Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Unforgettable Read September 22, 2008
From the first page i was hooked,i could not put this book down, and read it within one evening.
The author has managed to pack in alot of detail, and emotion into a relatively small book, which is writen beautifully, and with much insight, not many writers can put such a story, with such detail into such an easy readable book.
I would definately recommend this.....but make sure you have a tissue to hand, there are no happy endings
 Bigger would be better July 22, 2008
Regardless of the nationality or gender of the author, I read this book in part to gain an insight into life on the other side of the west/east divide - inasmuch as that's possible by reading books. I'm reading lots of books with an Asian theme at the moment - so there is a balance to my reading.
Anyway, I thought this story, and the storytelling, had the potential for greatness. The moment when I cottoned on to a certain character's plan was - literally - breathtaking. But for a story that had the potential for a kind of Shakespearian greatness - by that I mean it could be a mythic, iconic tale - it fell a little flat. Ultimately, this felt to me like a first draft - a sketching out of a story that would be filled in, deepened, coloured at a later date. So often, the reverse is true, and I find myself wishing the editor had had the guts to put a red pen through a hundred pages or so - but with Swallows of Kabul, I felt it needed more, to give it the heavyweight status it deserves. Nonetheless, I shall be seeking out more from this author.
 Swallows of Kabul written by an Algerian Army officer May 8, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
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 April 1, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
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 October 28, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
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.
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