The Prix Goncourt is well deserved - this short novel takes us in Afghanistan and we are witnessing the decline of a man and despair of a woman who ensures his bedside. Several themes recur regularly: legends, religion, or the civil war that prevails in the country and the problems it causes. It does not come out unscathed from this story that dramatically brand. We are witnessing the misfortune of this woman and her madness that grows throughout the book to the point of turning into an unforgettable confession of all the misfortunes which she faced with her husband. Note however some pretty murky details to describe the misery and poverty that prevails. There really is little joy in this novel but comes in upset so much the facts described are significant.
