This is a tough one. A lot of people absolutely adore this book, while I am left mildly puzzled. I'm able to give 3 stars mainly due to the writing. Hosseini is a talented story teller and I was kept interested for much of the time. The first four or so chapters are quite good. What started to make me lose interest and where I began to lose focus was the introduction and stories of characters who really didn't have a major role in the main storyline, but who we really had to spend a lot of time with. I became so distracted with these sub-stories that I couldn't properly tie them in with the main story of Abdullah and Pari. At times, the book felt like a collection of short stories.

Unfortunately, it's a book that I really wish I could like more. Perhaps it's due to poor timing. Summer is not a time when I do a lot of reading - there is much too much to do outside. And the Mountains Echoed is definitely a book that one needs to curl up on the couch with, covered in a cozy blanket, when the weather outside is slightly dismal. And since Winter is just around the corner, I might just do that.