TheKite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is the story of a young Pashtun boy in Afghanistan, named Amir.To fully grasp the tension in this book, one must understand the segregation in Afghanistan.The beginning of the novel takes place in the 1970’s, when Afghanistan was a peaceful country. At the time there are about eight different ethnic groups in Afghanistan, each ethnic group with a different level of social status.The Pashtuns were the Brahmins of society; they were at the top of the social totem pole.The Hazarahs were at the bottom of the social order and were sometimes considered untouchables.Amir’s family has Hazarah servants. Hassan is the son of Amir’s family’s servant, Ali.Hassan and Amir are practically brothers, there were born only a few weeks apart, they both nursed from the same breasts, they both grew up with out a mother, and they have lived in the same house for their whole lives.As the boys are growing up Amir is constantly in an internal struggle trying to decide whether his father loves Hassan or Amir more.Amir never seems to earn his father’s approval.So one life changing day, Amir wins the annual kite tournament (which is a very big honor in their town) in order to impress his father and finally gain the approval that Amir has always sought from his father.In these kite tournaments, kites are fought and competitors try to gut each others kites out of the sky using the string from their own kites. Well once the final kite is cut; it becomes the winner’s trophy.Hassan, as Amir’s best friend is Amir’s kite runner, Hassan has to run and chase the kite down as it falls to the ground.Hassan is the best kite runner in all a Kabul.After Amir wins, he waits for Hassan to return with his kite.When Hassan doesn’t return, Amir goes looking for Hassan and finds Hassan being raped and sodomized by the neighborhood bully and trouble maker named, Assef.Amir is frozen with fear; he cannot do anything besides hide, and watch.
Amir never tells any one of what he saw that night, not even Hassan.In the later months, the relationship between Amir and Hassan becomes distant. Eventually Amir decides that he cannot live with that secret and feels that if he is able to make Hassan and Ali leave, his guilt will be gone.So Amir frames Hassan for stealing to get Hassan and Ali to leave. Amir’s father considers stealing the worst crime yet when he finds out Hassan was stealing, he doesn’t banish Hassan and Ali, but when Ali decides that he and Hassan will leave anyway, Amir’s father is devastated.
As Amir’s life progresses, Afghanistan is invaded by the Soviet army and Amir and his father decide it is best to leave Afghanistan. Eventually they make it to California where Amir becomes a man.He finds the girl of his dreams and becomes a writer. Though Amir lives a decent life there are a few lingering problems in his mind. First, he and his wife cannot have children and second, he still hasn’t told any one about what he witnessed when he and Hassan were children.
Eventually Amir gets a phone call and the person on the other line tells him that he can finally fix his mistake of not telling anyone about what happened to Hassan.As Hassan grew old he had a son named Sohrab and Sohrab was now an orphan and he was at and orphanage in Afghanistan.Amir’s journey to save Sohrab is grueling, painful, and very emotional. This is the climax to the story. Eventually Amir brings Sohrab back to America, yet Sohrab is never truly happy.
This book really changed my outlook on life.I recommend this book for any serious, mature reader.The Kite Runner is not for the faint of heart though.There are many, grotesque scenes and gut wrenching truths of the world exposed in this novel.This novel is a modern drama because there is no resolution.There is no happy ending, and that is sometimes the reality of life.A person goes through so much yet still can’t be happy once they have conquered it all. This is the story of a man filled with the guilt of one action, or lack of action, for 26 years and his journey and trials towards redemption.I recommend before reading this book that a reader do brief research on the history of Afghanistan and slight research on kite fighting. This book is one of my all time favorites and only a select few books have the beauty that this book does.
Let me just start off by saying that I, too, have read this book and consider it one of my all-time favorite books. It definitely is a book for mature readers with scenes that are quite gruesome. This book was pretty horrifying for me to read as I first came to understand what Afghanistan went through during this rough time in their country’s history; the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s looks somewhat mild in comparison. It truly is a sad story of how life can be. Real life isn’t escaping from the bad guy, evading death, or living happily ever after, and Khaled Hosseini doesn’t let up one bit. This book is a great story of life, regrets, and most importantly, friendship.
I have, in the past few months, seen many people reading The Kite Runner, so I assumed the novel to be a good read. In our country’s present state of prejudice against Middle Eastern states, I might benefit from opening my mind to experience, as Mahir described, a thoroughly unique, beautiful, and realistic piece of literature. I do not look forward to the sadness and guilt The Kite Runner seems to contain, but gaining insight and knowledge never comes easily. I plan to pick up this book at the local library as soon as I’m able to, and endeavor to master such a challenge.
I have also read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni. I liked it very much. It was an intriguing novel and interesting read. The plot surprised me a little, and I also feel that this book shows life realistically. I, too, learned more about Afghanistan and the history of the country and some information on the culture. This book is a sad story of how cruel life can be sometimes. Khaled Hosseni is a very good writer. I agree with Mahir’s recommendation to read this book. A brief research on Afghanistan will be very helpful on understanding the plot in this story.
I have not yet read The Kite Runner but is on my list of novels I would like to read. After this review, it has most certainly put itself as number one on my list. I may not have read the Kite Runner but I have read a novel similar called "A Thousand Splendid Suns". This novel is written by Khaled Hosseine also. I would agree with the fact that only mature readers should read his novels for the graphic, and often gruesome, scenes he describes. His novels have a tendency of exposing truth to life that many people would rather ignore.
Let me just start off by saying that I, too, have read this book and consider it one of my all-time favorite books. It definitely is a book for mature readers with scenes that are quite gruesome. This book was pretty horrifying for me to read as I first came to understand what Afghanistan went through during this rough time in their country’s history; the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s looks somewhat mild in comparison. It truly is a sad story of how life can be. Real life isn’t escaping from the bad guy, evading death, or living happily ever after, and Khaled Hosseini doesn’t let up one bit. This book is a great story of life, regrets, and most importantly, friendship.
ReplyDeleteI have, in the past few months, seen many people reading The Kite Runner, so I assumed the novel to be a good read. In our country’s present state of prejudice against Middle Eastern states, I might benefit from opening my mind to experience, as Mahir described, a thoroughly unique, beautiful, and realistic piece of literature. I do not look forward to the sadness and guilt The Kite Runner seems to contain, but gaining insight and knowledge never comes easily. I plan to pick up this book at the local library as soon as I’m able to, and endeavor to master such a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI have also read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni. I liked it very much. It was an intriguing novel and interesting read. The plot surprised me a little, and I also feel that this book shows life realistically. I, too, learned more about Afghanistan and the history of the country and some information on the culture. This book is a sad story of how cruel life can be sometimes. Khaled Hosseni is a very good writer. I agree with Mahir’s recommendation to read this book. A brief research on Afghanistan will be very helpful on understanding the plot in this story.
ReplyDeleteI have not yet read The Kite Runner but is on my list of novels I would like to read. After this review, it has most certainly put itself as number one on my list. I may not have read the Kite Runner but I have read a novel similar called "A Thousand Splendid Suns". This novel is written by Khaled Hosseine also. I would agree with the fact that only mature readers should read his novels for the graphic, and often gruesome, scenes he describes. His novels have a tendency of exposing truth to life that many people would rather ignore.
ReplyDelete