- Hardcover: 208 pages
- Publisher: Nan A. Talese; 1 edition (Feb 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0385510012
- ISBN-13: 978-0385510011
- Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 12 x 2.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 914,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Set in Kabul under the rule of the Taliban, this extraordinary novel takes readers into the lives of two couples: Mohsen, who comes from a family of wealthy shopkeepers whom the Taliban has destroyed; Zunaira, his wife, exceedingly beautiful, who was once a brilliant teacher and is now no longer allowed to leave her home without an escort or covering her face. Intersecting their world is Atiq, a prison keeper, a man who has sincerely adopted the Taliban ideology and struggles to keep his faith, and his wife, Musarrat, who once rescued Atiq and is now dying of sickness and despair.
Desperate, exhausted Mohsen wanders through Kabul when he is surrounded by a crowd about to stone an adulterous woman. Numbed by the hysterical atmosphere and drawn into their rage, he too throws stones at the face of the condemned woman buried up to her waist. With this gesture the lives of all four protagonists move toward their destinies.
The Swallows of Kabul is a dazzling novel written with compassion and exquisite detail by one of the most lucid writers about the mentality of Islamic fundamentalists and the complexities of the Muslim world. Yasmina Khadra brings readers into the hot, dusty streets of Kabul and offers them an unflinching but compassionate insight into a society that violence and hypocrisy have brought to the edge of despair.
Desperate, exhausted Mohsen wanders through Kabul when he is surrounded by a crowd about to stone an adulterous woman. Numbed by the hysterical atmosphere and drawn into their rage, he too throws stones at the face of the condemned woman buried up to her waist. With this gesture the lives of all four protagonists move toward their destinies.
The Swallows of Kabul is a dazzling novel written with compassion and exquisite detail by one of the most lucid writers about the mentality of Islamic fundamentalists and the complexities of the Muslim world. Yasmina Khadra brings readers into the hot, dusty streets of Kabul and offers them an unflinching but compassionate insight into a society that violence and hypocrisy have brought to the edge of despair.
From the Publisher
A major bestseller in the tradition of THE KITE RUNNER and THE BOOKSELLER OF KABUL
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
ATIQ SHAUKAT flails about him with his whip, trying to force a passage through the ragged crowd swirling around the stalls in the market like a swarm of dead leaves. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
ATIQ SHAUKAT flails about him with his whip, trying to force a passage through the ragged crowd swirling around the stalls in the market like a swarm of dead leaves. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating yet disturbing insight into life under Taliban,
By
This review is from: The Swallows of Kabul (Hardcover)
This is simply a superb book which comes very highly recommended. It is a fictional story set in modern day Afghanistan, under the fierce rule of the Taliban. The author succeeds in conveying to his readers the true feelings and oppression of day to day life under such a regime. A world in which women have no rights at all, where simply laughing in the street could earn you a lashing and listening to music is banned and where public executions by stone-throwing, a practice not seen in England for centuries, was rife until very recently. Though disturbing at times the book is a very real journey into a culture and civilisation many of us have heard much about via the press but few can imagine the thoughts of its people - until now. A Must read.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful novel,
By
This review is from: The Swallows Of Kabul (Paperback)
Set in Kabul under the rule of the Taliban regime, this impressive novel takes us into the lives of two couples: Mohsen Ramat, who comes from a family of wealthy shopkeepers whom the Taliban has destroyed; Zunaira, his beautiful wife, who was once a brilliant teacher and is now no longer allowed to leave her home without an escort or covering her face with a burqa. Intersecting their world is Atiq Shaukat, a prison keeper, a man who has sincerely adopted the Taliban ideology and struggles to keep his faith, and his wife, Musarrat, who once rescued Atiq and is now dying of sickness and despair.
Desperate and exhausted Mohsen wanders through Kabul when he is surrounded by a crowd about to stone an adulterous woman. Numbed by the hysterical atmosphere of the crowd and drawn into their rage, he too throws stones at the face of the condemned woman buried up to her waist. With this gesture the lives of all four characters move toward their destinies. The novel shows in a realistic way how women survive in a world where they can be beaten up for laughing with their husband. It shows a country where people have been deprived of almost everything. Where the Taliban rule, love between a man and a woman, joy, music, freedom have been banned, replaced by violence and hatred, all in the name of God. A stunning read of high literary quality.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thought-provoking journey,
By booklover "mrs-p" (North West of England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Swallows of Kabul (Paperback)
I bought this book because I enjoy reading about lifestyles different from my own.When I started this book I had doubts that I would enjoy it but before I knew it, I had finished - because I became absorbed into it. It was fascinating to read about what life may be like under the taliban. The story is very interesting, but possibly disturbing. Definitely a book to keep for re-reading again.
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