Week Three Discussion - A Thousand Splendid Suns

Among other things, the Taliban forbid “writing books, watching films, and painting pictures.” Yet despite this edict, the film Titanic becomes a sensation on the black market. Why would people risk the Taliban’s violent reprisals for a taste of popcorn entertainment? What do the Taliban’s restrictions on such material say about the power of artistic expression and the threat it poses to repressive political regimes?

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Week Two Discussion - A Thousand Splendid Suns

Question:

Mariam’s mother tells her: “Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have.” Discuss how this sentiment informs Mariam’s life and how it relates to the larger themes of the novel.

A Thousand Splendid Suns: Week One Discussion

The Three Tomatoes rating: ***A must read.
Rating System:
No stars. Forget about it.
*Only if you have nothing else to read.
** Enjoyable.
***A must read.

We had a little trouble getting into the story at first, but then we were hooked. This is truly a powerful story that will stay with us a long time.

This week's questions:

1. How would you rate the book?

2. The phrase “a thousand splendid suns,” from the poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi, is quoted twice in the novel – once as Laila’s family prepares to leave Kabul, and again when she decides to return there from Pakistan. It is also echoed in one of the final lines: “Miriam is in Laila’s own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns.” Discuss the thematic significance of this phrase.

Okay Tomatoes....tell us what you think and post your comments.