Swallows of Kabul written by an Algerian Army officer - Rated 
This Book was written by a former Algerian Army officer who served in the war against the fundamentalist GIA in his country. He wrote the book and published it using his wife's name since he thought a female Muslim name would elicit greater attention by reviewers. Later after some positive reviews the publicity seeking author declared that Yasmina had not written the work after all but that he, Yasmina's husband was the author. The author has never been to Afghanistan.
Dreadful - Rated
Following on from Khaled Husseini, I picked this up to continue in the recent Afghan seem of literature. What a disappointment.
Cliched and wooden, there are far better books on the subject and I wish I hadn't wasted my time.
A powerful novel - Rated 
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.
Swallows of Kabul - Rated
This is a good read and outines the mood of Afganistan under the Taliban.
This story focuses on two relationsships. One of Muhsen and his wife Zunaira and the other of Atiq and his wife Mussarrat. These two couples live in the same area however, they do not know each other.
It shows how Zunaira is effected by what the Taliban has done to thier country and the effects its having on society. Zunaira is educated and pretty much a liberal minded young lady until the Taliban come along and change it all for her. She has to start to wear the Burqa and she is completely against this and feels the Burqa has taken away her identity and her presonality. She is no longer able to work and her degree in law are recognised as mere papers that mean nothing. Zunaira is against public hanging and stoning and after her husband admits to stoning a women then thier relationship begins to deteriorate significanty.
Then there is Atiq and wife musarrat. Atiq a jailer bored of his job and his ill wife. Who is not able to cook, clean or be a wife due to her illness. This effects Atiq considerably he hates the idea of going home to his wife and he starts to talk to himself while in public place due to the effect of her illness on him.
He feels guily for how he feels for her and that he does not love her anymore. He feels obliged in keeping her as his wife as she nursed him while he was ill. His friends begin to see his mood swings in public places and the effect of him become mentally ill from this and see that he is depressed and that he needs to take on a new wife.
Then a young lady enters the prison cell for killing her husband. This is were all four lifes are tangled together and effects all concerned.
This book is completely recomended. It is serious but to the point. It is well written and has a meaning to make people realise the tenstions the taliban has caused in Afghanistan.
Fascinating yet disturbing insight into life under Taliban - Rated
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.
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