Lauren Sarner makes the case for Khaled Hosseini:
Hosseini writes about a region of the world that many Americans don’t understand, but desperately need to. Among other things, he explores people living ordinary lives in Afghanistan, and how war and oppressive religion shape those lives. Hosseini depicts the culture without encouraging the reader to pass judgment; he simply presents it to us in clean, matter-of-fact language. By presenting their lives in such a straightforward, almost Hemingway-esque fashion, the cultural practices seem no stranger than Hem’s protagonists going hunting. And, through it all, Hosseini infuses his stories with humanity and warmth. His books could easily stray into melodrama, yet he keeps them firmly anchored in gritty realism. …
Hosseini’s first two books, “The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” have occasionally garnered criticism for being simplistic, akin to fairy-tales; with characters who are either Good or Bad. However, there is an important distinction to be made here: in fairy tales, good always triumphs over evil. Hosseini’s books, then, can be seen as fairy tales for adults. They prepare us for a world in which the man who shoots an innocent child gets to walk away with his gun returned to him — quite relevant in the wake of the verdict regarding America’s most recent media circus trial.
(Hat tip: Book Riot)
The Dish 