Kabul bookseller

Author: [Norway] Osna Sjostrom
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: A bestseller in the Nordic region with over 2 million copies sold worldwide One of the best-selling books in Nordic history Ranked on the UK Sunday Times Best Seller List in 2004 Top-selling book on the UK Sunday Times and US New York Times Best Seller Lists Featured on annual bestseller lists in multiple countries including the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan, and South Korea Awarded Best Book of the Year by the American Booksellers Association, the UK Booksellers Association, and the French Booksellers Association Received over 10 international awards and rights sold in nearly 40 countries A work created at the right time, in the right place, for the right audience Overnight, this book about the silent, mysterious culture of Afghanistan, which had remained hidden for millennia, became a focal point of global attention. —The Guardian, UK The book delves into the hidden lives of Afghans and excels at letting the characters speak for themselves, telling stories that are not seen in news reports. —The Times, UK A shocking international bestseller that will undoubtedly become one of the most brilliant books depicting life in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. Written by the renowned Norwegian war journalist and author Osna Sjostrom, this international bestseller is comparable to "The Kite Runner." Sultan is a bookseller in Kabul. For more than 30 years, he has provided his fellow countrymen with invaluable spiritual nourishment, but fate has always been against him. First, supporters of the Soviet Union burned his books, then the Mujahideen organizations recklessly looted and robbed him, and finally, the Taliban destroyed everything he had. One after another of the dictators destroyed his beloved culture and art with impunity, while Sultan cautiously guarded everything, filled with despair and sorrow. This is a book that delves into the depths of the human heart, rich and vibrant. Set against the backdrop of spring after the fall of the Taliban, the story radiates from the joys and sorrows of Sultan's family, vividly depicting the changes in Afghanistan's politics, economy, culture, social life, and customs over the past few decades. This book quickly became a global phenomenon. In the Nordic region, it is one of the best-selling books of all time, with worldwide sales exceeding 2 million copies. This is an international bestseller that delves into the depths of the human heart, rich and vibrant. Sultan is a bookseller in Kabul. For more than 30 years, he has provided his fellow countrymen with invaluable spiritual nourishment, but fate has always been against him. First, supporters of the Soviet Union burned his books, then the Mujahideen organizations recklessly looted and robbed him, and finally, the Taliban destroyed everything he had. One after another of the dictators destroyed his beloved culture and art with impunity, while Sultan cautiously guarded everything, filled with despair and sorrow. After 9/11, with the influx of many Westerners, Sultan's business saw unprecedented opportunities. However, the shadows of decades past still linger, even for the seemingly progressive Sultan, who stubbornly maintains a patriarchal autocracy in his family. His reasoning is simple: if even the head of the household cannot command absolute obedience, how can there be an orderly society? Thus, Sultan began his "self-directed performance": he defied his family's opposition to marry a 16-year-old girl as his second wife; he adhered to the logic of "those who obey prosper, those who defy perish," and planned to expel his younger brother Wali from the family; he kept his three sons tied to his bookstore for 12 hours a day, cutting them off from the beauty of childhood and the radiance of youth; he "concerned" himself with the marriage prospects of every woman in the family, turning everything into a transaction of family interests, leaving their flower-like years filled only with loneliness and melancholy. The book is authentic and vivid, filled with the scent of sweat, grease, and dust, transporting readers to the mysterious land veiled in. With the author's meticulous and even writing, the joys and sorrows, joys and sorrows of Sultan's family are vividly brought to life, reflecting the changes in Afghan social life over the past few decades. As readers are deeply captivated and moved, they can also discern the richness of human nature from the confusion and helplessness that permeates the book, feeling the warmth of life radiating from within.