1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
“Journalist Asne Seierstad spent 4 months living with the Khan family in Afghanistan. Sultan Khan is the head of the family, and he is the bookseller of the book's title.
No one living in Afghanistan has an easy life, but Khan and his family do have it better than some in spite of the fact that Khan has been arrested and imprisoned for trying to preserve the culture and art of his country by buying books. He's hidden them in attics all over Kabul, but that hasn't prevented whatever group is in political power in Afghanistan from finding some of his hiding places and burning his treasurers. While it's true that Khan risked his life to keep the printed word from being obliterated in his country, it's also true that his endeavors weren't strictly without personal interest. Khan sells books, arranges to print books according to educational institution specifications, and he's also figured out a way to make a nice sum of money printing and selling postcards.
I didn't find Sultan Khan to be a very likable person, but that has more to do with his cultural beliefs than it does with how personally Selerstad was able to describe the man. His attitude about women is repugnant, yet it is no different than any other man in his culture.
The story that fascinated me the most in this book was the ongoing family dynamic. Khan's children all did what was expected of them in spite of the fact that their lives were, for the most part, drudgery. While the women's lives were hardest, it's no cake walk to be a young male in the Afghani society either. 10 year old children work 12 hour days in shops. They have no childhood to speak of, they develop no social contacts, and they see little to no return from the labor they put into the family businesses. They stifle resentment most of the time; they have existences far more than they do lives.
The Bookseller of Kabul is a very good place to learn about life in Afghanistan as well as to better understand a culture that represses everyone it touches. Khan's quest to preserve the literature of his country is a valiant one, and he deserves high praise for pursuing this kind of endeavor. However, it is disheartening to notice that books are preserved for many people unable to read them. Schools operate on the whim of whomever holds power in the country and whether that power allows women to work. When women are not permitted to work, schools close because there aren't enough male teachers to keep them open. For me, even though what Sultan Khan has accomplished is admirable, the story of Afghanistan is a very sad one.”
Ma Titwonky wrote this review Tuesday, September 30 2008.
(
reply |
permalink )