'And the Mountains Echoed' review by Book Club member Sam..

'And the Mountains Echoed' is the reason I joined the book club after spotting it on display in Yeovil Library and having read kite runner and splendid suns.

Well, this novel didn't disappoint me. Hosseini wrote as beautifully ever, I literally glide through his books. He carries me through. I love the way he paints pictures with his words. Reading his books is effortless. His characterisation is brilliant and I think he writes children really well especially their emotions eg. Abdullah and Paris; Parwana and Masooma; Adel and Gholam.

I also absolutely adore how Hossieni's characters have these little rituals and quirks like the dream catchers and the wishes from the tree. His characters can make the ordinary more magical.He also has a knack for pinpointing some truths about life that make me exclaim aloud in that they are so obvious, how could I have missed them. One such example is how people are ruled not by what they want but what they are afraid of.

I also thought the quote at the beginning of the book from Rumi was very fitting given the characters and content of this novel.

This book was structured a bit differently to the previous two and had more characters which I think slightly tainted the reading experience for me because there just isn't that same intimacy with the leads when there are so many. I did like the way the story came together at the end in the Paris and Baba coming together again but it was heart-wrenching how realistic he made their reunion in that Baba could not recognise Paris and that she could not recall the significance of the feathers. I would have like Hosseini to have given them more of a 'happily ever after' ending.

To conclude, there were some incredibly entrancing passages and moving scenes but purely due to the disconnected element, I prefer his two other novels. However, I can't wait for his next offering and cannot express just how in awe I am of the way that this man uses words. Every time I read him, I all but give up in any dreams I may have myself to write as I could never do it as beautifully as he does.

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YC Reading

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