Celebrating Khalid Hosseini

An activist, a physicist, a Humanitarian but most of all a larger-than-life author, who through his fictional novels depicted the real-life incidents in Kabul, Afghanistan which made us tremble with fear, moistened our eyes, and at the same time extracted feelings of gratitude, love, friendship, integrity, empathy and passion

Today, 4^th March, marks the birthday of this Phenomenal Author, Khalid Hosseini, who through his writings has impacted the lives of so many readers. I proudly am one of the fortunate ones to not only have read his celebrated books but to have felt every emotion and sentiment behind his work.

Khalid Hosseini, an Afghan-American novelist is renowned for his powerful storytelling ability along with vivid depictions of Afghanistan. His writing style and narration make him a great author but what makes him an unparalleled and unmatched author is how he doesn’t take many words or much time to express it all. His intuitive ability of using a handful words to encapsulate a deep thought is just enough to send chills down the spine. 

I have never really been an avid reader but when it comes to books by Khalid Hosseini, I really can’t resist the urge to complete the book as soon as possible. Amongst all his eminent work, the 2 novels that truly strike a chord with my heart and soul are (1) The Kite Runner (2) A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Today, on his 56th birthday, I believe there’s no better way of celebrating Khalid Hosseini than celebrating and paying homage to his magnificent literary work.

The Kite Runner 

Narrated through the eyes of the fictional character Amir, the author illustrates an eternal friendship of Amir, a wealthy boy of Afghanistan and his servant’s son, Hassan. Flying kites, a way of escaping from the horror of the happenings in Kabul, itself became a night mare for the two boys, whose friendship then begun drifting apart. Racked by guilt of staying silent about a mishap, Amir finally redeems himself by coming back to Kabul to do a noble deed of paying back his long-lost friend in a way beyond expression.

The story revolves around traumatic childhood encounters and its after-effects, the war and tyrannical situation of Afghanistan to which several had succumbed, the bond between a single-parent and his kids, the way the privileged empathize with the less-fortunate and other heartening teachings. 

Lessons from the Book

Everything can be taught in words, but there are very few things that one can learn in spirit. Khalid Hosseini through this book has created a magical space for the readers to learn and absorb every emotion, feel the loss of a loved one and emphasize with the characters who by the end of the book become a part of our imagination.

In the novel, the plight of women and children in Kabul, the war-prone city-life, the need to flee from one’s own country is rather pitiable. Thus, I felt an immense sense of gratitude post completion of the novel. Gratitude for having lived in the protection of my home, my country, my vicinity. We tend to compare our nation with other countries, but we often forget how secure we are in reality. We have a stable government and a selfless military at the border which enable us to sleep soundly at night, for which we must be forever in debt.  

A Thousand Splendid Suns 

The heart-wrecking story first introduces the 1^st protagonist, Mariam and her life with her abusive and opportunistic husband, Rasheed. As life would have it, Laila the second protagonists fall to the same fate as Mariam and is left with no choice but to marry Rasheed as his second wife. Over time, the two wives become each other’s only support and deal with their old yet monstrous husband until they finally see better times.

The relentless patriarchy by Rasheed, helplessness of the wives, the male-child supremacy over the female-born and the trying times for women in Afghanistan all evoke a concoction of saddening emotions.  

Lessons from the Book

Imagine spending your early life struggling with complexities, trapped in confusion and chaos, enduring poverty and to top it all having no one to bank on. Now imagine the same by notching it up 10 times, and that’s how the harsh reality of life has been portrayed in the novel.

Khalid Hosseini has in a very agonizing way portrayed that not everyone has it easy in life. My whole perspective on how fortunate I am has changed strikingly. Every passing day is indeed a reminder of how beautiful life is and how easy we have it compared to those in countries like Afghanistan whose tomorrow is not promised.

The male dominated society and the conditions in Kabul favouring the same, is a matter that hits close home, although diminishing, it is still prevalent in our societies. Unchecked male-supremacy has brought us to this path and the only way of eradicating this is through large-scale higher education of women in society. Women need to feel the urge to curb this patriarchy and only education and awareness can help execute this eradication. 

The story subtly touches upon the friendship and love between the two wives. Contrary to the belief that each of the wife would try to look better in the eyes of the husband by ratting out on the, Mariam and Laila have an unspoken relationship build on trust and faith. Mariam’s sacrifice for Laila and her kids is beyond articulation. Right from the beginning Mariam has been a mother like figure to the younger Laila and protected her from her husband right till the end.

Take-away from his writings

I would like to thank Khalid Hosseini for opening up both sides of the world for me, one galore with suffering, war, agony, tyranny, brutality and misery and another where solace can be found even in most trying times.

His writings at times shake my faith in humanity but in time I regain perception of how trying times can shape an individual. The spirit of mankind often showcased in challenging times is a reminder for us to stay resilient, perseverant and strive hard until the sun finally dawns on the good times.

Khalid Hosseini’s stories are like an ocean of emotions, I’d love to drown myself in, time and again.   

 

Written By - Tushna Choksey