BOOKSELLER BY NICOLE

To be frank, I was not a fan of Bookseller for several reasons. Firstly, I believe our society has been very interested in Afghani culture, almost obsessed even. That being said, I agree with Devika, I have read so many book on the topic to the point where I have trouble enjoying these sort of books. I realize that this shouldn't devalue Bookseller or sway my opinion of it because Bookseller is certainly quite different from the other books I have read. However, compared to the Kite Runner, Bookseller is not as interesting and captivating. The Kite Runner was a profound, intelligent, heartfelt book that really affected me because I could see that Hosseini really portrayed his life with a wonderful authenticity; therefore, Sierstad's writing seems to lack this authenticity that gave life and feeling to the Kite Runner. I understand that her writing is unique and deliberate in that she chooses to take this distant perspective- kind of like looking into a window and observing- but I still found it difficult to enjoy. All in all, I respect her attempt at giving us a different take on the culture we read about so often, but why read a book if it has no effect on you?

Annie Dillard

I really, really liked her descriptive phrases. There was a sort of eloquent beauty in her words that was simple but poetic. I felt that it really didn't have a concrete plot, so it was a bit difficult to read and stay into, and it felt a little self-indulgent.

Annie Dillard anyone? I love her endless metaphors...

First They Killed My Father

I finished the book, and personally, this book was quite depressing. It was touching though, because I feel that Loung's perspective and writing voice gave the book a more sentimental and personal aura to it. I really felt like I could understand and know what Loung was going through. The little "dream sequences" in the italics that she recounts also offer that sense of her trying to have a explanation for something that will never be able to be explained. It's like a coping mechanism, a way that she can know/make herself believe what happened to her beloved family. I agree with Nell completely, I thought it was interesting to read it with the same context as the narrator. I knew as much about the genocide as Loung did (I had just heard of it but nothing else) and that voice contributed to the overall pathos of the novel.

FTKMF

I'd have to say that the book was very interesting, although deeply depressing. I felt like the author was certainly believable, and wrote like she was actually living it at the time. However, I felt like it was almost too much to be true, or at least to believe. I kept having to remind myself that this had actually happened. I guess it reminded me of books about the Holocaust in that way.

First They Killed My Father

I finished the book, and though I can't say I *enjoyed* reading it (too depressing) I thought it was well written and did what Loung Ung wanted it to. I don't think it was written to inform (but it did do that), more to relate the author's personal experiences of the Cambodian genocide and gives a human face to events as opposed to the factual history a reader might get from another source. Having it written in present tense and from a child's perspective made it more powerful in that sense. Ung didn't understand what was happening or why at first, and the reader experiences this confusion along with her (even though he or she understands the bigger historical context). The use of italics does this too; it isn't concrete facts, it's what Ung thinks happened to her family - she doesn't and will never really know, and neither will the reader.

AP Language 2011: So, all, what do you think of First They Killed My...

AP Language 2011: So, all, what do you think of First They Killed My...: "So, all, what do you think of First They Killed My Father???"
I just finished the book and though I really liked it, I think the author could have done a few things to make her story EVEN more pathos filled. Referring to what Jamie said about the narrator being a little girl; I think there are pros and cons to that viewpoint. On the plus side, being such a small girl, she rarely complicates things. She states her story bluntly, leaving no "wiggle room" for any misinterpretations the reader might have had. On the con side, I think that presenting the story through the eyes of such a little girl might have downplayed the atrocities that were committed. Being such a little girl, Asne didn't really understand fully what was going on in Cambodia, thus the reader might also not fully understand the situation.

First They Killed My Father

I have already finished the book and overall I really liked it. I think the author did a good job at crafting a personal account of the conflict in Cambodia while informing the reader of specific facts about the political and social aspects of the conflict. The pictures in the book were a good addition to the story. It was interesting to see the faces of the people that the author described. The sections in italics about the possible fates of her family members made me keep wondering about what really happened to them as well.

So, all, what do you think of First They Killed My Father???

Bookseller comments

I disagree. I feel as if the book is very westernized and adapted, almost betrayed. While I agree that it is wildly contrastive to our lives, it is still not as realistic I think because of the audience the author knew she was writing to. I also think that she tries to make it a novel as opposed to keeping it nonfiction. She takes liberties that I don't think author's writing non fiction books are allowed to take. It does give an interesting view into the every day lives of those Afghani women, however her feminist bias shines through her mask of indifference, really betraying her ethos.

Opinion on The Bookseller of Kabul

To be frank, I was not a fan of Bookseller for several reasons. Firstly, I believe our society has been very interested in Afghani culture, almost obsessed even. That being said, I agree with Devika, I have read so many book on the topic to the point where I have trouble enjoying these sort of books. I realize that this shouldn't devalue Bookseller or sway my opinion of it because Bookseller is certainly quite different from the other books I have read. However, compared to the Kite Runner, Bookseller is not as interesting and captivating. The Kite Runner was a profound, intelligent, heartfelt book that really affected me because I could see that Hosseini really portrayed his life with a wonderful authenticity; therefore, Sierstad's writing seems to lack this authenticity that gave life and feeling to the Kite Runner. I understand that her writing is unique and deliberate in that she chooses to take this distant perspective- kind of like looking into a window and observing- but I still found it difficult to enjoy. All in all, I respect her attempt at giving us a different take on the culture we read about so often, but why read a book if it has no effect on you?

"Bookseller"

So far, I am really enjoying the book. It gives a unique perspective on a real family in Afghanistan. However, it doesn't really feel like a book with a real plot. It feels more like a bunch of vignettes that are tied together with an obscure theme. Besides giving us a look into Afghani life, it doesn't really seem to have a point or plot. I would agree with Sophie about the author's perspective on Sultan Khan. It seemed to vary between respect and condescension.

Bookseller of Kabul

I find the Bookseller of Kabul interesting. I agree with Jordan, the opinion of the author is very forceful. I feel like the book is mainly focused around female rights in Afganistan and if the author had been a man the angle of the book would have been very different. Seierstad's view of Sultan Khan changes a lot throughout the book, at some points admiring him because of his intelligence and loyalty to books, and at others disparaging him because of his non-Western view of women's rights. I'm not a big fan of the author and she kind of irritates me.

Bookseller of Kabul

So far, I'm liking the Bookseller of Kabul. There's a lot of really good imagery and Seierstad does an excellent job of building up the characters as the plot progresses. Sultan Khan is clearly a powerful, strong man that strives to bring education to his country. Even though he's been put in jail, oppressed, and broken by the government, he still thrives to do what he loves. I admire that about him. One aspect of the book that bothers me is how biased Seierstad is at some points. Because she's not from Afghanistan, it takes away some of her ethos and makes me give my opinions a second thought. It's really interesting how women are portrayed in the book-- it's so different than what I grew up believing in. There is a lot of violence towards women, and Seierstad does an excellent job at creating pathos for the reader. I'm finding out so much about Afghan culture (some of which I already knew about from A Thousand Splendid Suns), and I'm excited to see how the rest of the book plays out.

Bookseller Review

So far I cannot say that I like The Bookseller of Kabul. The story is supposed to be a portrait of life in Afghanistan but I feel as though the story is somewhat tainted by Seierstad's point of view. While I was reading I couldn't help but feel that the story is heavily Americanized in order to make Afghan culture interpretable by Western readers. The truth is that their culture does not translate in exact terms into something that we can understand. The way that the author portrays their lifestyle also comes off as biased towards our Western prejudices. She almost forces us to appreciate certain aspects of their society and to dislike other aspects rather than allowing us to form our own opinions. The way that she portrays certain actions and events is designed to relate her opinion to us the reader but at times it comes off as forceful.

Fun Fact: Sultan Khan, Shah Muhammad Rais in real life, sued Seierstad and she was found guilty of defamation and “negligent journalistic practices".
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0729/1224275692778.html

Bookseller of Kabul

I really like the Bookseller of Kabul so far. At times it reminds of a lot of A Thousand Splendid Suns, but I keep having to remind myself that these are real people, not just realistic, fictional characters. I think Sultan is so interesting, because he's so defiant. Living in a country in utter turmoil, he's willing to risk everything to bring literature to his people. If he were just a made-up character, it'd be easy to give him that role, but in real life, he has a family that he's risking for his cause. He's really remarkable because he's not afraid of his government, even though in his country the government is something to be afraid of. He isn't willing to let anything stop him from selling his beloved books, not jail, not book burnings, not even war. I'm interested to see what happens to Sultan and his family.

Bookseller Opinion

So I have to admit that I really am not liking this book so far. I dont know if this is just me but I am getting confused about the order of the events that happen in the book. I know the author is trying to give us background about the family but I can't separate it from the more recent events/information in the book. I also keep wondering what the author's bias is. I'm sure that she has to be leaving some events out in order to make us think of the family the way she wants us to. Although I am not sure how long she lived with the family, I think that you would have to live with a family for a long time in order to have the ethos to portray them accurately in a book.

Bookseller of Kabul Thoughts

I've already finished the book, so I'll try not to spoil anything. I like how it's sort of a window into the life of the family; Seierstad just drops the reader into the family and builds up the background as she goes along. It feels like you're observing along with her. I also like how she doesn't try and inject her opinions into the book. Sometimes she'll throw in some of her own opinions, usually in separate sections or one short chapter; it's probably hard to write a book and keep it totally impartial. For the most part she just reports the facts about the family and lets the reader think for his or herself. It's a little weird to read a nonfiction book that, because the narrator isn't in it, feels like a novel, and form opinions about characters that are actually real people somewhere. It probably wasn't something I'd have read if it weren't required for class, but I enjoyed it once I got into it.

^I hope that was what the post was supposed to be.

VOLUNTARY THOUGHT POST FOR AFTER YOU READ DOUGLASS:

Douglass says that he was motivated to learn because of Mr. Auld's negative comments about teaching slaves to read. Tell about a time someone's comments (feel free to use fake names) or behavior motivated you to accomplish a goal.

A post for this evening (and in honor of Dante)

"Fire and Ice"
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if I had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Robert Frost
http://www.internal.org/Robert_Frost/Fire_and_Ice

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