I read two books in considerably short time. They were nothing alike, and I won't compare them more than this, but let me just ask a question. Does one have to like a book for it to be good? I know that both of my reads are international best sellers, praised by critics, and I don't have enought fingers to point all my friends who really like these novels. Still, I'm not convinced about their greatness, actually I am surprised by my oppinion. Let me elaborate:
The first book was The Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, the second Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. While reading the later one, I was convinced that I liked the first one better since it was a page-turner for me. This phenomenom hasn't happened to me in years, so even I was surprised by my interest to get deeper in to the story; I had to learn more about incidents in the two main characters lives. The second did not have the same effect, but still it took only few days for me to finish. My problem against Thompson is how I have a naive fear against drugs and simply cannot find anyting amusing about them (except the part where att'y starts yelling at an old police couple while violently throwing out in a Cadillac).
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a page turner for one reason, it is hard to believe how shitty life can be and you just want to know if, please, anything good happens on the next page. In the end, when the lives of the two main characters, is solved, Hosseini really, really, milks the drama, and it is not all that impressing. Compared to the fast pace of most of the book, the last 40 pages or so are really dragged and have no point. I wish I could praise the book, like I did to my friends while reading it, but I just cannot do it anymore. If the lust for soap is ignored, then it is a really good read. Now I have to say that it was ok.
Against my prejudice I actually prefer Fear and Loathing. The reason for my changed oppinion is simple; Hunter does not enjoy the drama, he leaves it be as it is, and just tells what happened. It was honest, in a way that hallusinating drug user can be, and it certainly doesn't apologise or try to explain. The more I think about it, the better the book actually is, and probably I will give it one more go.
[edit] actually these two novels are very much alike; they both have strong statements about their goverments and culture. It is just the style, main story, and the country that are different. For social commentery they both are excellent, but I still prefer Fear and Loathing.
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