HarperCollins, London, 2002

This novel was really difficult to come by. First ordered from AmazonUS it got lost somewhere during shipment. A second order from AmazonUK proved to be successful, but the disappointment came when I started reading.

I had believed in the promise the book would reveal the story of Afghanistan in the 19th century, but the plot becomes blurred by an overambitious writer, who takes great pleasure in describing details at length. Well, you don´t buy a book of 530 pages and want to finish it in a day, but at least you would like to know what you are reading about.

Hensher starts his story at several different locations, no problem, readers are patient and wait for things to develop. The only thing is, the loose ends never seem to be tied up. So Hensher may be a renowned novelist, even awe-inspiring, as the cover  lets everybody know, but I doubt, lots of readers will make it  to the end of the book.