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Either

A Thousand Splendid Suns audiobook vs book: which should you choose?

Two Afghan women, a generation apart, are bound together in Kabul through decades of war. It’s close to even: a reader who says the Afghan words well, but whom critics find flat.

Read vs Listen·First published 5 November 2026·Last edited 5 November 2026·5 min read
A Thousand Splendid SunsKhaled Hosseini

Content note: sources list domestic abuse and the suffering of women in marriage among the novel’s themes. This page does not describe them.

The verdict
The same thirteen checks for every bookSix checks point to listening, such as a full cast or produced audio, the author reading their own memoir, or one narrator for a single viewpoint. Seven point to reading, such as jumping timelines, three or more viewpoints, or a story that depends on images or layout. Each check has a weight, and the weighted total sets the verdict. Verdicts are never paid for. The percentage rises with the gap between the two sides and with how much evidence there is, so a couple of small checks can’t make a book clear cut on their own: 50 to 64 is a close call, 65 to 79 is leaning, 80 to 94 is clear, and 95 or more is clear cut. See how we decide in full →

Either works

Either works for A Thousand Splendid Suns, so pick the format you enjoy. Atossa Leoni says the Afghan names and places with ease, which Publishers Weekly praises, and the audiobook makes a 432-page book easier to fit in. But two critics found her reading flat, calling it “dull” and “rather uninflected”, so if you want the full force of Mariam and Laila’s story, the page may serve it better.

Audible listeners rate the narration 4.6 out of 5 (2,222 ratings)

Definitely readDefinitely listen
52%
Either
Get it on Kindle432 pages (UK paperback) · about 7 hours to readListen on Audible11h 43m, read by Atossa Leoni

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The audiobook at a glance

RecordingUK edition, our verdictUS edition
NarratorAtossa LeoniAtossa Leoni
Length11 hours 43 minutes (11h 43m), unabridged11 hours 43 minutes (11h 43m), unabridged
At 1.5xabout 7h 49mabout 7h 49m
At 2xabout 5h 52mabout 5h 52m
Audio publisher and dateSimon & Schuster Audio, 22 May 2007Simon & Schuster Audio, 22 May 2007
Audiobook price£14.37 on Audible UK$20.24 on Audible US
Kindle price£6.66 on Amazon UKNot listed
PrintBloomsbury paperback, 432 pages, 2018Riverhead hardback, 384 pages, 2007
Listener ratingPerformance 4.63 from 2,222 ratingsPerformance 4.67 from 10,610 ratings

The same unabridged Simon & Schuster recording is sold on both stores, so the UK listing is the one scored. No newer English recording was found.

An abridged version, also read by Atossa Leoni, runs 6 hours 28 minutes and is not scored. No full-cast or dramatised English version exists. Ratings and prices checked 5 November 2026. Prices change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.

Lengths checked 5 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.

Why this verdictWhat it isCase for readingCase for listeningThe audiobookWho should ignore itQuestions

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini

Genre
Literary fiction
First published
May 2007
Length
432 pages (UK paperback)
On audio
11 hrs 43 mins, Atossa Leoni
On stage
Play, toured the UK in 2025

On this page

  1. Why we reached this verdict
  2. What this book actually is
  3. The case for reading it
  4. The case for listening to it
  5. The audiobook in detail
  6. Who should ignore this verdict
  7. Questions people ask

Why we reached this verdict

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.

One check points to reading
✓
Narration criticisedPublishers Weekly called it “a dull and often difficult listening experience”, and Kirkus calls the reading “rather uninflected”, noting Leoni “is not a professional audiobook narrator”. Listeners are kinder, with Performance 4.63 from 2,222 ratings on Audible UK, but a flat reading can blunt a story this emotional.
Two checks point to listening
✓
Unfamiliar names or dialectPublishers Weekly says Leoni “can pronounce all the Afghan words”, and the book is full of Afghan names and places, such as Jalil, Rasheed, Herat and Kabul. Hearing them said properly helps them settle as you go.
✓
Long bookThe UK paperback runs to 432 pages, a long book that the audiobook helps you get through.
Checked, not a factor here (10)
–
Jumping timelinesThe story moves forward in time, from Mariam’s background to Laila in 1987 and on.
–
Three or more points of view, one narratorThere are two points of view, Mariam’s and Laila’s, not three or more.
–
Story depends on images or layoutNothing in the book depends on images or layout.
–
Many similar-sounding namesThe main names are easy to tell apart.
–
Literary or dense proseTime called it “dense, rich, pressure-packed”, but we couldn’t open that review to check it, and the Christian Science Monitor found it “a little shaky as a work of literature”.
–
Maps, family trees or footnotesNothing we found mentions a map, glossary or family tree.
–
Full cast or produced audioAtossa Leoni reads it alone, with no cast or music.
–
Read by the authorIt is a novel, so the author-reading check doesn’t apply.
–
Single point of view and narratorThe story is told through two perspectives, Mariam’s and Laila’s (SparkNotes).
–
Award-winning or praised narrationNo award or critic praise was found for the reading. Kirkus refers to “the somewhat halting narration”.
How the score adds up
Listening 6 points, reading 5

The Afghan words (3) and the book’s length (3) give listening 6 points, while the criticised narration (5) gives reading 5. That’s close to even at 52%, so either format works.

Every book gets the same thirteen checks, set in advance. Verdicts are never paid for or influenced by affiliate links. Last edited 5 November 2026, and rechecked every year as editions and narrators change. Read the checks in full · Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.

The recording in detail

One narratorMulti-voiceFull castDramatised
Scored
Atossa Leoni, Simon & Schuster Audio, 2007, 11h 43m, unabridged
Critic review
Publishers Weekly: “a dull and often difficult listening experience”
Alternatives
Abridged edition, Atossa Leoni (6h 28m), not scored
What you miss
Nothing. There’s no map, glossary or special layout

What this book actually is

A Thousand Splendid Suns is Khaled Hosseini’s second novel, after The Kite Runner, but it is not a sequel. Mariam and Laila, two Afghan women born a generation apart, have their lives joined in Kabul through the Soviet invasion, civil war and Taliban rule.

Mariam’s story comes first, then Laila’s, and in the third part the two take turns. Hosseini has called The Kite Runner a father and son story and this one a mother and daughter story. It includes domestic abuse, war and the death of family members.

The case for reading it

Two named critics found the audiobook hard going. Publishers Weekly called it “a dull and often difficult listening experience”, and Kirkus calls Atossa Leoni’s reading “rather uninflected”. In print the story’s emotional force depends only on Hosseini’s writing.

The story moves in order and has two points of view, so it is easy to follow either way. Reading lets you set your own pace through its hardest scenes.

The case for listening to it

Leoni’s strength is the language. Publishers Weekly says she “can pronounce all the Afghan words”, and the book is full of Afghan names, places and terms that are easier to settle once you have heard them said.

Listeners rate her performance 4.6 or higher on both Audible stores, more warmly than the critics, and at under 12 hours the audiobook makes a 432-page book easy to fit around the day.

The audiobook in detail

Atossa Leoni reads the unabridged Simon & Schuster Audio recording, released on 22 May 2007, in 11 hours 43 minutes. It is the same recording on Audible UK and US.

An abridged version of 6 hours 28 minutes is also sold; make sure you pick the unabridged one. No PDF comes with either.

Who should ignore this verdict

If you have heard Leoni before and liked her, or you value hearing the Afghan words said properly, the audiobook works. If a flat reading would spoil a story this emotional for you, read it.

Get A Thousand Splendid Suns
Both editions, so you can go with the verdict or ignore it entirely.

Audiobook

  • Read by Atossa Leoni
  • 11h 43m
  • Unabridged
Listen on Audible

Kindle

  • 432 pages (UK paperback)
  • Set your own pace through the hardest scenes
  • About 7 hours to read (our estimate)
Get the Kindle edition
Affiliate links. If you buy through one of these we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, and with no influence on the verdict above.

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Start here

How we decide

The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.

Questions people ask

Who narrates the A Thousand Splendid Suns audiobook?

Atossa Leoni reads the whole audiobook on her own, for Simon & Schuster Audio.

How long is the A Thousand Splendid Suns audiobook?

11 hours 43 minutes, unabridged. That is about 7 hours 49 minutes at 1.5x speed and about 5 hours 52 minutes at 2x (calculated).

Is the A Thousand Splendid Suns audiobook abridged?

The main recording is unabridged. Audible also sells an abridged version, read by Atossa Leoni, that runs 6 hours 28 minutes.

How many pages is A Thousand Splendid Suns?

The UK Bloomsbury paperback (ISBN 9781526604750) has 432 pages.

Is A Thousand Splendid Suns a sequel to The Kite Runner?

No. It has its own characters and story. Hosseini has called The Kite Runner a father and son story and this book a mother and daughter story.

Is there an A Thousand Splendid Suns film?

No film has been made. Columbia Pictures bought the rights in 2007, but the film remains unproduced. A limited TV series was announced as in development in June 2021, with no later news found as of November 2026.

Is there an A Thousand Splendid Suns play?

Yes. Ursula Rani Sarma’s stage version premiered in San Francisco on 1 February 2017 and toured the UK in 2025, including Leeds Playhouse. There is also an opera by Sheila Silver, first staged by Seattle Opera in February 2023.

Whose point of view is A Thousand Splendid Suns told from?

Mariam’s in Part One, Laila’s in Part Two, both in turn in Part Three, and Laila’s in Part Four.

Should I read or listen to A Thousand Splendid Suns?

Either works. Atossa Leoni says the Afghan words well and listeners rate her highly, but Publishers Weekly and Kirkus found her reading dull and flat. Read it if you want the emotion to come from Hosseini’s writing alone.

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A Thousand Splendid SunsKhaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid SunsOur pick: either works · 52%
AudibleKindle