Does the End Justify the Means

Hosseini writes and narrates an amazing and morally complex novel, hooking you from the start. A dark fairytale sets the scene for the many stories to come. The reader is once again in Afghanistan, but the trip feels completely different from "The Kite Runner" which was a unlike "A Thousand Splendid Suns". You also travel to other destinations and times as the seemingly disparate stories tie together.

What astounds me about this novel is how complex, thoughtful, and new are the scenarios and characters. While many authors churn out the same books year after year because the market supports this (i.e. Sparks or Piccoult), Hosseini took his time to create thought-provoking characters grappling with insurmountable odds.

In the beginning, a father faces a devastating loss and must choose the right path for his children. A choice he'll remember and possibly regret for the rest of his days. The overall theme is of making difficult decisions and living with the consequences. It begs the question, "does the end justify the means"? I won't give more details as not to spoil the experience. I found this novel rich, thought-provoking, haunting, and powerful.

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DON'T LISTEN TO OTHER REVIEWS ON NARRATION!!

So many reviews are commenting on the narration and their dislike for the accent. To say the narrator sounds like he "has a mouthful of marbles" is offensive. It's an accent not a speech impediment.
Personally I found the narration to add to the story. If you loved The Life of Pi you will enjoy this narration. Listening to an audiobook that deals with different cultures, I expect to hear those different cultures. This book would not have had the same inpact on me if it were spoken in an american accent.

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I easily understood the narrations

Any additional comments?

The book is another excellent work by Khaled Hosseini that captures the challenges of the human condition. My dyslexia makes pleasure reading difficult and I put off listening to the book for a year because of the negative comments concerning the narration. After reading Jane's review, I purchased and listened to the book. The narration was easy to understand and the accented voices added to the dramatic presentation. Thanks Jane

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Generational Reverberations

"A mountain keeps an echo deep inside. That's how I hold your voice." Rumi

You prepare your heart when reading Hosseini; you know you will feel the tug of those heart strings that bind us to humanity. He writes about universal themes - family, love, loss, betrayal, courage - with a sincerity that doesn't pander for emotions (his foundation and humanitarian work with the people of Afghanistan, from where he draws his characters, speaks to this sincerity and dedication) yet takes aim at our core. With the voice of a poet, Hosseini captivates his readers with characters facing challenges that test human limitations. Of course, it adds to the complex atmosphere and mystique of his story that he writes about a historically and mythologically rich country that is unfamiliar to most of us. It's clear from the very beginning of this new book -- when a father tucks his children into their beds around a desert campfire and conjures up a allegorical fable of a monster that steals children away in the night (a Jungian's delight, and magical beginning) -- that the author has written a beautiful story that will have us, once again, feeling that familiar tug. And the Mountains Echoed spares very few readers the pang of empathy, but unlike its predecessors, the approach is light handed and the violence is minimal.

I purposely am avoiding outlining the plot. This is one of the first times that I have read a review prior to listening to the book, that truly was a spoiler--going into this novel with so much information almost ruined the journey for me. The beginning fable does foreshadow the events to come, but I would like to have gotten to that destination with my own interpretations of the view along the way -- it's just that kind of story. Spanning several generations, the story tells how the choices made early in the genealogy dictated the course of latter family members. It's not the events themselves that construct the human drama over the years, but how the events are acted upon by the characters. Hosseini's characters come from a history of tumult; they internalize their emotions, because of personal reasons, political tensions, cultural upbringing--their harsh world doesn't allow the luxury of licking their wounds, processing or resolution. The resulting legacy they build is one of pain, regret, sorrow, and secrecy.

The beginning is powerful with the imagery and the foreshadowing. You'll read that some critics thought the middle section suffered from the addition of new characters, and I have to agree. Though good material, it just wasn't in the same rich vein as the wonderfully dimensioned beginning chapters, and only detracted from the emotional heart of the saga, slowing down a story that never seemed to regain the same momentum-- it just rolls to a good place to wrap up. My favorite -- the narration! (I can't wait to see the reviews on this subject!) From the rich, sexy foreign voice of Hosseini to the sultry smoky voice of Shohreh Aghdashloo...there were simply times I couldn't understand what the h3LL they were saying, but could've cared less because they sounded so great saying whatever it was! I adored the narration, with all the limitations of my white-bread ears. Their voices added great texture and authenticity--I can't imagine the story presented any other way, but doubt that will be the consensus.

Fans of Hosseini will feel rewarded for the wait. There was something about Kite Runner -- the innocence, the look into the social landscape and family structure -- that I liked better; but, the moments of beauty singular to this book: the children listening to the fable, the sound of a tinkling bell, the devoted Chauffer's and his letter, the scrappy eared dog...still give me that little stab in the heart and keep me in an emotional orbit.

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Ruined by narrators

I was so looking forward to this book. I loved both Hosseini's previous books. He was his own narrator on the Kite Runner and did a really good job, but this book was totally ruined by the readers. It doesn't happen often, but once in a while I have to admit to preferring reading over listening and this is one of those times. Sorry folks, can't agree on the high ratings on this one.
I'm sure once I let a little time pass, purchase the actual book and read it, my review on Amazon will be much different.
Hosseini only narrates one of the chapters, the rest are read by a man who sounds like he has marbles in his mouth and an accent too strong to be narrating and a woman with a raspy monotone voice.

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The narrations added to the story's authenticity

Another beautiful story by Khaled Hosseini. Like his other books, it is filled with sadness, hope and the importance of family. Unlike other readers who did not care for the narrations, they added so very much to the story. All the voices were understandable to me and made the story come alive. This is a story that spans generations and how the endless wars in Afghanistan have resulted in many levels of futility.

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Wonderful Story (But Get it in Print)

I loved this story, but for much of the time I was struggling to understand two of the narrators. There is no reason that I can think of that multiple narrators were even needed. It added nothing to the story. In fact, the difficulty that I had in understanding the heavily accented English often detracted from the story. Get this one in print and enjoy (and understand) every word.

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Six decades in the history of an Afghan village

A touching story beautifully told. Life in this Afghan village was not easy in the early 1950s when the story begins. Mothers die in childbirth. Babies die of cold because their fathers cannot keep food on the table and fuel in the fireplace. Families sell their young children for money to keep the rest of the family alive.
The story at the center of this complex novel is that of a brother and sister: she sold at age 3 to a wealthy childless artist in Kabul; he remaining with his father and the hard life in the village; and a lifetime of planning to reunite with his little sister. Branching off these two characters and their story are many characters and story lines set in divers countries and cities over 60 years. It's not a light read; there's a lot of real life in it. Lit freaks, prepare to be engrossed.
Narration: excellent

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Wonderful book; what's up with the narration?!?

This is an absolutely wonderful book! Everyone should read it. But what's up with the current trend (also manifested in the Audible performance of The Orphan Master's Son) of narrators with heavy and difficult to understand but unidentifiable accents?!? It makes it really difficult, and what is the point?

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Prefer to read this book rather then listen

Where does And the Mountains Echoed rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is an excellent book. I found when reading it for myself I was engrossed. When trying to listen I was unable to stay focused due to the accent of the narration. I know the author is an outstanding author I am a fan of his stories I just wasn't pleased with his narration.

Any additional comments?

Again this book is a must read. It's excellent. My problem was with the narrator not the story

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