And the Mountains Echoed Paperback – 3 June 2014

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Having read “The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns” a few years ago, I was really looking forward to reading this book. While it carries the same emotional heft as his earlier work, there is a distinct evolution in his narrative style here. The story spans across 7 decades, multiple generations, and several countries with intertwined story arcs and a non-linear timeline. Although the narrative style is more complex, it keeps the reader engaged and fully invested in the experience.It all begins with Saboor, a hard-working but impoverished farmer in rural Afghanistan, narrating a fable to 10 year-old Abdullah and his 3 year-old sister, Pari about a desperate father who has to give up his favorite child to a div or demon, in order to save his other children. This fable is the central theme of the book permeating through the rest of the story. Pari and Abdullah share an unusually powerful bond, which is cruelly shattered when Saboor lets young Pari be adopted by a wealthy couple in Kabul for a price.In the words of one of the characters, “A story is like a moving train; no matter where you hop onboard, you are bound to reach your destination sooner or later.” The destination in this case is the inevitable reunion of the siblings and it is reached through a network of related characters and their myriad tales. The journey the reader takes in the company of these characters is so beautiful that by the end the destination doesn’t matter.Nila Wahdati, the beautiful, troubled wife of a closeted homosexual and adopted mother of Pari is one of the most conflicting characters in the novel. She is selfish at times, soulful at times, but never uninteresting. One of my favorite parts revolves around Markos Varvaris, a Greek doctor who gives up a highly successful practice to serve those affected by the conflict in Kabul and his relationship with Thalia, whose face is severely disfigured after a childhood encounter with a dog. Apart from these, Hosseini sketches out an array of fascinating characters – Nabi, the uncle; Idris & Timur, the cousins; Roshana – a Malala-esque character or Gholam – a teenage boy, wise beyond his years.Hosseini explores familiar themes of alienation, loneliness, familial bonds, compassion and classism with aplomb. While reading the book, there are times when I found myself with a big lump in my throat and others with a stupid smile plastered on my face. To his credit, even in the most dramatic moments, Hosseini manages to keep it nuanced and restrained. There is no doubt that he is an excellent storyteller and I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed his earlier works.

Very good

Great book.

If you are still a child at heart the first few pages will keep you completely engrossed. As you gradually come to know the characters, you will be moved by the emotions, penned very skilfully.With all due respect to the author, at certain points of the novel, I felt some detailings of characters unnecessary, which could have been easily done away with. Also I found some plots uncomplete to a certain sense, which if little illustrated, could have added more colours to the story.The end is really touching. It will leave a smile on your lips but a remorse in your heart. Certainly not the best of Hosseini, nevertheless, a good read.

"Riveting", "Compelling", this words now do not match with the quality of Khaled Hosseini. Its like Hosseini has reached beyond any words to describe him and his books. His previous epic books, THE KITE RUNNER AND A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, were just as beautiful and heartbreaking as his this book: AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED.However at the same time, this book's style is quite different from his previous few books. Here the story goes from generation to generation, continent to continent, from characters to interrelated characters. The book just consist 9 chaps, quite unlike his previous book, but the nine chapters have the capability not only to surpass, in quality, but to etch something extraordinarily saddening and heartening. Though in some cases his previous books are greater than this, but still for a reader who likes to read, will definitely find this book as great as his previous ones, simply because it cannot be disliked.

I never read Khaled Hosseini before. No one suggested either! Then why did I pick ‘And The Mountains Echoed’?Well, it’s a paragraph on the back cover of the novel which prompted me to buy it.Basically, it was my desperation to know what happens afterwards; to what extent the brother would go for his little sister?Indubitably, the opening story builds up ample interest; you find yourself yearn for more. Later you realize that it, in a nutshell also foretells the fate of the precious and tender brother-sister bond. As you further turn pages, you understand that this book don’t just revolve around Abdullah and Pari, but showcases myriad hues of human relationships.Whether, it’s Parwana-Masooma’s unfortunate sisterhood which forces Masooma to choose death over miserable life, orthe cold alliance of wealthy Mr Wahdati with Nila which kind of lead to separation of a brother from his dearest sister, orNabi’s fantasy love longing for Nila because he thinks she considers him her resort, orNila’s stoic behaviour towards Mr Wahdati whom she leaves when he needed her most, orNabi’s platonic love for Mr Wahdati which in the absence of Nila compels him to stay put and even look after him till he breaths his last, OrNila’s affectionless yet obligatory relation with Pari whom she considers less of a daughter and more of a Punishment, orPari’s guilt ridden affair with Nila’s boyfriend which further worsens the already strained mother-daughter relation, orSympathetic inclination of Idris for Roshi which pulls him near her and even makes him to promise arrangements for her expensive surgery, orHis superficial bond with brother Timur who believed in overly display of power but ends up doing miracle for Roshi, orAdel’s outlandish pull towards poor Gholam who always talks rubbish about his father, orHis plain adoration for his father on witnessing one public interaction, orMarco’s unusual friendship with Thalia whom he considered ugly and dejected, orOdd amity of Odie and Madaline where later always looked former for rescue, orThe poignant sacrificing tale of a daughter whose father is suffering from Alzheimer, who on one hand is afraid of losing people and on the other, has his spit and vinegar days often, orLast not but least, the relation of two doppelgangers, one of whom always lived with other since her childhood whereas, the other lived as if some part in her is missing for almost all her life.Actually every character in this book is very unique and strong in itself. All are struggling with double sides of their being. They have one thing in their minds, and always end up doing something else.There are stories within one big story. Each being complete in itself, still the author has intertwined all, somehow. For a reader, lot of brain exercise is there. It’s like you sleep in one place and wake up in another unfamiliar one, probably, trans-located in sleep. You search around, perplexed, for some hint. Not finding one, you start living in the moment; meaning, you get yourself involved in the new story. Once into it, you are totally clenched.“A story is like a moving train: no matter where you hop onboard, you are bound to reach your destination sooner or later.”Hossieni weaved the story at different locations. It opens at an imaginary village Shadbagh in Afghanistan, and closes in Paris, also orbiting Kabul, USA, Greek island of Tinos, and touching India as well, slightly. Without any doubt, there is too much happening. Author has given great details. He played the emotional card well as I found my eyes moistened at places.Abdullah as a bother disappointed me but as a father he scores well. One of the cutest thing he used to do is…empty his daughter’s mind of nightmares and fill it with pleasant dreams every night, a fresh one, and she in turn always wished him one, the same dream, the one he always longed for, the one so dear to his heart.And to the pleasure of heart, in the end, she does fulfil his dream.What is this dream? How Abdullah reacts when he sees it in real after a wait of lifetime? Does he even react? Or was it too late for any reaction?Read on to get your answers. The tale of mix of no love, conditional love, unconditional love, friendship, anger, discontent, sacrifice, betrayal, search, and fate.“And The Mountains Echoed.’“It’s a half bridge, really, as only four of its original arches remain. It ends midway across the river. Like it reached, tried to reunite with, the other side and fell short.What I MissedMore Some efforts on Abdullah’s part to find Pari; To my surprise he left Shadbagh for USA but could not manage to go to Kabul once. He could have easily found Nabi, who never left Wahdati’s house. At least, he would have got some idea of Pari’s whereabouts, but, Alas! he never tried. How come?I was hoping to see more of Abdullah and Pari in the book