Hardcover, 400 pages
English language
Published Sept. 21, 2003 by Center Point Publishing.
An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us on a journey in Afghanistan from the time of the monarch's overthrow to the tyranny of the Taliban. --back cover
Gaandeweg aangrijpend, en met het hoofdkarakter meegroeien van stuntelend naar magistraal.
I think the first two thirds is a four star book and the last third is more of a three star book. I just found the end a little too fantastical. Also, my ignorance of the historical parts makes me wonder how much social/political/religious commentary I am just not picking up on and what the real perspective is. But those things aside, it is a page turner. He really nails guilt, what happens when you don't do the right thing out of fear, what happens when you let bullies and sociopaths do their worst.
For good or ill, this is the type of book that I'm going to compare to [book:Midnight's Children]. This is not a fair comparison, I'll admit. In the end, though, this book feels more like John Irving than Salman Rushdie. That's not a bad thing, if you're a fan of Irving's neat and tidy, overly contrived plot resolutions.
