And the Mountains Echoed

By: Khaled Hosseini

Narrated by: Khaled Hosseini, Navid Negahban, Shohreh Aghdashloo

Length: 14 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

On May 21, 2013, the new novel from Khaled Hosseini: an unforgettable story about finding a lost piece of yourself in someone else.

Khaled Hosseini, the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each passing minute.

©2013 Khaled Hosseini (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Does the End Justify the Means

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.

I easily understood the narrations

Any additional comments?

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

AND THIS BOOK ECHOES....

What did you love best about And the Mountains Echoed?

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

What was one of the most memorable moments of And the Mountains Echoed?

The medical descriptions.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

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

Any additional comments?

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 narrations added to the story's authenticity

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.

DON'T LISTEN TO OTHER REVIEWS ON NARRATION!!

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.

Six decades in the history of an Afghan village

A touching story beautifully told. Life in this Afghan village was not easy in the early 1950s when the story begins. Mothers die in childbirth. Babies die of cold because their fathers cannot keep food on the table and fuel in the fireplace. Families sell their young children for money to keep the rest of the family alive.
The story at the center of this complex novel is that of a brother and sister: she sold at age 3 to a wealthy childless artist in Kabul; he remaining with his father and the hard life in the village; and a lifetime of planning to reunite with his little sister. Branching off these two characters and their story are many characters and story lines set in divers countries and cities over 60 years. It's not a light read; there's a lot of real life in it. Lit freaks, prepare to be engrossed.
Narration: excellent

Not my favorite Hosseini novel, but still good

If you could sum up And the Mountains Echoed in three words, what would they be?

As with his other novels, Hosseini does an amazing job telling stories that are warm, touching and incredibly sobering. A great exploration of human reality and a wonderful portrayal of Afghanistan. I did not love how this book is written, telling the story each time from the perspective of a different character (I am sure there is a literary name for it which the more educated readers probably know). It did not allow me to connect to the plot and characters as strongly and emotionally as I did in Hosseini's other novels.

Any additional comments?

I love the authentic narration and the fact that Hosseini does not allow his novels, in their recorded productions, to be watered down by bland American accents. Having authentic Afghan readers makes a huge different. I cannot understand how some other international writers do not see that and allow their writing to be butchered by Americans who do not speak the novel's native language.

Khaled Hosseini did it again--Wonderful!

I really liked Kite Runner, believed A Thousand Splendid Suns was heartbreaking but even better than Kite Runner, but And the Mountains Echoed is, I believe, the best of all three.

This is multiple stories interconnected by family members, friends, and acquaintences. While listening to the three different narrators, it made these stories more real and interesting. It takes a little getting used to the narrators' voices with accents. I considered purchasing the hardcover book to review for spellings of names and places. This is a book I can listen to over and over again.

I so believe this is a wonderful book and well worth reading or listening! Bravo!

Disappointed!!

I have read his previous books and I loved them, however I am so disappointed with this book!!

It has a very STRONG start and you get attached but as the story develops it gets weaker, boring and splashed all over the place!!

So to summarize I would say Beautiful beginning Boring ending.

I liked the parts where Khalid him self was narrating but was not a fan of the other two narrators! (Unclear and heavy accent) however i liked the parts where music was added between some emotional parts .....

I would not recommend this book but highly recommend the previous 2

Wonderful Story (But Get it in Print)

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.

Amazing

Amazing and like all his other books could not be put down :) struggled with some of the audio accents had to really pay attention but all in all a great book,

I loved it

I loved this beautifully written book. I could clearly see the places and people as if I was among them. I began to panic towards the end as the time was running down simply because I didn’t want it to end.