The Book Seller of Kabul

**1/2
by Asne Sierstad

I am very remiss in my writing as was expected considering the magnitude of events taking shape in my life now. I read this book back in September, so my memory will be poorer.

The author is attempting to tell this non-fiction tale in a narrative style. As such, she makes assumptions about what the people actually are feeling and thinking. Sometimes, perhaps, she goes a little too far.

The main subject of the book is an ambivilent character. Being a book seller he thinks of himself as a progressive thinker and an instrument in the mission to restore Afghanistan culture to its former glory.

Yet he has the role of the typical patriarch in Muslim society. He takes a second wife to the disgruntlement of his 1st wife, and his daughters are considered important only for their worth in what they bring to the family for their marraiges. One daughter is treated so bad, she is practically a slave to the rest of the family. Even the son can't go to school because he is expected to work in the book shop. An educated man, one would think, would want his children, or at least his sons, to get a good education. He rules the household with an iron fist. Understand that this is no different from most Afghani men, but he claims to be a progressive thinker.

This is a translation from, I believe Swedish, and some of the language seems a little awkward at times. Some of the parts do also drag on a little. I believe a scene where the women are preparing for a wedding is an example of that.

The author does go a little bit into the history of the Russian invasion and the arrival of the Taliban. It certainly added to my knowledge about that issue.

For the most part it was an ejoyable and enlightening book.