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What are readers saying about The Kite Runner?
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Cheng posted a review at 2009-07-10 01:24:43.
(Language: English)
  
This book was such a wonderful book that it made me feel pretty much touched. It tells us how “I”, son of a kind and successful businessman in Afghanistan, grew up with Hassan, his father and his servant’s wife’s son, how he did a lot of sins to Hassan and finally “I” saved my soul by adopting Hassan’s son. The author created many live characters, father was a benevolent and brave man and was always feeling regretful for having Hassan. He had to love Hassan in a secret way which in fact was a torment to him. Hassan was a mild boy when facing “I”, Amir, never felt angry though Amir always made fun of him. However, he was very brave and was deadly with his slingshot in protecting his master. Amir was a selfish boy who also suffered from cowardice. It was he that let Hassan be raped after running the kite for him and did nothing in stopping the tragedy. However, by experiencing more and more in life, he became a responsible man who always tried to make up for the mistakes done in the past. When finally he brought Sohrab out of the hell of Taliban, his soul had rid. In this book, I appreciated a lot about the wise words of Baba and old Afghan sayings, like “The only sin is theft, when you kill a man, you steal a woman’s right to have a husband, you steal a child’s right to have a father” “Live goes on” “We afghans respect customs, but we hate regulations”. Also, this book covered many important historical events, like the invasion of Soviet Russia in the 1980s, the civil war in early 1990s and the cruel Taliban rule from 1996 until it was overthrown by Americans after 911. This book shows the world that Afghans cannot be ruled by outside forces, that Afghanistan will revive in the future.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-30 01:54:30.
(Language: English)
This book is actually pretty horrible. The treatment of Afghani culture is its only saving grace. But any good reader or writer knows that craft is far more important than content. Hosseini is clearly an upstart, amateur writer-he ought to stick to medicine-who has managed to take advantage of the sudden presence of Afghanistan in the American conscience. Like a child coveting a worthless piece of shiny foil, Americans have latched on to the first piece of Afghan American literature to hit their local Barnes and Noble as if it were their only means to understanding a country nobody has thought about since the Soviet Union left it in the 80's. One should be aware that there are far better Afghan-American writers out there, such as Zohra Saed, a writer from Brooklyn who doesn't feel the need to remind us that she's Afghan by generously peppering her prose with Pasthu words and then reduntantly translating them into English in the very next sentence. That kind of writing simply drives me leewaneh; it drives me crazy. Furthermore, I honestly felt like I was reading a Hollywood script, and I don't believe the last one hundred pages could have been any more melodramatic. But American literary tastes are uninformed at best and superficial at worst. I thought this would have been a good read, offering a depth of view combined with an artistic talent one should expected from a best seller. It was interesting to learn about Afghanistan, of course, but a National Geographic would have been far more entertaining. This book did teach me one important thing, though: generally, if a large portion of the American population is reading a particular book, its probably not worth reading at all.
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Sampada posted a review at 2010-01-11 10:36:42.
(Language: English)
You might have experienced this. Whenever you hear too many praises for a book, and you read it, you don’t like it that much. The heightened expectations sort of spoil the pure, innocent experience of reading. However, there is an exception to every rule (or gross assumption). Hosseini’s epic tale of an affluent Afghan family begins from the point of view of the young heir to the richness, Amir. The story spans over twenty-five years, skipping unimportant time periods. What is fascinating (or strange, as your perception deems) is that in spite of the quarter century mark, the story revolves around one essential incident witnessed by Amir. The novel however is far from simple. Amir is the protagonist of the novel, but his father and his friend Hassan steal as much of the limelight, and deservingly so. In my reading, Amir did not even stand up to the responsibility of being the central character, but his human flaws and his endearingly fearful nature redeem him towards the end of the book. Amir grows along with the movement of the story and by the end we’re cheering on for this helpless, caged young man who tries hard to change the doomed nature of his life. Hosseini’s style is crisp, beautiful and succinct. Somewhere right in the middle of the novel, the story slackens and starts to slow down, but even that seems natural as you go on reading. It picks up pace in the last hundred pages, and you’ll find yourself reaching out for the book every now and then. The beauty of most well written books – I’ve come to believe – is not in what they say, but in what they don’t. And although Hosseini’s says a lot, and says it perfectly, the beauty of his writing is in all that he leaves to the reader’s imagination.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-08 04:04:04.
(Language: English)
I first came to Khaled Hosseini through his second novel "A Thousand Splendid Suns"; a novel also set in Afghanistan, the author’s country of birth. “The Kite Runner" had been on my periphery long before that though, with numerous friends over the years recommending it and having also noticed it sitting atop the bestseller lists for ages and day. Hosseini brings the plights of Afghans, a country I knew very little about except from what I had garnered off news reels and papers reporting on "The War on Terror", to heart-breaking life. "The Kite Runner" central theme is redemption as we follow the two young protagonists, Amir and Hassan; two childhood friends raised from the same breast. Amir is the son of a wealthy local businessman, Hassan the son of the servant family employed by Amir's father. As the local kite fighting tournament approaches, young Amir sees this as the opportunity to gain his fathers approval by winning the challenge. Hassan is his runner (for he has an ornate knack of knowing just where the downed kite will land). But on that fateful afternoon, and event occurs that shreds the seems of both young boys childhood innocence forever; setting in motion a course that will eventually bring a grown up Amir back to his country of birth to face the demons of his past. Deeply moving and at times unbearably sad, this heartfelt tale of righting wrongs and making peace with the past should get many a reader addressing their own past, the resolutions and the outcomes.
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Dayou posted a review at 2009-02-10 03:21:04.
(Language: English)
All the tearful stories in this book happened in two places:Afghan and America.The main character Amir was the son of a rich man in their city,his father owned a big house and his has a servent which grew up with him,the servebt has a son called Hassan.Hassan is an honest and loyal boy that he treated Amir as his god,he listened to whatever Amir would let him to do.Everything seemed to be happy,but something was torturing Amir--his father showed no approval to him.It made him upset and hence he did a lot to please him.On the other hand,Amir's father seemed to care more about Hassan,it made Amir even upset and hatred grew as time passed by. Everything changed on the day of kite competetition,Amir and Hassan were then working as a group,Amir focused on cutting others' kite while Hassan has an instinct to chase after the falling kites.Amir worked very hard to gain his father's trust and liking.In the end,Amir successfully cut the last kite,I can still remember before Hassan hurried to chase,he shouted out:"For you,a thousand times over."I was even quite pleased when I heard this.However,when Hassan got the kite and tried to get back,he was stopped by a group of gunsters,it was the same group of gunsters that once threatened Amir and Hassan,unfortunately,this time Hassan became the victiminevitably.Amirwitnessed all this but did nothing because of the great fear he had. After this incident,they became speechless,the laughter they had together once before disapeared,the cheerful smiles on their face vanished,all collapsed. At last,Hassan and his father moved out of the house to another city and Amir himself went to America with his father,there,they settled their lives.After years, Amir got married and his father died.Life went on as nothing happened. Until the call from Khan-Amir's father's friend,asking Amir to go back,also saying that"there is a way to be good again."Struggles took place inside Amir,would he go and face the past that he did not want to?Would he be brave enough to face Hassan?Yes,he did. During the journey,he was shocked by what he saw:people were living under threaten,food and water could not be garenteed,bombs were soaring all the time.After he met Khan,he was in deep grieve by what he heard from Khan:Hassan was dead and Hassan was his brother.These two facts shocked Amir a lot and he finallydecided to go and adopt Hassan child.After he managed to do this,he went back to America. I was deeply attracted by this story,I love all those characters-the loyalty of Hassan,the wisdom of Khan and so on,this story nearly driveme to cry by the misfortune of all the characters,in fact,everyone of us is like Amir-we might betray our friends and feel guilty of ourselves and tryto do something to save this friendship,though Amir deal with it the other way around.I also admire Hassan for his loyalty,"For you,a thousand times over."I hope one day,I will find such a person that worths me to trust him like this.That is all I have to say about this story.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-08-14 01:02:52.
(Language: English)
I read it in one sitting! From cover -to cover - reading until the wee hours of the morning, because I could NOT put this book down. It's beautifully written, and yes is a story of struggle and redemption, and of growing up. The front cover is a bit deceptive. It portrays a much younger boy that I imagined Amir to be at least!The image of flying a kite is a wonderful one. Freedom in the skies. But it was also interesting to me how this was a competatitve sport. And I could see the kite runners - trying to catch the kites that were knocked out of the sky!quotes that hit homeBrezhev is massacring Afghans and all that peanut eater [President Jimmy Carter] can say is I won't come swim in your pool [Ref to the decision to boycott the Moscow Olympic Games] p 117Every woman needed a husband. Even if he did silence the song in her. p 164Afghanistan/TalibanWhile in power, the Taliban implemented the "strictest interpretation of Sharia law ever seen in the Muslim world,"[6] and became notorious internationally for their treatment of women. (Wikipedia)Unlike My Forbidden Face this book does not focus so much on what life was like under the Taliban - though the desperate situation is portrayed very clearly at the end of the book - what it does show - in detail - is that the desire for ethnic clensing still goes on and that makes me sick. This story is a story of redemption, yes, but is there a real evil in this nationalistic pride that comes up again and again in mankind and spills over into persecution and even genocide. We -nation by nation, peoples by peoples - need to be redeemed from that curse!
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-25 08:52:38.
(Language: English)
Horribly heart-wrenching, as the book chronicles the life of Amir and his relationship with Hassan, his devoted Hazara friend/servant. It is the typical story of a hero learning to overcome the guilt that grips his past by returning to the place he used to live and confronting his demons. Slightly disturbing, as we come across characters such as the arrogant, sociopathic Assef.In true literary fashion, Amir grows as a person by confronting his past, learning about the secrets that tie his fate with Hassan, finding the strength to believe in God again, and trying to give Sohrab, Hassan's son, a better life for his future. Hassan's devoted loyalty and his quiet forgiveness of Amir is heart-warming, heart-wrenching and poignant, and we cannot help but root for Amir as he seeks redemption for the mistakes he had made as a young boy. Personally, I couldn't decide whether I loved it because of the characters (excepting Assef, of course), who are well-fleshed out and who all carry personal demons of their own. They are somehow so real and you are able to relate to them: Amir's self-doubt and guilt, Hassan's unwavering love and loyalty, Baba's pride, Rahim Khan's Obi-Wan-ish mentoring of Amir even after Amir has grown up, Sohrab's vulnerability - the whole story is touching, even though some parts may have you squeaming inside. But that squeamishness is integral to the story, and only serves to imprint it in your mind, long after you've read it. At any rate, Isabel Allende had it right: "Everything I read seemed bland to me," after reading this.
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Reem posted a review at 2010-07-25 06:47:38.
(Language: English)
[close] I give this book five stars, because I feel it deserves them. A lot of people are picking at details that don't matter to explain why they hated this popular book, and I think one of the reasons why is simply because Khaled Hosseini happens to be from Afghanistan himself. Some readers are automatically thinking that since this book is written in first person, then the main character must be modeled after the author himself, but since Hosseini's life was nothing like what is in the book, then people are calling him a phony. One reviewer went so far as to say that the main character's life in this book is what Hosseini wishes his life was. Well, what if the author of The Kite Runner was not from Afghanistan? What if Arthur Golden, who wrote Memoirs of a Geisha, wrote this book? Would people pick at this point when they criticize it? Something tells me they wouldn't. Aside from that, this is a work of fiction, not a memoir. Hosseini never came out and said: "This book is about my life." He might have touches in there from his own experiences in Afghanistan, but that doesn't mean that everything in the book is something he experienced himself...that's what fiction is, in case you're unfamiliar with the concept. This reason for hating the book isn't the only one, but it's the most prominent and absurd to me, so I had to address it. This is a good book, it doesn't matter what the author wishes for, or any other nonsense that has nothing to do with the content. The fact of the matter is that The Kite Runner is a rich story with all the components required to make it worth reading. Now get on with your life and grab this if you want to read something entertaining and touching, nothing more, nothing less.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-12-01 01:22:17.
(Language: English)
A novel set in Afghanistan, it involves the story of the intertwined lives of two boys of different tribes and social ranks who grew up together but parted due to one's betrayal of the other. Though the family of one boy eventually escapes the politically torn county by immigrating to America, the distance which lay between them had nothing to do with geography. Despite their differences, love bound them to one another and would eventually bring them back together in an unexpected way. I bought this book one afternoon when I had time to kill. While I read the first few chapters right away, I put the book aside until later in the evening when I was able to relax. Having planned to go to bed early, I was surprised when it became 10:30 without my notice. Needless to say, I was so caught up in the story unfolding before me that I couldn't put the book down and finished it at midnight. I've thought about the story today, not so much the story itself as the thoughts it's generated...what we do to ourselves as we grow for ourselves and those around us, especially our parents; our perceptions, our needs and what we'll do to fulfill them define us and shape us. Often, tough decisions are required and we're not up to the challenge and we're left with a lifetime of guilt or regret and sometimes, just sometimes, we're offered the opportunities to right wrongs which hold us in place. Beyond the stor within cover, when you're able to see a foreign land through the eyes of someone native to it, your perspective is changed forever. That is one extra gift given by both authors.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-06-09 07:27:24.
(Language: English)
One of the best books I’ve read in years. The author is adept at making you feel rage, disgust, fear, pity, sadness (at one point, I was outright sobbing). The first third of the book is really hard to read; it was so depressing that I didn’t know if I could finish it. But the back cover promised it was a story of redemption, so I plugged on—even though I didn’t believe it was possible for Amir to be redeemed. I found myself appalled at his cowardice and his mental cruelty toward Hassan, which seemed to spring from both jealousy and a sense of superiority. Early in the novel, the young Amir learns what irony means. It’s not until near the end of the book that we realize irony was at play all along—Amir felt his blood status made him superior to Hassan; he later learns that they have the same father, the same blood running through their veins. Khaled Hosseini crafts a wonderful villain. His brutally honest portrayal of Amir’s thoughts (and his resurgent guilt) is something few authors could describe so intimately. His creation of the sadomasochist Assef was equally expert. Because this book is set in today’s Afghanistan, the Taliban of course plays a role in the story. Hosseini’s descriptions of how this fanatic group has destroyed his country and left its citizens filled with blind dread of the Taliban shows how ignorant Americans are when we say or think that all Muslims are extremists who support terrorism. Like us, they are human beings seeking love, acceptance, friendship, happiness, and, sometimes, forgiveness.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-03-14 03:06:21.
(Language: English)
Este é um romance emocionante, envolvente, que nos cativa logo nas primeiras páginas. Livro de estréia de Khaled Hosseini, "O Caçador de Pipas" é uma narrativa insólita e eloqüente sobre a frágil relação entre pais e filhos, entre os seres humanos e seus deuses, entre os homens e sua pátria. Uma história de amizade e traição, que nos leva dos últimos dias da monarquia do Afeganistão à s atrocidades de hoje. Amir e Hassan cresceram juntos, exatamente como seus pais. Apesar de serem de etnias, sociedades e religiões diferentes, Amir e Hassan tiveram uma infância em comum, com brincadeiras, filmes e personagens. O laço que os une é muito forte: mamaram do mesmo leite, e apenas depois de muitos anos Amir pôde sentir o poder dessa relação. Amir nunca foi o mais bravo ou nobre, ao contrário de Hassan, conhecido por sua coragem e dignidade. Hassan, que não sabia ler nem escrever, era muitas vezes o mais sábio, com uma aguda percepção dos acontecimentos e dos sentimentos das pessoas. E foi esse mesmo Hassan que decidiu que Amir seria, durante a batalha da pipa azul, uma pipa que mudaria o destino de todos. No inverno de 1975, Hassan deu a Amir a chance de ser um grande homem, de alterar sua trajetória e se livrar daquele enjôo que sempre o acompanhava, a náusea que denunciava sua covardia. Muito depois de desperdiçada a última chance, Hassan, a calça de veludo cotelê marrom e a pipa azul o fizeram voltar ao Afeganistão, não mais à quele que ele abandonara há vinte anos, mas ao Afeganistão oprimido e destruÃdo pelo regime Talibã. Amir precisava se redimir daquele que foi o maior engano de sua vida, daquel dia em que o inverno foi mais cruel.Este romance já vendeu mais de 2 milhões de exemplares, só nos EUA, está há um ano nas mais importantes listas de mais vendidos do mercado americano e da Europa e já é considerado o maior sucesso da literatura mundial dos últimos tempos.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-02-01 01:54:27.
(Language: English)
"The Kite Runner" is Khaled Hosseini first novel. Despite its enormous success it is decent and unassertive story of the simple, yet most fundamental human virtues of honour, friendship, faithfulness but also of shame, guilt and remorse. It is a novel that teaches those simple and basic things that all religions teach; in some sense, teaches also about the importance of G-d in human life - but it is doing so in unobtrusive, I would say, humble way... It is a story of two boys from Afghanistan. They lived in times of old, free Afghanistan, before Soviet invasion and Taliban regime. Amir, the narrator in the book experiences a kind of lesser acceptance from his father, until he becomes a local hero for his achievement in kite fighting. Hassan, his friend, and the son of Amir's father servant helped Amir in everything, including the kite ride, when Amir won. And for being that helpful, Hassan suffers the attack and abuse from local villain Assef - the attack witnessed by Amir, who, scared by the situation does not help Hassan.... This even leads to the break in their relation, with Amir, full of remorse, but unable to overcome his guilt. When, after many years, he becomes a successful US citizen, he realizes that his sin of his youth, the sin of not helping his best friend, puts a shadow on his life, so he returns to Afghanistan. Not able to receive forgiveness from Hassan, he finds his son Sohrab and saves him from oppression of Talibans, takes him to US and, in a single light smile after years of silence - gets some absolution the sin of his youth... I write about this story in the shortest possible way, not to spoil it to future readers. The real plot is fascinating with many unexpected turns... However, at every moment of the novel plot, we find incredible human paradoxes intertwined with moments of life. The book is about simple things, simple sins that our life is full of. It shows, what happens to them, when they happen in history - particularly in troubled history of nations. And it also shows, that until we do not understand that the problems are in us - not in THE OTHER - no reconciliation is possible... As one poet expressed it: "Learn to love others - they pass away so fast" ... It also teaches us not to wait with our attempts to receive forgiveness. Sometimes, the person whom you want to forgive you, passes away and you need to ask G-d and his descendents for it... How hard it may work, hard in the deep, psychological way, was never better described than in "The Kite Runner"... The greatness of this book, is from the fundamenta message, that the simple facts of our life bear the most significant truths of our life. Read the passages: "There is a way to be good again" "There is no act more wretched than stealing" "For you, a thousand times over" "I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night" Last but not least - the book is also beautifully written. Fantastic imagery of Afghanistan, Pakistan and California are long in my eyes after reading it. Certainly - one of the greatest books of my all life.... See also the interview with author, by Charles Rose.
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Raj posted a review at 2009-07-19 10:31:41.
(Language: English)
Khaled Hosseini's emotionally powerful debut novel The Kite Runner fulfills the promise of fiction. Friendship, loyalty, history of a nation (Afghanistan) is the theme and the author is brutally honest. Betrayal is a very strong guilt that most of us suffer at one point of time. As the author says we are not man if we can’t stand up for ourselves. Does forgiveness ends the guilt? No. But grace of acceptance does, in turn leads to redemption. But not many get chance for redemption. Once a coward, always he is. The narration is through Amir an upper class pastun who enjoys the luxury of education, material comfort and a constant playmate, the son of his father's longtime Hazara servant, Ali. Hassan is his name. Hassan’s sacrificial love is the highlight of the story. I will never forget the dialogue when he replies to Amir “ a thousand times and over for you”. Why in my life don’t I have someone who can love as I am, with my faults? Neither boy has a mother and they had a same woman who gave they milk which makes them brother. They spend their boyhoods roaming the streets of Kabul together, hitting rear of all animals with sling stone, climbing trees, seeing western movies multiple times, just lying on the ground , silence as companion as each understands other without a word. Amir, though, continually uses his superior position to taunt hassan and then gives toys to forget his guilt. Author has captured this childhood friendship beautifully. Hassan has a doting father who shows affection openly, but Amir has to openly do something to get his father’s attraction, cause he is so unlike his father. Yearning for love of the one we love is the worst thing that can happen to a human. He gets a chance during the famous kite festival and wins it. But tragedy strikes. Hassan once stood up to pastun when they tried to abuse Amir. The person who runs down the last kite is called Kite Runner. Hassan was the best. On that fateful day, Amir did nothing to help his hassan when he was being physically abused by fellow pastun. He dared not, as he might get hurt too. Self-preservation! From then he moves in the world of guilt. As the war descends on afganistan, Amir jan and his dad move to America. Both father and son are having internal struggle of the betrayal they have committed. Do they get redemption? Read the book to know.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-04-10 03:45:12.
(Language: English)
Twelve year old Amir has known Hassan all his life - the son of his father's lifelong servant, Hassan is Hazara, a second-class citizen. Both motherless (Amir's mother died in labour, Hassan's abandoned him almost as soon), the boys have grown up together. Hassan is loyal, unwavering, and a willing scapegoat for all Amir's lapses and misdemeanours. Although Amir feels guilt, this never outweighs expediency, particularly if the alternative is Amir's strict and disapproving father thinking worse of him than he already does. Amir's weakness causes him to betray Hassan in the worst way he can imagine, and the guilt prevents him from being able to be with Hassan at all. Times are changing in Afghanistan, and after the Russian invasion Amir and his father flee for America, leaving Hassan and his father behind. Twenty five years later, married but childless, his father dead, Amir is contacted by an uncle who tells him about Hassan, and Hassan's orphaned son, still trapped in Afghanistan. Amir returns to his childhood home, discovers the havoc and terror wrought by the Taliban, and rediscovers his integrity. This best selling literary novel has an elegant sparseness, primarily by virtue of the detached voice of the narrator, even as he describes scenes of personal despair. Surprisingly, though this technique robs the novel of some of the more extreme emotional power it could have (no weepiness here), the result is sophisticated and evocative. The themes are broad and deep - father/son relationships, friendship, betrayal, power, sadism, redemption, triumph and despair - and well realised. The secret at the heart of the narration is satisfying, and adds another layer without impeding the course of the text. Unlike many lesser works, the twist is part of the story, rather than its conclusion. I didn't love "The Kite Runner" but I enjoyed the journey and feel enriched for having experienced it. I certainly feel as though I've had some insight (albeit cursory and partial) into the lived experience of such significant relocation as Amir and his father made, the power childhood has over one, and the resonance of events throughout the rest of one's life.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-14 01:33:49.
(Language: English)
after my appendectomy, i was hospitalized for only two days and spent the next three on bedrest at home. three incisions were made in my stomach area, so i have been prudent with my recovery. the downtime gave me an opportunity to complete two books. the first i found fairly touching - mitch album's for one more day. i cried at the end and reflected throughout and would rant more if i hadn't followed that book with khaled hosseni's the kite runner. goodness, i feel like i've been to afghanistan - kabul, to be exact - peshawar, pakistan, then san jose and fremont and hayward, cities i've been familiar with during my childhood yet have never been made aware of its afghan population. or again, maybe i just hadn't been paying attention. the book is so honest about human flaws, honest mistakes, one's conscience, values, virtues, the joy of living, what we take for granted, family, but he doesn't tell it in an in-your-face or matter-of-fact way. everything is in anecdotes, beautifully described, making me realize how much of my own environment could be rich if i just paid attention every once in a while. each character was so fully developed. i wondered how long it took him to write that manuscript or if there is really a person so talented that the words would just flow. i was exposed - if just a little bit - to a culture and country that i knew practically nothing about before. i feel like i tasted the kabobs, smelled the naan baking in the tandoor, i smiled at the endearing description of hassan's face, put the book down in disgust at assef's first real attack on hassan, i imagined hayward and fremont and the sunday swap meets and how i always just pictured everyone there as mexican. and then the sixteen-year-old in the hospital in peshawar with amir also had appendicitis. i read to learn the ending - the part that mattered in afghan culture, but when i read the last paragraph and had my final reflection with the book in my hand, i almost didn't know what to do with myself afterwards. the book inspires nothing but good.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-07-31 11:27:01.
(Language: English)
Kite Runner – By Khaled Hosseini Look up at the sky, hundreds of kites, and kids running after them. Some trying to fly their kites higher; others running after lost kites to grab their share of the fun. That colorful sky was the inspiration of Khaled Hosseini’s best-seller book, ‘The Kite Runner’. Starting with the setting of a rich Pashtun boy in an affluent family in Kabul mid-century, living with a widowed father in a rich estate house surrounded by fields and trees and riches. At a distance lived the servants family, from a different race (Hazara, a Shi’it sect originally from Afghanistan and extending into Iran), Ali the disabled father of Hassan the obedient follower and protector of the hero. The story describes the tough childhood of a boy trying to connect to his father who can only see success from his own eyes (tradesmen success) while failing to do so behind deep interest in books and writing. His friend becomes the center of his ego fulfillment when he listens to his stories and books and praises him with a lot of honesty. Time has it they separate – the servant family moving out of the house to avoid disgrace, and the affluent family moving out of Kabul escaping the Russian invasion, and reaching the US in their final destination. There, the redemption starts, and the souls start re-learning to live with the past. A call brings the hero back to Afghanistan, drawing a closer picture of the devastated destituted country under the rule of Taliban who force the regulations by the sword, claiming to represent the sound of true Islam. Khaled Hosseini manages to bring together the culture, history and individuals of Afghanistan into one plot where the heroes play a significant role in each others’ lives, while historical events float around them like ghosts moving the pieces of the chess. They interact with history like observers, trying to move on, while learning on the way about their past, and accepting it in the end. Khaled Hosseini describes pain and happiness very briefly, allowing the reader to explore their own imagination of what life under the described circumstances would mean. He does not spend time explaining how his heroes feel because any reader can put themselves in the shoe. Read this if you’re looking for a beautiful plot, entwining history of a country that made the news for the past 4 years, together with its deep culture and customs rarely described and recorded in modern literature. Don’t read if you think it’s too big, or if you find Afghanistan to be responsible for Sept 11th bombing in the USA; you’ll know clearly that it’s not!
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-09-15 09:13:34.
(Language: English)
If there ever was a book that showcased the true essence of Afghanistan’s lost glory – then this is probably it. Debutant writer Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan himself, takes us through a journey of friendship, betrayal, shame, innocence and above all – humanity. What struck me as unique right away is his simple style of narration. Being a Rushdie reader myself, the subtle use of colorfully peppered verbose word play was truly a refreshing treat. It is through this kaleidoscope of varying hues, that Hosseini brings us images of a country on the verge of hardcore ‘Talibanisation’ while the warlords are brewing their pots ready to take over the land. It is through the eyes of young Amir and his childhood friend, Hassan, that we are taken across the gorgeous landscapes of an angelic land called Afghanistan. The book opens with the narrator, Amir, a well bred Pashtun lad who has grown under the looming shadow of his giant of a father – Baba. It is through his idealistic ways of how life should be led, that Amir first gets an introduction to his role in the larger social context despite the fact that Baba does not think much of Amir given his lack of commitment to anything. It is in this sense of apparent regret, that Amir chooses to find an ounce of solace with his friend, Hassan. Hassan – another very important nugget of moral value who later on becomes the only reason Amir is able to redeem himself. Hassan, the Hazara, lives with his father Ali, the family servant. Amir and Hassan grow up amid lush green valleys of the countryside enjoying the many wonders their land has to offer. Their main priority is the kite flying contest which Hassan is an expert at. We are told that he is one of the best kite runners there is. The winner of this contest is the kite that survives the vicious attacks of its opponents and is brought back alive from the skies after the event is done with. It is his keen sense of instinct as to where the kite will land that never fails to impress an otherwise snobbish Amir who is still in the process of self discovery. In this concoction of friendship and brotherhood appears a huge wrinkle by the name of Assef. He is a miscreant by nature who is a very mean and violent older lad. He is infamous for his brass knuckles which he uses to constantly threaten a more timid Hassan and Amir. As things turn out, Assef becomes a pivotal point in the story’s narration when, after the kite flying contest, on realizing that Hassan has not yet returned with his winning kite, Amir goes looking for him. In one of the dark and silent alleys where no human eye would rove, Amir is shocked to see Assef brutally raping Hassan along with a few other lads. Despite the obvious shame in this heinous event, Amir isn’t mature enough to actually come to terms with this ghastly episode. Their friendship suffers immensely after this as Amir, despite knowing that he could have saved his friend, stood stunned in silence as the violent act was committed. Without being able to come to terms with his guilt, Amir decides to label Hassan a thief and gets rid of him from their house. This, despite what Hassan had told him time and again - 'For you, a thousand times over...' It is in that deep seeded honesty that Hassan is born with, that Amir finds it impossible to see him in the eye anymore. The story then takes a fresh look at Amir’s life after this incident. As Amir and Baba escape out of a Taliban controlled Afghanistan, Amir never forgets about Hassan and what he did to him. The father and son head to the United States where Amir starts a new life and grows up becoming an American each day. But nothing makes him forget what happened in that alley that dark day after that thumping victory in the kite contest. Time rolls on as Amir finds a new lease of life in the United States. He finds love, in Soraya, an Afghan woman who lives in California. It is after this, that Amir runs into Rahim Khan – the guardian of their family, who tells him what happened to Hassan after they left. A truth that prepares Amir to return to his land of redemption – to his Afghanistan. Hosseini’s book is more about well placed surprises than anything else. And these come wonderfully at regular intervals keeping the goings on riveting. While the plot itself seems to be made for a movie, which it did become eventually, I don’t think the justice that is done to such a wonderful tale can ever be seriously translated to celluloid. There is a little ounce of that extra something, that additional drop of sensitivity that words carry, which is almost impossible to portray on film. It is in this sense of extremely delicate portrayal of the innocence of humanity, that Hosseini scores the most. ‘The Kite Runner’, according to me, is a classic. It has all the ingredients of a delightful story told from the eyes of an anti-Hero who is out to seek his redemption. A tale that is truly relevant in times that demand a little bit of soul searching in all of us. And for that, I'd recommend it - 'a thousand times over...'
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-03 07:15:49.
(Language: English)
John Heflick a number of months ago introduced me to Kite Runner. He raved about how much it gave you insight into the war in Afghanistan and into the Muslim world in general. After John mentioned it I ran across it in a few other places (I believe Books and Culture was one of them). Finally I was at a coffee House of sorts called "Literary Sweets" which is on N. Main. The store had a copy of the book for 5 dollars as a used copy. Other then an obvious one time read, the book was in excellent condition and I bought since I had previously placed it on my reading list for this year. The Kite Runner is the story of Amir. The book, is told in the first person, follows Amir from his life with his father, Baba in Afghanistan to his escape to America and eventual return to Afghanistan to save the life of his childhood friend's son. The story is however much more complicated than how I just summarized it in one all to brief sentence. His childhood friend Hassan, is 3/4 way through the book revealed to be Amir's half brother. Hassan and Hassan's father, Ali are infact the hired servants for Amir and Baba. However, what really propels the book forward is Amir's guilt. Amir is witness to Hassan being raped by the neighborhood bully but fails to defend his friend. This failure to stand up and fight results in a guilty conscious that drives everything Amir seems to do. It's first tragic consequence is Hassan and Ali eventually moves out of the house where they had been serving. Because they leave they are not include in the Amir and Baba's flight from the Soviet invasion to America. Amir grows up in America entering college and eventually becoming a published novelist. He marries another Afghan refuge but they are unable to have a family. Out of the blue a Family friend in Pakistan tells Amir of Hassan's death and the peril of his young son. Amir sees in these events a way to redeem for his past sins. Avoiding the Taliban, one of them being the neighborhood bully is not easy, and it almost costs Amir his life. The book ends with Hassan's son safe (though emotionally brutalized) in America with Amir and his wife. This book was simply amazing. The book starts off fairly slow to make sure you see the depth of the friendship between Hassan and Amir and the craving of Amir for the approval of his father. This set up is used to then make the betrayal all that much more heart wrenching and evil. Toward the end of the book I was reading 40- 50 pages a day and the last day I read 112 pages to finish the book. It helped that Tina was in the Hospital and I had a fair amount of free time but the reality of it is that toward the end you fly through pages without thinking of it. It is just that easy of a read. I think one of the main features or characteristics of this book is irony. The irony of Amir's avoidance of a beating when he was young only to receive one as an adult on behalf of the son of the childhood friend he betrayed. The irony that Amir and Hassan are closure then brothers and in the end actually turn out to be brothers. One of the difficulties of 1 st person narrative is that you have to tell the story exclusively from your narrator's point of view, which can pose problems in getting necessary information to the reader that the narrator should not know. However, Hosseini seems to pull it off without a hitch. The narrative is convincing and compelling at both times feeling sympathy for a man trapped by his past sins and a desire to please his father but also anger toward the narrator for bringing evil to those he is supposed to love. I believe I have used the word "compelling" several times in describing this book and I believe it is indeed an appropriate word to use . The book certainly makes me want to read it again. Thinking back on this book I would want to read it again so that I may get to know the characters in better. Amir the picture of how guilt over "should haves" become sins of "should not have." I would want to read the book because it is a tragic and beautiful work of art. I am glad I read it for the insight it gave me into Afghan culture. I learned a great deal about their national character and the shape of their culture.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-06-27 02:31:23.
(Language: English)
This book is beautifully written with clear and lyrical prose and an engaging style. It draws us into another world altogether, set in Afghanistan where the fates of two boys who are diametrically opposite one another, are intertwined by an unbreakable bond of love, shared innocence of childhood, brutal betrayal and final redemption. Written in first person, it takes on the physical and emotional journeys of the characters and compels us to care about them, feel their pain, sense of loss and eventual peace. The vivid descriptions bring the story to life whether it is the pranks the two boys played, their kite flying tournaments or their struggle to find their footing as adults-one in Afghanistan and one in America. However this story is a very Charles Dickensian in the sense that there are far too many coincidences to be believable, "expected" surprises and recurring themes. The melodrama, especially at the end of the novel, is almost grotesque in its 'Hollywoodness' or rather 'Bollywoodness' as if the book is disguised as a screenplay. Some of the characters are far too black and white for example, Hassan, one of the boys, is portrayed as an angel-flawless, whole and complete. The uncle, Rahim Khan is another angelic figure. The villian Assef is an out-an-out devil with no explanation as to why he acts the way he does. It is the rest of the characters, those with shades of gray, who are more interesting and they go through their personal transformations. Overall it is definitely a good book but what keeps it from being a great book are its annoying cliches. Ironically, since the main character is a writer in the book, he discusses cliches and irony during the course of the novel while simultaneously using them shamelessly all the time.
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tianyi posted a review at 2009-03-14 05:37:19.
(Language: English)
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who betrayed his best friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant but lives in regret. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime. Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy, and Hassan, a Hazara and the son of Amir's father's servant, Ali, spend their days in a peaceful Kabul, kite fighting, roaming the streets and being boys.But only a few people knew that Hassan was Baba's son, even Hassan himself did not know the truth either.Although Baba loved the two sons so deeply,he could not care about them equally,even being strict with Amir, so that he would not cause others to suspect.Amir also fears his father blames him for his mother’s death during childbirth. Therefore, the relationship between Amir and Baba was complicated.However, he has a kind father figure in the form of Rahim Khan, Baba’s friend, who understands Amir better, and is supportive of his interest in writing stories many years later.Despite the awkward situation, Amir did not give up hope.In contrast, he tried his best to seek for chance in order to win Baba's love. Although Hassan was a servant to Amir,they were very good friends as they played cards, went hiking, and clinbing trees together. Assef, a notoriously mean and violent older boy with sadistic tendencies, blames Amir for socializing with a Hazaran which is an inferior race that should only live in Hazarajat. He prepares to attack Amir with his brass knuckles, but Hassan bravely stands up to him, threatening to shoot out Assef's left eye with his slingshot. Assef and his henchmen back off, but Assef says he will take revenge. As time passed by,Amir's dream for winning Baba's love grew.Luckily,he found that Baba loved kite fighting very much by accident.Thus, he participated the tournament with Hassan and prepared for it studiously so that he could win the tournament. On the triumphant day,Amir tried his best to control his kite and succeeded in cutting the line of the last kite.Hassan is a successful "kite runner" for Amir, knowing where the kite will land without even watching it. Therefore,Hassan went to run the last cut kite, a great trophy, for Amir saying "For you, a thousand times over." Unfortunately, Hassan ran into Assef and his two henchmen. Hassan refuses to give up Amir's kite, so Assef exacts his revenge, assaulting and raping him. Wondering why Hassan is taking so long, Amir searches for Hassan and hides when he hears Assef's voice. He witnesses the rape but is too scared to help him.Afterwards, for some time Hassan and Amir keep a distance from each other.However, Amir win Baba's praise as well as his love eventually.To force Hassan to leave, Amir frames him as a thief, and Hassan falsely confesses. Baba forgives him, despite the fact that, as he explained earlier, he believes that "there is no act more wretched than stealing." Hassan and his father Ali leave anyway. Hassan's departure frees Amir of the daily reminder of his cowardice and betrayal, but he still lives in their shadow and his guilt. Five years later, the Russians invade Afghanistan; Amir and Baba escape to California where Amir and Baba, who lived in luxury in an expansive mansion in Afghanistan, settle in a run-down apartment and Baba begins work at a gas station. Amir eventually takes classes at a local community college to develop his writing skills. Every Sunday, Baba and Amir make extra money selling used goods at a flea market in San Jose. There, Amir meets fellow refugee Soraya Taheri and her family; Soraya's father, who was a high-ranking officer in Afghanistan, has contempt of Amir's literary aspiration. Unfortunately,Baba is diagnosed with terminal oat cell carcinoma but is still capable of granting Amir one last favor: he asks Soraya's father's permission for Amir to marry her. He agrees and the two marry. Shortly thereafter Baba dies. Amir and Soraya learn that they cannot have children. Amir embarks on a successful career as a novelist. Fifteen years after his wedding, Amir receives a call from Rahim Khan, who is dying from an illness. Rahim Khan asks Amir to come to Pakistan. He enigmatically tells Amir "there is a way to be good again." Amir goes. From Rahim Khan, Amir learns the fates of Ali and Hassan. Ali was killed by a land mine. Hassan had a wife and a son, named Sohrab, and had returned to Baba’s house as a caretaker at Rahim Khan’s request. One day the Taliban ordered him to give it up and leave, but he refused, and was murdered, along with his wife. Rahim Khan reveals that Ali was not really Hassan's father. Hassan was actually the son of Baba, therefore Amir's half-brother. Finally, Rahim Khan asked Amir to rescue Sohrab in Kabul and gave him to the reliable American couple who run a orphanage. Amir returns to Taliban-controlled Kabul with a guide, Farid, and searches for Sohrab at the orphanage. In order to enter Taliban territory, Amir, who is normally clean shaven, dons a fake beard and moustache, because otherwise the Taliban would exact Sharia punishment against him. However, he does not find Sohrab where he was supposed to be: the director of the orphanage tells them that a Taliban official comes often, brings cash and usually takes a girl back with him. Once in a while however, he takes a boy, recently Sohrab. Then Amir was told that he should go to the soccer match and meet the man with sunglasses who took Sohrab.Ultimately,Farid managed to obtain an appointment with the man at his home. At the house, Amir found out that the man in sunglasses was his childhood nemesis, Assef whereas Assef identified Amir from the very beginning.Sadly, Sohrab was sexually assaulted.Assef agrees to relinquish him, but after a cruel fighting which only one man could stay alive. However, Amir is saved when Sohrab uses his slingshot to shoot out Assef's left eye, fulfilling the threat his father had made many years before. Amir tells Sohrab of his plans to take him back to America and possibly adopt him, and promises that he will never be sent to an orphanage again. However,after almost having to break that promise,Sohrab managed to suicide.After Sohrab recovered,Amir took him back to America and Sohrab was accepted by the family gradually.However, Sohrab refused to speak or even give a glimpse at Soraya.This situation continued until his frozen emotions are thawed when Amir reminisces about his father, Hassan, while win the competition with the help of Hassan's trick.In the end, Amir kept running after the kite for Sohrab, saying, "For you, a thousand times over." Although this is a tragic story, we could learn about how to be a true man from this book.Firstly, we should be honest and never lie.As Baba saying" telling lies strip others's right to know the truth.Apparently,it is significant to be honest in our society as being honest is the elementary key to the success.If we are trustworthy,others will believe us and we could get help when we are in dilemma.Then we may get promotion and obtain a luminous future.Secondly, we should follow our promise. When we promise to do something for someone after careful consideration,we should try our best to complete the thing which we promised as others trust us and we should not let them be disappointed. All in all, this book is worth reading by everyone and I am sure that we will obtain a lot of privileges after finishing reading it.
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Ami posted a review at 2010-05-23 01:40:57.
(Language: English)
***contains spoilers*** I found this book to be one I thought about for days. Call me a non-reading monkey-idiot, but I was very much affected by certain aspects of "The Kite Runner." What I really liked about this book is the very same thing I hate about it...the blind loyalty Hassan has for the undeserving Amir. Hassan continuously broke my heart throughout this novel up until his tragic death and Amir did as well with his continual betrayel of a person whose sun rise and set with him. From turning a blind eye during the controversial scene, to using his literacy as an upper hand against Hassan. Amir was evil...bottom line. He was one lucky bastard who didn't endure through any hardship other than the weight of his guilt and as we all know he was able to redeem himself in the end...If you call that redemption. I hated Amir's character, he was a worthless piece of shit. Hosseini utilizes Amir as a narrator, to be the main component in navigating us through two main themes; ungodliness and redemption, and discrimination. . Every single memory of his was an attempt to balance against his wrongdoings to Hassan. The friendship, admiration of Amir by Hassan and the sense of entitlement felt by Amir, are the details which tugged at me the most. You see, I know people who are like both Hassan and Amir, who have been treated like Hassan was, and have treated someone like Amir did. I think at some point, I may even have been both....There you have it, my guilt.
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Jennifer posted a review at 2009-11-12 09:31:49.
(Language: English)
Reviewed by Steph for TeensReadToo.com THE KITE RUNNER is a beautiful story written by Khaled Hosseini (not to mention the first Afghan book to be written in English). The novel follows Amir , a boy living in Afghanistan with his father, Baba. The two have been living by themselves since Amir's mother died during childbirth. Well, not really alone. The servant, Ali, and his son, Hassan, live in a hut in the backyard. While they may be servants, Baba looks to them as family. Hassan and Amir grow up together and became friends. As a child, Amir was always troubled. He felt that he didn't have his father's love, so he was constantly trying to win that love. Amir easily got jealous of Hassan, because Amir felt his father loved Hassan more, since Hassan was such a great athlete and such an honest person. But one day Amir witnesses an injustice done to Hassan, and although Amir could've stopped it from happening, he didn't. Shortly afterwards Ali and Hassan leave, even though Baba pleads for them to stay. Amir watches as Hassan and Ali climb into their Mercedes and drive off, never to be seen by them again. Soon after that, Amir and Baba escape to the United States to get away from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. There, Amir graduated high school and went to junior college to become a writer. Amir ended up marrying a nice, pretty woman named Soraya. Shortly after the wedding, Baba dies of cancer. Amir is even more depressed when Soraya and he find out that they can't conceive a child. Amir and Soraya keep on living life and the years passed. They led normal lives; he as a writer she as a teacher. They lived in a comfortable house with a dog. But one day, Amir's past caught up to him. He received a phone call from an old family friend, Rahim Khan, asking Amir to come to Pakistan. Amir arrives in Pakistan to see his old friend close to death. But that's not why Khan asked Amir to come. The fact is that Hassan was killed by the Taliban a few months ago, along with his wife. The two left behind their son, Sohrab, who is living in an Afghan orphanage. Khan asks Amir to go find the boy and bring him back to Pakistan so he can live with a nice couple and get away from all of the death and destruction the Taliban has created in Afghanistan. Amir decides he will go find the son of his late best friend. Only after saving this boy from all the evil in Afghanistan will Amir be saved from the sin he committed so long ago as a child. This riveting and emotional story catches the readers from page one until the ending. The readers learn about the important history of Afghanistan and the impact of those events on its people. Hosseini wrote a true masterpiece in this novel. It is sure to please all who read it.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-07-17 03:33:22.
(Language: English)
A friend of mine really urged me to read this book. Why? Because he knows me well. Heheu,..according to his this is kinda book that really hard to resist. A book full of lesson. The lesson of life, of course. Speaking truth as the lessons of history echo down the years. Khaled Hosseini wrote it in beautiful description and the most important its plot really made you hard to put this book down. I only need 2 days to finish this 384 pages’ book. If you have never gone to Afganistan, this book will push the theatre of mind button just exactly on the rightest spot. Providing you graphics scenes to help you to understand what built actions of each character. What I really love from this book is its moral story. If you seek a story about friendship, loyalty, cruelty, longing for acceptance, redemption and survival, you should read The Kite Runner. And what is the most important thing is the core story could be set in any culture because it deals with issues that are universal. Here on The Kite Runner you will see how the main character, Amir, deals with a secret in his past and how that secret shaped who he became. Upper class Pashtuns, Amir enjoys the luxury of education, material comfort and a constant playmate, the son of his father's longtime Hazara servant, Hassan. Twice in his lifetime Amir is morally tested in his relationship with Hassan. The first time, a victim of his own arrogance, Amir fails his companion. Hiding behind the superiority of class, Amir chooses the path of least resistance, but the scar of betrayal cuts through his soul and never heals throughout his life, even in America, until he is offered another chance at personal redemption. He doesn’t have one of the most valuable belonging in his marriage life which lead him to his decision return to his homeland. In Afghanistan Amir recognizes the the very real implications of his present actions to his future life. Just like the real life, the answer lies in humanity's capacity for kindness
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-06-08 12:40:19.
(Language: English)
An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present. The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption and it is also about the power of fathers over sons-their love, their sacrifices, their lies. Devoid of flashy metaphors or any other ostentation, the book gives you an in-depth picture of Afghani society, their life and their social customs Hosseni is bold in representation of the cruelties of the regime specially the public execution scene later in the story. Twice in his lifetime Amir is morally tested in his relationship with Hassan. The first time, a victim of his own arrogance, Amir fails his companion. Hiding behind the superiority of class, Amir chooses the path of least resistance, but the scar of betrayal cuts through his soul and never heals. That first failure dictates Amir's inner dialogue throughout his life, even in America, until he is offered another chance at personal redemption. Returned to his homeland at the request of rahim khan , the second challenge is equally dangerous, and Amir recognizes the very real implications of his decision. This internal struggle is the underlying theme of the novel, which spans Afghani history from the peaceful 70's to the repressive rule of the Taliban in the late '90s. Looking at The Kite Runner as a story about culture, however, misses what the book is really about. This is a novel about humanity. This is a story about friendship, loyalty, cruelty, longing for acceptance, redemption and survival. The core story could be set in any culture because it deals with issues that are universal. In ''The Kite Runner,'' Khaled Hosseini gives us a vivid and engaging story that reminds us how long his people have been struggling to triumph over the forces of violence -- forces that continue to threaten them even today.
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