Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is a powerful bestseller about friendship, loss, and redemption. The story follows Amir, a young Afghan boy, through his childhood in Afghanistan and his escape to the United States. Distanced by a troubling secret, Amir must leave his best friend Hassan behind in the wake of a potent political environment and the uprising of the Taliban. Years later, Amir learns familial secrets that force him to return to Afghanistan in an effort to rectify injustices of so many years and finally make peace with himself.
The Kite Runner is nothing short of a page turner. Amir and Hassan's endearing relationship speaks to the deepest emotions of the human spirit, capturing attention through every plot twist and surprise. At every turn, Hosseini shows the power of brotherly love, and gives a taste of real-world modern-day Afghanistan with unfiltered, raw honesty.
I cannot think of a more appropriate novel for Americans to read in a post 9/11 society. So often in life its easier to remain uninformed about the outside world, perpetuating violence with hyper-awareness to "us versus them". Though the story-telling of The Kite Runner is rare brilliance, the taste of Afghan life is equally relevant. Amir must resist the Taliban while operating under their rules, facing conditions unimaginable even in nightmares. Finishing The Kite Runner gave me an intensified sense of gratitude over living in a country like the United States. War is not raged in our streets, we do not live in fear of our houses being hit with rockets, we do not watch public executions, and our children's innocence is secure. The Kite Runner shows that others are not so lucky.
I wrote this review to give The Kite Runner my highest recommendation. Read not just for a moving story about family and strength, but for an unadulterated glimpse of Afghan life. You won't be disappointed.
As a last comment, be warned that The Kite Runner is very graphic. Young adults and teenagers (16+) could handle the book so long as its accompanied with a talk from a parent or teacher. Also, the book is riveting, so I suggest choosing your reading time carefully. I sacrificed homework, neglected chores, and skipped a meal or two to finish the book.
If you've read The Kite Runner or found this review helpful, leave a comment! We loooove feedback.
Enjoy.
Posted by Tim
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5 comments:
I'm currently readint this for a class and am havingg a hard time getting started. I think the whole "you must read this by this date" just ruins a good book for some reason. Knowing that others have found it enjoyable, I'll have to dive back in and try to forget its for school.
I haven't read this book, but I always interesed in how books compare to movie adaptions. Have you seen the movie?
Thanks for featuring Hosseini. I really enjoyed both this book and A Thousand Splendid Suns.
@Jasmyn-The book really picks up a few chapters in, bite the bullet 'til then and you won't be disappointed. = D
@Book Snob-I haven't seen the movie yet, unfortunately. Its at the top of my Netflix queue, so once I return "The Incredibles" I'll let you know how it turns out!
@A Bookshelf Monstrosity-A Thousand Splendid Suns is definitely at the top of my holiday reading list after reading The Kite Runner. Pretend I italicized the book titles, Blogger isn't accepting my html. = D
Thanks for commenting!
@Book Snob again
I am sorry to report that I was very disappointed in the movie. The cinematography was beautiful, the acting was strong, but the story was heavily watered-down from the book's original. If you want the slightly unclear PG-13 version of the book, watch the movie. Otherwise, start reading.
Cheers.
Tim.
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