Hosseini writes and narrates an amazing and morally complex novel, hooking you from the start. A dark fairytale sets the scene for the many stories to come. The reader is once again in Afghanistan, but the trip feels completely different from "The Kite Runner" which was a unlike "A Thousand Splendid Suns". You also travel to other destinations and times as the seemingly disparate stories tie together.

What astounds me about this novel is how complex, thoughtful, and new are the scenarios and characters. While many authors churn out the same books year after year because the market supports this (i.e. Sparks or Piccoult), Hosseini took his time to create thought-provoking characters grappling with insurmountable odds.

In the beginning, a father faces a devastating loss and must choose the right path for his children. A choice he'll remember and possibly regret for the rest of his days. The overall theme is of making difficult decisions and living with the consequences. It begs the question, "does the end justify the means"? I won't give more details as not to spoil the experience. I found this novel rich, thought-provoking, haunting, and powerful.

Another beautiful story by Khaled Hosseini. Like his other books, it is filled with sadness, hope and the importance of family. Unlike other readers who did not care for the narrations, they added so very much to the story. All the voices were understandable to me and made the story come alive. This is a story that spans generations and how the endless wars in Afghanistan have resulted in many levels of futility.

I loved this story, but for much of the time I was struggling to understand two of the narrators. There is no reason that I can think of that multiple narrators were even needed. It added nothing to the story. In fact, the difficulty that I had in understanding the heavily accented English often detracted from the story. Get this one in print and enjoy (and understand) every word.

So many reviews are commenting on the narration and their dislike for the accent. To say the narrator sounds like he "has a mouthful of marbles" is offensive. It's an accent not a speech impediment.
Personally I found the narration to add to the story. If you loved The Life of Pi you will enjoy this narration. Listening to an audiobook that deals with different cultures, I expect to hear those different cultures. This book would not have had the same inpact on me if it were spoken in an american accent.

I was so looking forward to this book. I loved both Hosseini's previous books. He was his own narrator on the Kite Runner and did a really good job, but this book was totally ruined by the readers. It doesn't happen often, but once in a while I have to admit to preferring reading over listening and this is one of those times. Sorry folks, can't agree on the high ratings on this one.
I'm sure once I let a little time pass, purchase the actual book and read it, my review on Amazon will be much different.
Hosseini only narrates one of the chapters, the rest are read by a man who sounds like he has marbles in his mouth and an accent too strong to be narrating and a woman with a raspy monotone voice.

I love audiobooks and I love this author. I loved Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

I found the heavy accent of the narrator to be hard to listen to and follow. I will need to actually read this book.

If you have a hard time with heavy accents you might consider actually reading this book. I had to listen so intently I couldn't relax and enjoy the story. I tried three times and finally just gave up. You might consider listening to a sample of this book before you buy the audio book.

This is a very good book by Khaled Hosseini but unfortunately the audible presentation is spoiled by the narrators Navid Negahban & Shohreh Aghdashloo who have a very heavy accent that makes it really difficult to follow what they are saying. I would recommend skipping the audible book and reading it. Mr. Hosseini should have read the whole book like he did his first two.

The brilliant twists and turns of the plot. Dr. Hosseini is brilliant at captivating your interest and holding you hostage till the end.

The medical descriptions.

Great depth of feeling...you feel as though you are experiencing every scene.

Khalad Hosseini and Abraham Verghese are two of my favorite authors...and both are physicians of note. Somehow they capture the heart and soul of their characters and, with their beautiful prose, make you feel honored to meet and experience their characters lives.

The book is another excellent work by Khaled Hosseini that captures the challenges of the human condition. My dyslexia makes pleasure reading difficult and I put off listening to the book for a year because of the negative comments concerning the narration. After reading Jane's review, I purchased and listened to the book. The narration was easy to understand and the accented voices added to the dramatic presentation. Thanks Jane

The narration (except for the brief sections read by the author) really detracted from the story. Because of the strong accents, I found myself trying to concentrate on the words themselves and at times I had to go back and listen a second time to the sense of the story. Hosseini's beautiful prose was frequently lost in the harsh tones of the narrators.

I have always enjoyed Hosseini's previous books. This one would definitely be better in a non-audio version. He has tried to present a good overview of his native country and how the conflicts of many decades have affected the culture & the people. It is a complicated society.