terça-feira, 31 de julho de 2012

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Title: A Thousand Splendid Suns
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Publisher: Riverhead
Release Date: May 22, 2007

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.

Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul-they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.


A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.



Review:

As I read A Thousand Splendid Suns, which is historical fiction, I looked like an Eeyore with deeply furrowed brows. The word that constantly pulsed through my head while I read was, "Why?" To say the very least, this book was intense. Although A Thousand Splendid Suns is intense and (VERY) tragic, it is extremely well written, inspiring, and the story is gripping.

If I hear that something bad/sad happened to another person (ex. their pet died, or their grandma is sick, or they didn't get into their desired school, etc.) I feel bad for them, but I (and the rest of the human race) will never have the perspective that they do. I never feel as saddened or pained as they do because I am not in their situation. I've heard about what has happened in Afghanistan; the bombings, the Taliban, all of the violence, and while I have been sad that such things happen, the gravity of the situation never REALLY sunk in until I read A Thousand Splendid Suns. This novel is graphic, realistic, and not sugar-coated at all.

A Thousand Splendid Suns follows two women living in Afghanistan. This novel gave me insight on what the women behind the burqas think and feel. Although they are covered up they have feelings and opinions. Whenever I listen to news about Afghanistan, I always hear about the violence which mostly features men. A Thousand Splendid Suns reveals the injustices, and horrors that most women have to face daily in Afghanistan, and gives me perspective on what their lives are like.

This novel showcases some of Afghanistan's history before the Soviet Invasion. The history in the novel taught me why people have pride in Afghanistan. This novel highlighted the everyday citizens in Afghanistan. Again, before I read A Thousand Splendid Suns, when I thought about Afghanistan I only thought of the violence, the Taliban and Al Qaeda. This novel highlights the people who aren't involved in the violent groups in Afghanistan.

I loved A Thousand Splendid Suns. It was incredibly well-written, inspiring, and engrossing. I recommend this novel to anyone who wants to learn more about the world they live in (that would be everyone, right?). Thanks for reading!

fonte: Mint tea and a good book

This book brought tears to my eyes like no other. :'(

Things that I don't understand

Dear Allah,

I hope you get this letter, as I’m in a great deal of doubt.
I don’t get your Divine Plan, what’s it all about?
There you are, before a creation to fill
Nothing but Allah, he, himself and his will,
Perhaps you were lonely, though even then you knew.
You’d create angels, to obey and worship you.
Maybe this wasn’t enough, you were not amused,
But why you created Satan, just leaves me bemused
You gave man a mind and a freewill to choose
Then demanded he believe in irrational, contradictory clues
While keeping yourself hidden from all verification
Threatening torture if we don’t prostrate in supplication
You sent prophets and books to a patch of land
And miracles galore to that sacred area of sand
But before man can scientifically record and corroborate
You decide communications must now mysteriously terminate
You say you are testing mankind — to see who is true
Though saint and sinner, you already knew
But worse than this is the consequence of this test
It’s results are iniquitous — perverse at best
Those, who accept on faith, myths handed down
Will enjoy eternal bliss and never have to frown
While those who insist on reasoning with their brain
Will be sent to the fire of Hell to suffer eternal pain
Dear Allah none of this makes sense to me
Please tell me if there is something I’ve failed to see
And I don’t understand when so many suffer and dieWhat is the reason — I cannot see why?
Was it a test for the baby, her father or mother
Or was she sacrificed to test someone other?
When you planned all this did you count every tear
Was your ultimate purpose that we tremble in fear
And when all are in Heaven or Hell — as dictated by fate
Will you sit back on your throne to shouts of “Allah is Great”?

Written by Hassan. A narration by Nesrin.

It's impossible to deny that there's a higher power called "God" ... which creates life. But yet so many questions without an answer. It's just too hard to accept that there is suffering to innocent people and call it a "test" or whatever it may be. How many souls does God need in His Heaven Kingdom?and why? We don't have much understanding about spirituality but all of us expect for a life after death, maybe just to relieve our fear of the unknowing. May the justice be made for all those who have lost their lives in a miserable world, for all those who have lived in pain without the pure "taste" of something called "happiness" and May God have mercy upon them, in their next  lives on earth (if there'll be) or in heaven. We hope so.

You know you're not the only one
When they all come crashing down, midflight
You know you're not the only one
When they're so alone they find a back door out of life
You know you're not the only one
We're all grieving
Lost and bleeding
All our lives we've been waiting
For someone to call our leader
All your lies I'm not believing
Heaven shine a light down on me
So afraid to open your eyes, hypnotized
You know you're not the only one
Never understood this life
And you're right I don't deserve
But you know I'm not the only one
We're all grieving
Lost and bleeding
All our lives we've been waiting
For someone to call our leader
All your lies I'm not believing
Heaven shine a light down on me
Don't look down, don't look into the eyes of the world beneath you
Don't look down, you'll fall down, you'll become their sacrifice
Right or wrong, can't hold onto the fear that I'm lost without you
If I can't feel, I'm not mine, I'm not real
All our lives we've been waiting
For someone to call our leader
All your lies I'm not believing
Heaven shine a light down on me

sexta-feira, 20 de julho de 2012

Asylum, um manicômio abandonado

Os autores deste fantástico vídeo preferem não revelar onde se encontra este hospital psiquiátrico abandonado. O lugar foi aberto nos anos 20 e desocupado há décadas, mas parece que em suas instalações ainda é possível respirar o horror de outras épocas. O trabalho para realizar Asylum levou 7 meses e 35.000 fotografias individuais. Um agrado para aqueles que tem o dileto gosto por locais abandonado.