrever. Era eu o inteligente. Hassan não era capaz de ler nem um livro de primeira série, mas podia me ler com a maior facilidade. Era um tanto perturbador, mas também um pouco reconfortante ter alguém que sempre sabia do que você estava precisando.

— Monstro nenhum… — repeti, sentindo-me um pouco melhor para minha própria surpresa.

— Monstro nenhum — disse ele sorrindo.

— Tem certeza?

Ele fechou os olhos e fez que sim com a cabeça. Olhei para aquelas crianças correndo pela rua, atirando bolas de neve.

— O dia está lindo, não está?

— Vamos lá? — indagou ele.

Ocorreu-me que talvez Hassan tivesse inventado aquele sonho. Seria possível? Decidi que não. Hassan não era tão esperto assim. Eu não era tão esperto assim. Mas, inventado ou não, aquele sonho idiota tinha diminuído um pouco a minha ansiedade. Talvez devesse tirar a camisa e nadar no lago. Por que não?

— Vamos lá — respondi.

O rosto de Hassan se iluminou.

— Ótimo — disse ele.

Khaled  Hosseini, O Caçador de Pipas, Rio de Janeiro: Nova Fronteira, 2005.

Endurance is the primal instinct for an Afghani woman. Hardships, struggle and cruelty have led to their preexisting cultural restrictions. These women lead a life behind closed doors, which made Khaled Hosseini question, “Who is in those homes?”

Hosseini, the bestselling author of “The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” spoke at Elon University Tuesday. He focused on the women and the politics of his native land, Afghanistan.

“I feel that women in Afghanistan are really the answer to the future of Afghanistan in many ways,” said Hosseini. He said the struggle of women has been a great tragedy, of massive suffering and an unspeakable hardship.

Hosseini traveled back to Kabul after 27 years of being far away from its borders. He left Kabul as an up-and-coming city, but after returning he realized that it was no more than a war zone. When he returned, Hosseini spent his time talking to anyone who would reveal his or her current life story, which allowed him to reconnect to his past life. Through his travels he was able to generate the story for “A Thousand Splendid Suns.” He said that the characters began to speak to him and he no longer had to speak for them.

“There is a conception that problems for women started with Taliban. The fact is that women in Afghanistan struggled for a long time,” said Hosseini. He talked about King Zahir Shah, a past king that tried to overrule the inequality of women.

King Zahir Shah forbid burkas, provided schools for girls and abolished child marriages under the age of 16. Hosseini added that even with this effort, “Traditionalist and tribal elders were very rooted in tribal custom and kind of declared jihad on King Zahir Shah. He died an old man in exile.” This is what endurance for women means, knowing that at every turn there will be resistance he said.

Hosseini said the education of women is necessary for a society to flourish. He quoted Ahmed Rashid, author of “Three Cups of Tea,” who said, “educate a boy and you educate an individual; educate a girl and you educate a community.”

Hosseini said 30-40 percent of girls are going back to school. “Women in Afghanistan, to me, are such great role models because by and large they have been the backbone of the country,” the author said. “We can put more money to building schools, but if there are no girls, or women it’s not going to work.”

“Afghanistan, it pains me to say it, is an uneducated country with a 75 percent literacy rate. Most people have not held a book other than the Koran.” The author said changing this will be nearly impossible.

“We, people in the United States, have to go back and look at the history of Afghanistan,” he said. “There has never been a victory for a foreign country. Easy to invade virtually impossible to conquer.”

His feelings of ease and pride of his native country were apparent when he spoke of the need to challenge the poverty in Afghanistan, not just the current insurgents.

He added that we live in a much smaller world now. It is important to learn about all people because what happens around the globe is relevant everywhere.

“There are many more things that we have in common than are different,” Hosseini said. “They want what we want; in a sense, a predictable life.”

I’ve been sick for the past week. I’ve also had no Internet connection for the past week, giving me the opportunity to realize how much I take it for granted.

I figured since my illness has forced me to stay home, I might as well make it worth my while and post on my blog. Don’t worry this one will have lots of visual aid to make up for the last post.

I decided to make a list of stuff I like. Just cuz. It’s my blog. I can do whatever I want!

#1 Boyfriend Tee:
I hope they never stop making these. I buy one close to once a month. They’re cheap and they make me feel cool and not fat. Probably the best thing that’s ever happened to a girl. I’m combining something I like with something I hate in this YouTube clip. The Boyfriend Tee and Kelly Cutrone. Seriously, I don’t understand how someone in high-fashion can allow herself to look this awful all the time. Talk about “playing for the other team” …yikes.

#2 Khaled Hosseini
His books aren’t just great novels, they bring in a cultural context of Afghanistan that I probably never would’ve tried to understand before. He takes you to a different place that you may know nothing about and makes you feel like you’re standing right next to his characters and living along with them.

#3 Barbara Walters
I know people hate on her a lot, but I think Babs is a badass. She was the first female anchor on nightly news and a pioneer/great influence for women journalists everywhere. She put up with a lot of shit so we can be where we are at today. Here’s a clip of Barbara interviewing Hugo Chavez:

4# Arrested Development
It was probably one of the greatest shows of all time, and though some people might say it ended prematurely, I think I would have rather had it go out in glory than dwindle into oblivion like much of television’s better programming.

#5 Muse
I just got into this band in the last year. Pretty much everything they put out is brilliant, but for some reason it took me a few dozen listens to realize that. I’m not sure why that is, I guess my taste had to mature a little.

I’ll probably make more of these lists in a few months, so check back if you’re interested.

“Mariam wished for so much in those final moments. Yet as she closed her eyes, it was not regret any longer but a sensation of abundant peace that washed over her. She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable, regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last. No. It was not so bad, Miriam thought, that she should die this way. Not so bad. This was a legitimate end to a life of illegitimate beginnings.” (pg.370)

Ogni tanto stare lontata dalle bambine mi porta qualcosa di bello. Recentemente sono stataper lavoro una settimana a Budapest (peraltro città romantica e meritevole di un week.end a due) e al duty free ho comprato Mille splendidi soli di Khaled Hosseini che ho letteralmente divorato in ogni momento libero. La sera in albergo prima di dormmire, al mattino ancora prima di lavarmi i denti… in aereo, e poi a casa nel black-out di fastweb.

E’ bellissimo, da tanto non leggevo un libro così coinvolgente ed emozionante. E’ la storia di due donne che diventano amiche, in Afghanistan, copre un lungo periodo dagli anni 70 ai giorni nostri compreso l’11 settembre. La Storia di quegli anni fa da sfondo alla storia umana di due donne in un mondo per noi davvero lontano, una cultura, una religione, abitudini diversissimi dai nostri. Eppure quelle due donne le ho sentite vicine, perchè certi sentimenti sono universali, l’Amore, l’Amicizia, la maternità…. Nel libro ci sono tanti momenti tragici, le botte del marito, la guerra, i corpi straziati dalle mine, i talebani e le loro regole assurde che impongono a donne chirirgo di operare col burqa, che non ammettono che una donna riceva le stesse cure di un uomo percui un cesareo si esegue anche senza anestesia … storie che conosciamo per averle ascoltate e letta, con il suo libro però Hosseini ci fa davvero sentire partecipi.

Il libro è scritto benissimo, senza nessuna concessione a facili sentimentalismi o retoriche. Un libro che non vorresti finisse. Sicuramente un libro che qualche amica riceverà per Natale.

“A quindici anni, Mariam non è mai stata a Herat. Dalla sua “kolba” di legno in cima alla collina, osserva i minareti in lontananza e attende con ansia l’arrivo del giovedì, il giorno in cui il padre le fa visita e le parla di poeti e giardini meravigliosi, di razzi che atterrano sulla luna e dei film che proietta nel suo cinema. Mariam vorrebbe avere le ali per raggiungere la casa del padre, dove lui non la porterà mai perché Mariam è una “harami”, una bastarda, e sarebbe un’umiliazione per le sue tre mogli e i dieci figli legittimi ospitarla sotto lo stesso tetto. Vorrebbe anche andare a scuola, ma sarebbe inutile, le dice sua madre, come lucidare una sputacchiera. L’unica cosa che deve imparare è la sopportazione. Laila è nata a Kabul la notte della rivoluzione, nell’aprile del 1978. Aveva solo due anni quando i suoi fratelli si sono arruolati nella jihad. Per questo, il giorno del loro funerale, le è difficile piangere. Per Laila, il vero fratello è Tariq, il bambino dei vicini, che ha perso una gamba su una mina antiuomo ma sa difenderla dai dispetti dei coetanei; il compagno di giochi che le insegna le parolacce in pashtu e ogni sera le dà la buonanotte con segnali luminosi dalla finestra. Mariam e Laila non potrebbero essere più diverse, ma la guerra le farà incontrare in modo imprevedibile. Dall’intreccio di due destini, una storia che ripercorre la storia di un paese in cerca di pace, dove l’amicizia e l’amore sembrano ancora l’unica salvezza.”

E quando a vida nos lança num emaranhado de tramas e vai puxando as pontas do barbante, como que para incrementar o seu jogo.

Recentemente, li dois livros: A História do Livro (Geraldine Brooks) e O Caçador de Pipas (Khaled Hosseini).

A História do Livro é sóbrio, a autora tem a mão realista, nada de presunçosos finais fantasiosos ou felizes, apenas a natureza obscura do ser humano em seu avanço gradativo através dos séculos em perseguições e matanças.

Achei muito bom e não consegui larga-lo!

Já, O Caçador de Pipas… Bem… Ele é bem escrito, a narrativa, as lembranças. O que estraga? A personagem principal é um TREMENDO PAUNOCU e eu quase não o suportei até metade do livro. Na metade do livro, quando ele consegue meios de fingir ser outra pessoa ou fingir não ter tido aquele passado, ficou um pouco suportável e no fim, quando ele resolve ter alguma atitude decente, melhorou de vez no meu conceito.

Porque, para mim, não basta a história ser boa e a personagem ser um lixo; tem de haver o equilibrio; é como no livro O Velho e o Mar; você se apaixona pela personagem, mas quase não suporta a forma como a história é conduzida. Pois, em O Caçador de Pipas, você adora as lembranças e passa 80% da história sentindo desprezo pela personagem. No final, o camarada se emenda, graças a deus, porque, né? De filha da puta para sentirmos o desprezo, já basta algumas pessoinhas bem ‘inhas’ da vida normal.

Mas, agora falando sério. O autor d’O  Caçador de Pipas, me surpreendeu em determinada folha, onde o desespero era tão profundo que juro que quase chorei, senti aquela vontadezinha lá no fundo.

No livro A História do Livro, só senti vontade de chorar duas vezes: na história de Dora e na história de Ruti.

Minha próxima leitura?? A Menina Que Roubava Livros.

‘There is a way to be good again’ wrote Khaled Hosseini, the resounding refrain that gently suggests redemption, in the Kite Runner. Redemption, he has no need of, as thousands of readers will agree, but he sure has lived up to that statement with his second novel ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’. Is it good? Yes. Is it splendid? Most definitely. It could’ve been a story about two struggling housewives during a war. And it is. But Hosseini has teased out the various layers that carefully make the housewives and their struggle so finely, that you cannot but feel that this is a story of valiant heroism, silent matyrdom and the infinite love the human spirit is capable of. Not that they require it, but the backdrop of the war only make them starker. Read More

“Vanatorul de zmeie”

Khaled  Hosseini

      Am ales intr-o zi cartea asta dupa nume, imi suna interesant… si nu stiu de ce insa aveam senzatia ca cineva imi spusese ca e o carte buna… sau auzisem pe undeva... hmm. Oricum m-am pomenit cu cartea in mana si uite ca din curiozitate am zis hai sa citesc cateva pagini sa vedem despre ce e vorba. Din acea clipa am inceput sa o citesc peste tot, in metrou, in pauzele alea de 5 minute la cursuri sau cand aveam jumatate de ora libera intre doua cursuri… in fine, in orce moment liber. Culmea e ca nu sunt una care se omoara cu cititul si cu atat mai putin una care sa citeasca o carte care nu iti ofera nici macar o emotie. Insa cartea asta, nu stiu poatesunt eu exagerata sau poate ca m-a impresionat in mod particular, insa e cea mai buna carte pe care am citit-o vreodata.  Binenteles dupa ce am terminat de citit cartea mi-am descarcat filmul… e mai mult o sinteza a cartii si nu reda foarte bine unele aspecte insa e bine facut, mi-a placut.

Una dintre frazele care mi-a ramas intiparita in minte?  “In tara asta (California) pana si insectele se grabesc”

By Khaled Hosseini.

For two years or more, I have had this book, stuffed on my shelf and I haven’t done more than to read a few pages.  For some reason I took it down and started to read it a couple of days ago and I couldn’t put it down.

Although a work of fiction, it really isn’t.  It is more a contemporary historical work, with an old-fashioned storyteller style.

I have been stumped lately.  Not blocked because when you are preparing a manuscript for any publication, you aren’t really creating something new, you are going over what has already been written and you are refining it.  Hopefully.

Perhaps to say there is nothing ‘new’ is wrong.  You are doing so, even in the rewriting.

Where I have been stumped is the ‘why’ of my stories, especially those written for “The Zar Tales” and also the novel, “Tin Hinan”.  They are written in the framework of cultural issues and a place I have no experience or knowledge.  But that didn’t seem to stop me and I wondered about the ‘why’.

I borrowed from my experiences in Belly Dancing, but that is just part of the issue of the ‘why’.

Reading “The Kite Runner” I fell under the spell of what Hosseini was doing: he was weaving a wonderful, elaborate, moral and timely ‘tale’:  Perhaps the Persians, the vastness of the history and literature, the poets Rumi, Khayyam, Beydel, Hafez, the Shahnamah, (book of 10th century Persian heroes) can turn our hearts and minds from the horrors of what Afghanistan and those parts of the Middle East have become to us in the West.  It is more than terrorism.  These writers and stories are part of the heartbeat of humanity that knows no walls.

“If thou art indeed my father, then hast thou stained thy sword in the life-blood of thy son. And thou didst it of thine obstinacy. For I sought to turn thee unto love, and I implored of thee thy name, for I thought to behold in thee the tokens recounted of my mother.  But I appealed unto thy heart in vain, and now is the time gone for meeting….”

(from the Shahnamah, a story about Rostam and his long-lost son, Sohrab who he mortally wounds in battle.)

For writers, for those of us who write fiction, it is good to dip into history and other cultures.  The richness and beauty of these things can only add to our attempts.

(Funny. In writing one of the final chapters of  “The Zar Tale”, I took the sense of  “Now is the time gone for meeting” in the poetry of the stumped, second-rate Emir, who finally (after ten centuries of mulling over the same three  opening lines) gets it together in his indictment of the three Mullahs.  Then his poetry soars and he is able to complete it.  I must have read something of the Shahnamah somewhere, but I don’t remember.  It’s funny how the mind holds onto something in secret and then gives forth when needed.

“Take to delight the presence

That from this two-way abode

We would not meet each other

Once we pass through.

For our chance meeting is but

A reflection of life’s mysteries

Not to be counted upon,

But to acknowledge the wonder.

But!

You have barred our spirits from Paradise!

You, and your One God, have condemned us

To wander the earth inconsolable to human kindness.

Now is the time for our answer!

Now is the time for the quick slash

Of a sword!

Now we delight  we will not

Meet again

Once you pass through this

Vale of tears you have created.

Heaven or Hell-

You have made it the same!”

–From “The Zar Tales”

And perhaps the real reason of the ‘why’ is that humanity suffers the same issues all over the map. When we do read and understand at a deeper level these human issues, we begun to understand ourselves.

If the upshot of all this means  our writing is fuller, the colors richer, well, that is good. When  we understand that alien cultures are no barriers to the human heart and compassion…well, that is even better.

Lady Nyo

Waterstones Synopsis:

Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry Rasheed. Nearly two decades later, a friendship grows between Mariam and a local teenager, Laila, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. When the Taliban take over, life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways, and lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism.

I did not enjoy The Kite Runner so was apprehensive when I started this book. I didn’t need to be – I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is harrowing and disturbing and completely readable. Hosseini writes a good, moving story. With terrorism such a real issue in the 21st century I felt he is brave writing this book as it features not only the Soviets, but the Taliban and 9/11. This could be seen as acontroversial thing to do, but I felt Hosseini dealt with these horrors in a commendable way.

Hosseini writes some great characters. I felt something towards all of them. I felt for Mariam and what she faced in Herat before moving to Kabul, and my heart broke with Laila’s many times. And I did not like Rasheed – what a horrid man. I wanted him to be punished; he really sparked some anger in me – which I think is a sign of a good character and a well written book.

This book does contain a whole host of horrors, but not really ones I was expecting. War is prominent throughout the majority of the book, but it is not all Taliban based. The first half of the book sees the Soviets in Afghanistan. The horrors faced by the women mainly occurred at home at the hands of Rasheed as well. I felt that the blurb was a bit misleading in this respect. It is a bit of a disturbing read, but I found myself wanting to know what happened, and actually it didn’t take me long to read. I don’t think this book is for the weak hearted, but it is definitely up there with my other high-rated books. I think this story will stay with me for a long time.

9/10

För att uppmärksamma FN-dagen ber Lyran oss att göra en Temtrio på temat krig och förtryck. Två böcker kom jag på direkt, men den tredje fick värka fram. Här är min trio:

1. En halv gul sol av Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie handlar om Biafras frigörelsekrig från Nigeria. Ett krig som pågick mellan 1967 och 1970 och som klassas som ett inbördeskrig. Det kristna igbofolket menade att de var utsatta för folkmord av Nigerias muslimska befolkning. De hade också känt sig förfördelade efter det att Nigeria blev självständigt 1960. Staten Biafra utropade sig självständigt i juli 1967, men erkändes bara av ett fåtal länder. Det nya landets flagga pryddes av en halv gul sol. Fortfarande finns stora konflikter mellan kristna och muslimer i Nigeria. Läs mer om boken här. Och du, det här är ingen tung bok trots att den är mer än 700 sidor tjock. Läs den om du inte redan har gjort det!

2. Förtrycket i Tusen strålande solar av Khaled Hosseini handlar om förtryck på grund av krig, religion och traditioner, men kanske främst om det förtryck som bokens man utövar på sina fruar. Det här är en fruktansvärd bok om att vara kvinna i ett land där kvinnor inte räknas.  De två kvinnorna Mariam och Laila inser snart att de inte kan motarbeta varandra eller ens konkurrera. Istället utvecklas en stark vänskap. En måste bok!

3. Norweigan Wood av Haruki Murakami handlar inte alls om krig, men den kom ändå upp i huvudet när jag tänkte på förtryck. Flera av personerna i boken väljer självmord som en utväg då de inte kan leva upp till samhällets krav. Förtryck är kanske ett starkt ord, men att inte kunna vara sig själv och välja sitt liv är definitivt en inskränkning i individens frihet. Midori är egentligen den enda som vågar vara sig själv. I Japan finns kurser som lär ungdomar att protestera om de är missnöjda istället för att skuldbelägga sig själva och stänga in ilskan. Läs mer här.

I watched Kite Runner, the movie directed by Marc Foster and based on Khaled Hosseini’s book by the same title, recently. It had such a raw quality to it that it set me thinking about fate, honor and circumstances, as perceived by the characters as well as us, in general.

The interesting part of the movie is that it keeps the scenes, the characters and the emotions very real, no overdramatization. The truth and the unrevealed circumstances are so overwhelming that underplaying it was the best tactic could have been used, while taking the story forward.

In the backdrop of the talibanization of Afganistan, the story unfolds – the strange friendship between the protagonist and the servant’s son; the reality of the father of the protagonist who has an illicit affair, and his attempt to keep his honor by ensuring the child grew up as his servants’, in his own backyard; their journey across the seas seeking refuge in America and going from being a landlord to a gas station owner; the servant and his son are left behind to fend the family house; the protagonist and his wife not having a child; the protagonist’s trek back to Afganistan to reclaim the lost friendship, only to realize that the servant’s son was in fact his own half-brother and that all that is left of their relationship is his nephew in an orphanage; his genuine attempt to take the child back home – and ends where it all began, flying kites!

Worth a watch, I must say…

En estos tiempos de tantos cambios en  mi vida, me he dado cuenta de que dos cosas perduraron sin más, de una forma imperceptible como anunciando que pase lo que pase, allí estarán. Una es un ancla no humana que se anuda a mis días sin plantear interrogantes; los libros.

Otra: mi ancla humana, Cosme; que se encargó de tejer filigranas constantes para que retomara éste, mi remanso; la escritura.

Ambos sabiamente tenían presente que necesitaba retornar.

De todas formas, no libraron fácil batalla, desde mi muy terca y pasional Alice, le explicaba a Cosme, que a los grafemas solo viajo cuando el espíritu lo decide, pero él ( por suerte para mí), me da mi tiempo y me espera ; deja la duda colgada como con palillos de algodón de rosquete de hierro; con lo que me devuelve tiernamente a que cuestione porque permito que las fluctuaciones de mi destino me lleven a alejarme tanto, de esta, tan diáfana tarea que disfruto al máximo.

En fin, mis dos amadas anclas (la animada y la in- , vitorean en las aceptaciones de Alice).

Así entonces, mi regreso, con la misma voluntad a la que dimos nacimiento con mi amado Cosme; trasmitirles desde la emoción que provocaron en nosotros, los libros que nos eligieron (si si, si alguien es nuevo leyendo este blog, sepan que creo fervientemente que son ellos los que nos esperan para ser leídos y es su elección y no así la nuestra, de cuál es el momento preciso para saltar a nuestras manos).

Les cuento entonces que en estos tiempos se me acercaron tomos variados; un nuevamente sorprendente Khaled Hosseini (me conmovió de nuevo ahora con Cometas en el Cielo), un comienzo de ” Bastardos sin Gloria” ( que devolví a mi cuñado, porque la hiperactividad me había visitado y empezaba a acumular una babel de libros en sala de espera), varios libros de negociación (les recomiendo particularmente “ más allá de Maquiavelo”, lo van a aplicar si son profesionales de la negociación ,chefs , sanitarios, peluqueros o amos de casa; como aprecian, global publico objetivo, el de su autor); y finalmente Africanus, una joyita que me regalaron en mi último cumpleaños ( no fecha de nacimiento, mi tan rebuscada Alice no podía faltar a la extrañeza de tener fecha de nacimiento y fecha de cumpleaños con varios días de diferencia) y que había relegado, porque el grosor del tomo da un poco de impresión.

Unas 700 páginas que les sugiero tomen su tiempo para pasar la prueba de iniciación    ( se aprueba al dar vuelta la página 90 aproximadamente), y luego se deleitaran con una novela histórica y bélica de las más disfrutable que he leído, que si bien no han sido muchas, sepan que amo el género en cuestión.

El señor Santiago Posteguillo, nos deleita    con este primer tomo, que situándonos en el siglo III AC, nos describe uno de los períodos más convulsivos de la historia de Roma; la guerra con Cartago y el enfrentamiento con el más temible enemigo que Roma pudo cosechar; Aníbal.

Posteguillo; filólogo, lingüista y doctor europeo, nos recrea con precisión histórica y atrapante detalle, la vida de protagonistas con fuerza inconmensurable. Una época que atesora en un escenario diferente pero familiar para los que amamos la historia: Roma, parte del triunvirato de las reinas de la historia junto a Grecia y Egipto.

Amor, política, arte y guerra tienen como centro en esta trama a hombres y mujeres que compartiendo carácter humano inexpugnable, muestran que todavía la historia no ha servido para modificar lo miserable así como tampoco ha logrado aplacar lo admirable.

El 50 y 50 del formato del relato, nos mece de la orilla de los cartagineses a la de los romanos, nos volvemos un soldado o un númida y tomamos parte por uno y luego por el contrario, casi sin darnos cuenta.

Batallas como las afamadas Tesino, Trebia, Trasimeno , Cannae o Cartago Nova, nos darán espada , escudo o flecha, nos ofrecerán caballos o elefantes, para que nuestra imaginación intente no sin éxito vivir parte de cada una, contando con una visión macro de las más inteligentes estrategias militares y al mismo tiempo de las más humanas acciones en el campo de batalla.

Y así comienza este tomo, que tiene una segunda parte en Las Legiones Malditas, continuación de esta zaga, que me prometí leer pronto.

Nos ha demostrado la Historia, que David no hubo uno solo, que incluso cuando creemos que está todo perdido, el destino nos prepara sorpresas, pero lo que sigo aprendiendo es que esto solo sucede y casi sin excepción, ante la acción del protagonista y nunca ante su inercia, si leen este encantador libro, entenderán lo que les digo.

Por mi parte quise regresar hoy en especial, como regalo a Cosme, para decirle en esta forma que tanto nos ha identificado a uno en el otro, cuanto crecimiento le auguro, cuantos desafíos nuevos, cuantas infinitas buenas experiencias y quizá un par de las otras, para matizar; cuantos días de recibir, pero más que nada de dar, en esa elección de conocimientos que hizo, de la cual se está convirtiendo en uno de sus mejores referentes; le deseo sonrisas y gratos momentos compartidos, le deseo que pute sin inhibiciones , le deseo las mejores horas de descanso y sustanciales aumentos de sueldo, le deseo asensos y también alguna hora extra para compensar. Sobre todo le deseo que siga siendo quien es, limando sus lados oscuros, potenciando sus infinitas luces, mostrando su nobleza y regalando buen trabajo de servicio para otros.

Mañana empieza otro capítulo de su libro, somos un hombre y una mujer en la mayor bolsa  de contradicciones ( si, si, no solo vos Cosme mío ), hemos pasado una licencia de 4 años juntos, donde valió la pena cada mágico minuto, pero apostando igual a que los capítulos siguientes solo fortalezcan lo que tenemos, en un escenario nuevo que también nos invita a construir juntos.

Y así la acción, así las letras nueva, así el amor de siempre.

Les recomiendo a Africanus, mucho.

Les recomiendo a Cosme, aún más.

Alice.

Mil soles espléndidos es una obra del autor afgano Khaled Hosseini خالد حسینی , médico y novelista nacido en Kabul en 1965. La novela cuenta la historia de 2 mujeres , Mariam y Laila, las cuales pasarán gran parte  de su vida casadas con un zapatero llamado Rashid. La verdad que pocos escritores consiguen transmitir sensaciones tan bien como Khaled. En esta grandiosa obra nos metemos de lleno en la historia de Afganistán, llena de continuas guerras. Antes de sacar este libro, Hosseini nos deleitó con otra obra llamado Cometas en el cielo, la cual he tenido también el placer de degustar, de la que incluso se ha hecho una película. Como no iba ser de otra manera os animo a leer los 2 libros, aunque si tengo que quedarme con uno me decanto por Mil soles espléndidos.

Os dejo una sinopsis del libro como siempre:

“Hija ilegítima de un rico hombre de negocios, Mariam se cría con su madre en una modesta vivienda a las afueras de Herat. A los quince años, su vida cambia drásticamente cuando su padre la envía a Kabul a casarse con Rashid, un hosco zapatero treinta años mayor que ella. Casi dos décadas más tarde, Rashid encuentra en las calles de Kabul a Laila, una joven de quince años sin hogar. Cuando el zapatero le ofrece cobijo en su casa, que deberá compartir con Mariam, entre las dos mujeres se inicia una relación que acabará siendo tan profunda como la de dos hermanas, tan fuerte como la de madre e hija. Pese a la diferencia de edad y las distintas experiencias que la vida les ha deparado, la necesidad de afrontar las terribles circunstancias que las rodean —tanto de puertas adentro como en la calle, donde la violencia política asola el país—, hará que Mariam y Laila vayan forjando un vínculo indestructible que les otorgará la fuerza necesaria para superar el miedo y dar cabida a laesperanza.”

Imprescindible*****

Salam

Quanto tempo demora? – perguntou ele.
- Não sei. Um pouco.
Sohrab deu de ombros e voltou a sorrir, desta vez era um sorriso mais largo.
- Não tem importância. Posso esperar. É que nem maçã ácida.
- Maçã ácida?
- Um dia, quando eu era bem pequenininho mesmo, trepei em uma árvore e comi uma daquelas maçãs verdes, ácidas. Minha barriga inchou e ficou dura feito um tambor. Doeu à beça. A mãe disse que, se eu tivesse esperado as maçãs amadurecerem, não teria ficado doente. Agora, quando quero alguma coisa de verdade tento lembrar do que ela disse sobre as maçãs.

- Khaled Hosseini - O Caçador de Pipas

Heb de afgelopen week Duizend Schitterende Zonnen van Khaled Hosseini gelezen. Dezelfde auteur heeft ook al het meesterwerk De Vliegeraar op zijn naam staan. Ergens was ik best enthousiast om aan het boek te beginnen, omdat ik er veel van verwachtte. Afghanistan staat, zeker momenteel, erg in de belangstelling en ik was benieuwd of het boek me ook in dat opzicht iets kon meegeven. Misschien een ongezonde verwachting voor fictie, maar toch: ik verwachtte informatie. En ergens roept Hosseini dat ook wel over zich af. Het verhaal begint vlak en tam, de beschrijvingen over de hoofdpersoon, Mariam, in een klein huisje met haar moeder zijn bijna slaapverwekkend en zonder enig inlevingsvermogen geschreven. Vlakke karakters waarvan je nauwelijks iets van jezelf in kan herkennen. Ook het slot van het boek is in dit opzicht zwak. Het wordt diepgaand als Hosseini de spanning beschrijft in het huwelijk tussen Mariam en Rasheed (aan wie ze is uitgehuwelijkt). Met name hier worden de verschuivingen op cultureel, religieus en politiek gebied in Afghanistan op geniale wijze verbonden met de al aanwezige volksovertuigingen. Op werkelijk briljante wijze wordt in het dagelijks leven de voedingsboden geschetst die ruimte gaf aan grotere ontwikkelingen. En zo kom je toch weer uit bij het eerste punt: van Hosseini verwacht je informatie. Informatie over een cultuur die mijlenver van je bed staat, informatie over hoe die cultuur het dagelijks leven van mensen vorm geeft. En als hij dat doet, als hij aan de verwachtingen voldoet, is het echt een goed boek. Helaas voldoen het begin en het einde niet aan deze verwachting.

“Existe apenas um pecado, um só. E esse pecado é roubar. Qualquer outro é simplesmente a variação do roubo. Quando você mata um homem, está roubando uma vida. Está roubando da esposa, o direito de ter um marido, roubando dos filhos um pai. Quando mente, está roubando de alguém o direito de saber a verdade. Quando trapaceia, está roubando o direito à justiça [...]“

— Não há ato mais infame do que roubar, Amir, — Um homem que se apropria do que não é seu, seja uma vida ou uma fatia de naan…
Cuspo nesse homem…

Khaled Hosseini – O caçador de Pipas -

Sempre dói mais ter algo e perdê-lo do que não ter aquilo desde o começo.

- do livro O Caçador de Pipas -