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The Wasted Vigil (2000)

by Nadeem Aslam(Favorite Author)

3.71 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0571238777 (ISBN13: 9780571238774)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

review 1: Nadeem Aslam was born in Pakistan and currently lives in England. His fiction has won many awards. This book is about 5 very different characters who come together in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attacks. Marcus is an English Muslim physician who has made a life in Afghanistan. He was married to an Afghan woman who was murdered by the Taliban, and he has had his left hand chopped off by them. David is an American, ex-CIA, who had been in love with Marcus's daughter and is looking for her son. Lara is a Russian who's husband was killed in the Russian-Afghan war, and she is trying to find out what happened to her brother who disappeared during the war. Casa is a Muslim jihadist, who ends up staying with Marcus for a while. Last is James, a current member of US special f... moreorces working against terror in Afghanistan. Through these disparate characters the author is able to write about both sides of the war against terror. The characters in this book really come alive. The writing is sublime. The author is able to write about terror without preaching or pandering. I came away with a better understanding of the forces working against peace in Afghanistan.
review 2: This book felt like a less engaging and not as well written knockoff of a Khaled Hosseini novel. It really didn't add anything new that Hosseini hadn't already done and done better. I didn't really understand what this book was supposed to be about. Who were all these characters? Why were they interacting with each other? Why should I care about any of them? I get it, Afghanistan is a harsh place to live. The Taliban is very bad. Now, tell me something I don't know already. I want to read other books by this author because I am positive that he is capable of writing something good. This just wasn't though. When it comes to books about Afghanistan or the Taliban, I think I'll stick with Hosseini. less

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