The Bookseller of Kabul
by Asne Seierstad, Emilia Fox | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 1405501146 Global Overview for this book
ISBN: 1405501146 Global Overview for this book
12 journalers for this copy...
It`s so compelling to listen to the true story of a bookseller`s family and their life in Kabul, which is full of hope and fear, crime and punishment. Fascinating how the author gives us insight in a remarkable life we don`t know much about. Very interesting!
Released 17 yrs ago (3/6/2007 UTC) at
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This audiobook is on its way to Schneefee as part of an audioring. Good listening!
This audiobook is on its way to Schneefee as part of an audioring. Good listening!
Caught it this morning at the custum-office in Dortmund!
An absolutely fascinating and enjoyable audiobook.
Although I was sometimes a bit confused by the mass of names and family-members it still is a book that's easy to follow and absolutely gripping, and last but not least Emilia Fox is a brilliant narrator.
Furthermore I liked that the book has a foreword (read by Asne Seierstad herself) in which the author explained how the book could be written and how she got to know about the feelings of the family members.
This audiobook will be reserved for
the anglophone audiobookbox!
Edit on 16. April 2007: In an journal entry of another copy of this book I found some interesting links I'd like to copy in here:
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Journal entry by Lospina from Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Sunday, February 04, 2007
"Anyone reading this book should consult the following web sites -- but only AFTER reading the book:
http://www.kabulguide.net/kbl-bookseller.htm
http://news.bookweb.org/features/1820.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bookseller_of_Kabul
http://dir.salon.com/story/books/feature/2003/11/17/kabul/index.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1302144,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1582319,00.html"
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I really didn't know that "Sultan" is (or was?) struggling with Asne Seierstad in court in Norway, and - to tell the truth - I personally haven't experienced the description of Sultan offending or disrespectful towards him; sure, he was descibed as quite an patriarchic man but since I knew Afghans while working on an excavation in 2002 I never experienced this being negative to them. But also during the book it seems that Sultan is eager to appear modern and western, inspite of other compatriots.
Maybe Asne Seierstad could have pointed out more clearly that the Afghan culture is NOT the Taliban "culture"!!
On the contrary: Before the russian Invasion in December 1979 our former priest experienced Afghanistan and esp. Kabul as an open-minded city with friendly people. They were islamic, many women wore the Burka, but they were not forced to. Maybe he had just met the right people, maybe it was getting worse under the Russians and really bad under Taliban regime - fact is that due to several invasions, civil wars and of course to the Taliban whole generations have grown up without education (70% of all Afghans are illiterate) and the Afghan society actually was thrown back to a state they already had had at least a hundred years ago.
Although I was sometimes a bit confused by the mass of names and family-members it still is a book that's easy to follow and absolutely gripping, and last but not least Emilia Fox is a brilliant narrator.
Furthermore I liked that the book has a foreword (read by Asne Seierstad herself) in which the author explained how the book could be written and how she got to know about the feelings of the family members.
This audiobook will be reserved for
the anglophone audiobookbox!
Edit on 16. April 2007: In an journal entry of another copy of this book I found some interesting links I'd like to copy in here:
------------------------------------
Journal entry by Lospina from Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Sunday, February 04, 2007
"Anyone reading this book should consult the following web sites -- but only AFTER reading the book:
http://www.kabulguide.net/kbl-bookseller.htm
http://news.bookweb.org/features/1820.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bookseller_of_Kabul
http://dir.salon.com/story/books/feature/2003/11/17/kabul/index.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1302144,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1582319,00.html"
------------------------------------
I really didn't know that "Sultan" is (or was?) struggling with Asne Seierstad in court in Norway, and - to tell the truth - I personally haven't experienced the description of Sultan offending or disrespectful towards him; sure, he was descibed as quite an patriarchic man but since I knew Afghans while working on an excavation in 2002 I never experienced this being negative to them. But also during the book it seems that Sultan is eager to appear modern and western, inspite of other compatriots.
Maybe Asne Seierstad could have pointed out more clearly that the Afghan culture is NOT the Taliban "culture"!!
On the contrary: Before the russian Invasion in December 1979 our former priest experienced Afghanistan and esp. Kabul as an open-minded city with friendly people. They were islamic, many women wore the Burka, but they were not forced to. Maybe he had just met the right people, maybe it was getting worse under the Russians and really bad under Taliban regime - fact is that due to several invasions, civil wars and of course to the Taliban whole generations have grown up without education (70% of all Afghans are illiterate) and the Afghan society actually was thrown back to a state they already had had at least a hundred years ago.
I'm not too sure if I'll like this audiobook. It's quite different from the books I usually read. But I'll give it a try as it sounds interesting and I want to practice my English ;-)
As there are so many interesting audiobooks in the box, I don't know when I'll have time to, but I'll try to listen to it soon. I'll edit this entry then.
As there are so many interesting audiobooks in the box, I don't know when I'll have time to, but I'll try to listen to it soon. I'll edit this entry then.
looking forward to listen to this book as I would never have picked it for my audio-experiences. Thanks for sharing something of this kind as well.
review April 5th 2008:
This story bored me sometimes but got me really really involved with it at other times. It is a very interesting description of a country and a life that is so very different from my own. It definitely didn't give me a good feeling while listening. It's deeper than plain entertainment. Nothing I would usually read. Thanks for giving me the chance to catch up to world literature...
review April 5th 2008:
This story bored me sometimes but got me really really involved with it at other times. It is a very interesting description of a country and a life that is so very different from my own. It definitely didn't give me a good feeling while listening. It's deeper than plain entertainment. Nothing I would usually read. Thanks for giving me the chance to catch up to world literature...
One more from the audiobookbox. I will listen to it later. Sounds interesting.
Edit 27.9.07. A really interesting audiobook that gives you an inside look of an afghan family and in a family life, that is so different from what we know in the western world.
Edit 27.9.07. A really interesting audiobook that gives you an inside look of an afghan family and in a family life, that is so different from what we know in the western world.
Vielen Dank, dass ich am Ring teilnehmen darf. Wenn ich mir die Geschichten angehört habe (sind kopiert), werde ich diesen Eintrag editieren. :-)
Journal Entry 9 by Marianne013 from Bühl (Baden), Baden-Württemberg Germany on Saturday, June 30, 2007
Chosen from Schneefee's anglophone audiobookbox. I think I have heard of this book before but don't quite know what to expect. I'll see...
Heard a lot about this one, I even have the paperback. I think I might listen to it sooner than reading it. CD is on my laptop now. Will update the entry once I listened to it.
found it in a big envelope with many other audio-books (thank you for sending) :-). I try to hear it next time, but I don`t know when I`ll have the time.
Journal Entry 12 by teff42 at Bookbox in Book Box, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Monday, February 25, 2008
Released 16 yrs ago (2/25/2008 UTC) at Bookbox in Book Box, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases
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As the box arrived I started to listen into the CD. It really sounds interesting but I'm lacking of time and so I stopped and saved it for later.
Journal Entry 14 by RikkiDD at mail in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, March 23, 2008
Released 16 yrs ago (3/23/2008 UTC) at mail in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
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Together with many others the CD will travel in a box to the next listener
Together with many others the CD will travel in a box to the next listener
I have listened to the audiobook over a few weeks, triggered by my holiday in Morocco I wanted to find out a bit more about muslims. It is an incredible thought that Asne Seierstad had the privilege to live with and thus experience the life of a real Afghan family.
Especially the way marriages are arranged and females are not even allowed to have any feelings fascinated me.
Now I will have a look at the links Schneefee mentioned.
Especially the way marriages are arranged and females are not even allowed to have any feelings fascinated me.
Now I will have a look at the links Schneefee mentioned.
Got this with Schneefees audiobookbox but have now safed for later. Thanks dubly and Schneefee!
RikkiDD was so kind to leave a copy of the audiobook with me before sending the box along, but this is now the last one that I got from the anglophone audiobookbox. It was very interessting to get an insight into a society we usually know very little about, but I have to admit that I was not too fond of the way it was read Emilia Fox. Every Afghan woman sounded like a whining teenager in my ears