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

Story by vignette

Any additional comments?

Hosseini used a series of vignettes to tell his story as compared to a contiguous plot. His approach is different than previous novels, but absolutely effective. It allowed a quick but deep look at a number of characters and situations that are intertwined and impacted by each other. It is a story of choices, of responsibility and love, of self-sacrifice and self-centeredness, of isolation and connection. At the beginning of some chapters I had difficulty getting my bearings, but Hosseini quickly provided enough information for me to gain understanding. I was propelled through the stories in this book, and touched by how intertwined the characters were at the beginning and the end. A very good read.

Great story Not so great narrating

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

Amazing, Great story, shocking!!

What other book might you compare And the Mountains Echoed to and why?

Not sure.

What three words best describe the narrators’s performance?

The male narrator is easier to follow than the female. No offense to the female narrator but the accent makes it hard to follow at times.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes and no depending on the narrators.

Any additional comments?

I am listening to the book on my way to work and I really get into it to the point I sit in my car for an extra few minutes to finish the section I am in. The flow of the book is not straight forward but it does leave hints in place to connect the dots at a later time. The author swings back and forth in time and various characters come in and go as other people mentioned. The narrators in the audible version change and some of them are harder to follow than others. Overall excellent story.

Tricky & messy, but worth the read!

A multi-generational set of stories that, alone, may seem emotionally messy or twisted. Once they have all been linked, one realized the beauty, charge & simplicity in each character's life. Quite magical!

Echoed...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I found this book a little hard to get into however, the longer I listened the more the stories echoed in my ears and heart. I fell in love with it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Pari~ She captured my imagination.

Beautiful Storytelling

Khaled Hosseini creates an intricate tapestry of interconnected stories and experiences, revealing a single perspective to the reader in each chapter and masterfully weaving all together with insight and poignancy.

Awesome story

Any additional comments?

I did not want to finish this book. I had read his two previous ones and knew it would be the work of a genuine storyteller unlike any I'd ever heard. Loved the readers; they gave it authenticity and feeling. Don't rush through this; it's real people and real life.

A Breathtaking, Multigenerational Story

What did you like best about this story?

I loved how the story spanned generations and linked characters across time. I also really enjoyed the incorporation of local Afghan folklore - fable-like stories that paralleled the characters' own lives.

Would you listen to another book narrated by the narrators?

I would. Initially, I had trouble with Shohreh's and Navid's accents as they affect the way I heard certain words. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this narration for listeners who have hearing difficulties.

Any additional comments?

Another stunning novel from Khaled Hosseini that takes the reader on a long and winding journey over decades, across landscapes, and in and out of the lives of extraordinary individuals.

Worth a read but not my favorite Hosseini offering

Any additional comments?

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini was not all that I hoped it to be...it was good, don't misunderstand, but the other two were better and The Kite Runner is still my favorite.This one is mercifully less graphic than the other two. I say "mercifully" not because the author was ever harsh for harshness sake. Quite the contrary, I have always found his harder scenes appropriate. I am just a bit weak natured when it comes to those things. FYI there are a lot of reviews criticizing the accents in the narration. It is thick at some points, but I really liked it. It gave an authenticity to the read and added a deeper level of connection for me at least.

Disappointed

Found it difficult to understand two of the narrators, had to keep repeating. As always Khaled Hosseini produced a well written and captivating book. He tells the story by multiple narrators about the various characters. Although the "short story"-like chapters we're interlinking, it was disjointed and sometimes confusing. After his other books, it was a little disappointing.

An Extraordinary Experience

Would you listen to And the Mountains Echoed again? Why?

Yes - many times.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved all the characters...Abdullah and Pari, Nabi and Suleiman, Parwana and Masooma. As Nabi explains: "We are waiting, all of us, against insurmountable odds, for something extraordinary to happen to us." Listening to this book was an extraordinary experience.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is by far my favorite of all of Khaled Hosseini's books. I love it when the author reads their own story, but the addition of the other two narrators was perfect. As soon as I heard Shohreh Aghdashloo's voice, I knew I would love this story. I appreciated the richness of the three narrators' voices, the strong accents that brought the story to life, and the emotional tenderness that the three were able to convey through their voices. I'm so happy I chose to listen to this book - although I have since bought hard copies for my children as gifts.

Any additional comments?

The narrators were fantastic. This was, perhaps, the best listening experience I've had yet with an audible book. I highly recommend it.