Last night I went to a book discussion that was a little different. We discussed a book, in a restaurant, before enjoying a fondue. We usually think about books and coffee, but rarely about books and fondue. The fondue was good.
The book that was discussed was Les Hirondelles de Kaboul. When I read this book I didn’t feel an affinity for any of the characters, but rather with the themes that were covered. Those that I could think of were mass hysteria, with the lapidation and mass execution. I asked Le Chat by Mistral about these themes and it elaborated on each but without specific citations.
When I asked it if I had forgotten about other themes it told me that it explores love and sacrifice. We do see the world through the eyes of several couples. The individual who participated in a lapidation, the other that takes care of his sick wife, and more.
I think it’s a book where no one is free, and no one is really happy. Everyone wants a change under such a government. This ties in to the idea of resistance and hope. The characters do keep some hope. There is a scene where a stone falls on the road, as a character climbs over a hill.
According to Le Chat it explores the condition of women but I would say that it explores the theme of women, and men, and the expectations that this society has for them. These are described as friendship and solidarity.
It’s also about grief and mourning. We hear the discussion by the veteran soldiers, and their experiences, about the loss of limbs. We hear about the man who is out for a walk with his wife, before being forced to prayer while he waits outside. He is then unable to find his wife and feels despair.
I feel that this is a book that has to be read at least twice to be understood.
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