THE BOOK FAIR

Yasmini Khadra renders a beautifully written and profound critique of Afghanistan under Taliban rule.  Sensitive character portrayals drive this novel as scenes of Kabul unfold in beautiful, cerebral passages.  Khadra analyzes, through his characters, the moral breakdown of society from within.

 

The novel centers on three figures, and their struggles to follow their dreams within the restrictive, backward, Taliban ruled society.  Following an execution on an ordinary day, the lives of the prison guard, the educated thinker, and his beloved wife, will change forever.

The novel, an amazing work of poignancy and depth, depicts the beauty of pre-Taliban Afghanistan before the terror and destruction.  For example, one describes Kabul as doomed beyond remedy, another describes his loss of conscience, another passage describes children delighting in the torture of a dog.

 

Note:

The author, Mohammed Moulessehoul, uses the pen name, Yasmina Khadra.