Simply Splendid

Advantages: amazing characters, strong plot, unique style
Disadvantages: /

...the use of the language did in fact help transport me to Afghanistan and drop me right into the story. For me, the plot was what affected me most. The characters were strong, the style is unique, but the plot has made this book the enjoyment that it is. The one thing I noticed was the fact that this is told like a story, rather than a problem waiting to unfold. I'm used to reading fiction where the main issue is clear within the first few chapters and the story unfolds itself, leaving you with a solution at the end. However, A Thousand Splendid Suns has not one single problem. Instead, it has many. As soon as one issue arises, it is 'solved' within a few chapters, and then a new one crops up. Another thing I found is that nothing ever went to plan. Everything the characters plan blows up in their faces, sometimes too literally. There were two...

Amy69 23.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

A splendid story

Advantages: Gripping story, great characters
Disadvantages: Doesn't quite live up to The Kite Runner

...After reading Khaled Hosseini's first novel, The Kite Runner, I was keen to see if he could achieve the same thing again in his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. This time stepping into a woman's shoes, it tells the story of two women and their marraige to the same man, set against the backdrop of the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The story begins in Afghanistan in the 1970's and introduces us to Mariam, the illegitimate child of a wealthy cinema owner, who lives with her mother in a small hut on the top of a hill. They live a somewhat lonely life, outcast from any kind of community and with Mariam's mother blaming her for the downturn her life has taken and warning of the way that women are treated by men in Afghan society. Despite this, Mariam is often visited by her father, who takes her fishing and brings her gifts...

bubblegum_princess 03.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

Simply Splendid

Advantages: Perfect for bedtime
Disadvantages: None

...The Mr Men and Little Miss series written by Roger Hargreaves and then later his son Adam will always be a hit with children due to their simply yet engaging stories and brightly coloured pictures. Little Miss Splendid is number 11 in the Little Miss series, which has a total of 33 books in it. Little Miss Splendid is green, wears a red hat, red boots and carries a very stylish red handbag. Her only problem is that she's rather stuck-up. The front cover of the book shows a picture of the character as described before and the back shows smaller pictures of all the other characters in the series, which enables you to keep track of which ones you have bought and which ones you would like to read. ****THE STORY**** Nothing is too good for little Miss Splendid and she lives in an enormous house with all of the best furnishings...

MI9to5 09.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Little Miss Splendid - Roger Hargreaves

Splendid & Absorbing A Thousand Splendid Suns!

Advantages: thought provoking, un-putdownable, entralling, beautifully written and current.
Disadvantages: I actually cant think of any

...You know that you have come across a special book when one passage makes you shake with anger and the next passage has you smiling at a small act of triumph. A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of those books. ~~The Author~~ I first became aware of Khaled Husseini and his books when he was nominated for three awards at the Galaxy Book Awards. Husseini was born in Kabul in Afghanistan in 1965, but was relocated through his fathers work to Paris in the 1970's. By the time they returned to their homeland in the 1980's Afghanistan was an extremely dangerous place to be and they sought and were granted asylum in the United States. A Thousand Splendid Suns is Husseini's second novel, following the hugely successful Kite Runner. He is now a goodwill envoy to UNHCR. ~~Plot~~ The story is based on two women in Afghanistan and how...

burtybookworm 02.09.2008 (25.09.2008) · Read review
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Review of A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

A Day In Capri Italy

Advantages: Lots to see and do
Disadvantages: not enough time

...paying Ciao pronounced Chow Hello Arriverderci Aree'veh'dair'chee Goodbye This got a laugh and two very large glasses of chilled white wine (dry and refreshing). The waiter also brought a large bowl of black olives, a bowl of green olives and a bowl of small salted biscuit's (a bit like pretzels) . This cost about £12.00 and even though its pricey it was worth it. We sat for half an hour and relaxed. Capri's little Piazzetta is one of the best known squares in Italy and is a great place to sit and relax and do a bit of people watching. ~ Parco Augosto-The Gardens Of the Emperor Augustus ~ The garden's of the Emperor...

debmercury 18.03.2008 (14.07.2009) · Read review
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Review of Capri (Italy)

A thousand splendid suns

Advantages: great read, throughly engaging
Disadvantages: very sad

...Having heard an awful lot about Khaled Hosseini's first book The Kite Runner, I put ' A thousand splendid suns' on my christmas list, knowing that I could fairly easily borrow a copy of The Kite Runner. Although I'm ashamed to say that I still havent read the first book. This book however is a first for me in the sense of Middle Eastern story telling. I tend to stick to perhaps tales with more of a happy theme, a sucker for a bit of romance I suppose. I am therefore not comparing this book to the authors first, but in it's own merrits. The book is set in Afghanistan where you are first introduced to Mariam, who spends the first 15 years of her life living with her troubled mother. Mariam is a 'harami' born out of wedlock, her father a wealthy business man with 3 wives. Mariam is visited once a week by her father, visits...

mussonanna 20.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

Little Italy, Big Disappointment

Advantages: Dancing is fun
Disadvantages: Dinner overpriced and bland, expensive

...I went to Little Italy a few months ago with my girlfriend and have mixed feelings about the place. Situated on Soho's Frith Street it is the heart of a really buzzy and lively area of London. An area in which you are spoilt for choice for dining, especially with Italian restaurants, you have to be doing something right to survive. Little Italy is a restaurant, bar and club. In the latter two it succeeds, in the former, not so. As a restaurant, the first thing you'll notice is the abundance of staff waiting to wait on you but somehow unwilling to do so or be helpful. Then there is the food itself, which is grotesquely overpriced at about £30 per head excluding drinks. The bruchetta was like oiled cardboard and our main meat dish favouring better but still fairly bland. So much so I can't even remember what meat it was, probably beef...

Nixu1980 19.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Little Italy, London

  Italy For Beginners

Advantages: it´s nice
Disadvantages: none

...So you´re thinking of travelling to Italy and getting to know the country? If you like shock treatment, fly straight to the South, to Naples or Palermo, and throw yourself into the street life there, if you prefer things to move more slowly, though, it may be a good idea to start exploring the country from the town of Trento, 140 km south of the Austrian/Italian border. It is the first ´real´ Italian town, the area north of it, South Tyrol, is more Austrian due to its history, it only became part of Italy after WW 1. Many people there are bilingual, if they want to become civil servants, they must know Italian and German. The valley of the river Adige on whose banks Trento is situated has been inhabited since prehistoric times it having been one of the main branches of the amber route. The Romans built streets there (The Romans...

MALU 04.03.2005 (30.09.2005) · Read review
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Review of Trento (Italy)

The Gate to Italy

Advantages: nice scenery & architecture, fine cuisine, great shops, very relaxing place
Disadvantages: nothing REALLY spectacular in a country full of attractions

...Just a few miles south of the Swiss border, Como is the first town in Italy. Very different in style and culture to Italy's thriving cities, Mediterranean holiday resorts and antique sights, Como exudes the mild charm of Lombardy region. I was a bit surprised myself when I realised that I hadn't written anything yet on Ciao about one of my favourite countries, Italy. So when famous Ciaoer ConnaisseurHaggler said she was going to nearby Milano two weeks ago, I decided it was time I introduced the northern Italian region of Lombardy, and its pearl, Como. Como is two things in one - the city of Como, and the Lago di Como (lake). It is not really a holiday destination for itself, but a place which you shouldn't miss when you are nearby. 1) Como is ideal for a day trip or weekend getaway from Milan, if you want to escape hectic...

From_The_Continent 22.03.2001 (24.03.2001) · Read review
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Review of Como (Italy)

A little bit of Spain in Italy!

Advantages: Busy town in Northern sardinia, good base
Disadvantages: Small airport

...Alghero known in Latin as Algarium, is on the West coast of Sardinia, in the province of Sassari. The name is derived from something, which might be off-putting, as it means "the place of algae"! However, I thought it was a lovely little town and enjoyed my brief stay there. Alghero, the tourism capital of northern Sardinia, is a fascinating town of immense historical interest, which also has excellent beaches. It can be lively, vibrant and cosmopolitan in the holiday season when there are open markets, bars and restaurants, which cater for most tastes. There are quality hotels and apartments, which complement the traditional tourist amenities, which are transforming Alghero into one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. Founded on a peninsula facing the Bay of Alghero early in the 12th Century, it was taken from...

jo145 03.10.2005 · Read review
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Review of Alghero, Sardinia (Italy)