Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful surprise
Review: I found this wonderful book on a recommended list on the Charlie Rose Web site and have to admit that I chose it because of the enigmatic title. I picked it up and did not put it down until I finished it. It was quite riveting. Khaled Hosseini is a brilliant story teller and made the fictitious characters really seem real and three dimensional. I learned a lot about Afghanistan and the tragic history it has endured. Hosseini covers about 20 years of the history of the country by telling a story of a boy, his troubled relationship with his father and the events which lead him to his ultimate discovery of himself. I look forward to more novels by Dr Hosseini
Rating:
Summary: The story of a God forgotten land
Review: Afghanistan has been on the spot light for quite some time, especially since 9/11/01. But what we saw through the focused, sharply pointed spot lights were mostly statistics, numbers, data. We found out how big the country is, what ethnicities live there, what are the major cities and even where Tora Bora is(Many Afghans had not heard about it before Osama chose it as a hiding cave.) What the country lacked was its STORY. The story is where we get to know the mind and heart and soul of a people. And this is where Khaled Hosseini comes and gives us the gift of Kite Runner. To say Thank to this gift was all I could think of, but what I actually felt was a sense of satisfation and admiration. Satisfied that this story is written and admiration for how wll is it written.
Kite Runner is well qualified to be called The Story of this God fogotten land. It brings the suffering of a land and its people so close to your skin that-at times- you might even feel the pain in your joints. You will cry, you will cry. And this is what a well written story does for you and to you. It shows you the humanity beyond the mere statistics. It shakes you so violently that you get up and say: What if God has foegotten this country, I will not.
But I will do unjust to the book if I reduced it to this. The kite runner is above all a novel, a well crafted and well written novel. It takes you to a roller coaster of events and emotions, and just when you feel like it is over...surprise...there is another twist and another turn. And if you are after the psychological underlines of the characters and sociological backgrounds of the events, well you get plenty of those as well.
When you read Kite Runner, read it with some peace of mind, read it out loud, drink the words, get to know the characters...Who knows you might come across one them in America, who knows you might learn a few words of Farsi.
Rating:
Summary: All Americans should read this book
Review: It was really just an accident that I bought this book. I love to read first books by new authors, but to tell the truth, my expectations are generally not high, so when I find a first book like this, well, I'm just blown away! And you will be too. I finished reading "The Kite Runner" in the middle of the night. I definitely did not want it to end. The characters are so lovingly drawn - so flawed, so troubled. The story will make you laugh and cry, but more than anything, you will learn about Afghani people, who have suffered beyond words. And I guess that's exactly why I admired and loved this book so much; Dr. Hosseini does indeed put a human face to these people - people like you and me, in a world beyond what Americans can fathom. Read this book and weep. And then spread the word.
Rating: 
Summary: A powerful novel of redemption and the immigrant experience
Review: On of the first things that struck me about The Kite Runner is the remarkable disparity that exists between the "developed" world of the West, and the "developing" world of countries like Afghanistan. And it's really easy to see when reading this book how terrorist groups can really gain a foothold in these failed states where lawlessness and warlords thrive. The book is indeed a marvelous description of the tragic history of a country that has suffered so much throughout history, and Hosseini's solid descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of the country really bring this tragic history to the forefront. Hosseini's style is economical and elegant, and moves along at a nice breezy pace; and he never becomes bogged down in any unnecessary description. There is no doubt that the Kite Runner is a beautifully told story of betrayal and redemption, and I couldn't help thinking how cinematic this story could be; it's just crying out to be made into a movie as it has all the ingredients. This good, sold read has everything - a doomed childhood friendship, family loyalties, a hidden family secret, a hurried escape to a different land, a battle with a cold, harsh bureaucratic system, and an evil regime which stifles individual freedoms. I thought that the depiction of the childhood friendship of Amir and Hassan's set against the beauty of pre-war Afghanistan was beautifully conveyed - Hosseini has really managed the capture the innocence of childhood friendship, and he's cleverly used "kite flying" as a symbol for this friendship. This story is also about the immigrant experience, and how families, fleeing a terrible situation, are forced the make a new home in a new and strange land. Of course, there is nothing new about this aspect of the story, but Hosseini, imbues his characters, especially Babba with such love, respect and vulnerability, that you can't help but look at their plight from Afghanistan with a fresh perspective. Some of the plot developments the story become a little far fetched particularly towards the end of the novel, as some of Amir's coincidental meetings with other characters strain the boundaries of reality. But generally, The Kite Runner is a good, solid first novel that is told with honesty and passion. And I would recommend this book for anyone who really wants to see the human cost that the Taliban, and the Soviets for that matter, had on Afghanistan society. Michael
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book!
Review: I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book, but once I had started I could barely put it down. Into the general format of a coming-of-age story, Hosseini weaves great detail about Afghanistan under its former king, the Soviets, then the Taliban. He gives us glimpses of what it was like to stay in Afghanistan and the experiences of those who emigrated to the United States. And he shows us how the protaganist finds personal strength and redemption from childhood sins by returning to his native land.
Rating:
Summary: The Kite Runner - Awesome summer read!!!!!
Review: I picked this book up thinking it would be good, but from the beginning this book was nothing short of a great read. I literally couldn't put the book down and actually stayed up until 4 am finishing it in one day! This book really moved me and made me more aware of the beauty and possibility that was Afghanistan in the early 70's. This was sharply contrasted with the Afghanistan of the 90's and today. I would definately recommned this book and am sure that you will find it as interesting, engaging and incredible as I did.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Brilliant!!
Review: The Kite Runner captures the reader's interest from the very first word. The story plunges us into the mind and soul of a young Afgjan boy, Amir, in the days before the Russian Invasion and the Taliban, showing us a side of Afghanistan that few people know. We are with Amir through his one act of betrayal and cowardice, when he turns away from his close friend, Hassan, in a time of great need. This act plagues him for years thereafter, spanning the horrors and devastation that Afghanistan suffered during the Russian Invasion, the subsequent internal wars and the Taliban occupation. Khaled Hosseini's first novel is a masterful account of friendship and betrayal, love and forgiveness. It shows us with startling clarity the futility of running away from ourselves, because the past follows us no matter where we hide. When Amir returns to Afghanistan to rectify the wrong he has committed against Hassan, we get an inside view of the minds and souls of the Taliban. In a few deft strokes, Hosseini paints the horrors of their reign as well as their chilling and callous treatment of people, including Amir, and the country of Afghanistan. The Kite Runner also offers us interesting and intriguing details about the attitudes and culture of the Afghan people, which I found very rewarding.
This book is one that will keep you rooted to your seat until you turn the last page.
Rating:
Summary: An Auspicious Debut
Review: In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini's wonderful first novel, the author shines an intense light on part of the world kept far too long within the shadow realm of Western consciousness. Harsh though that light may at times be, one continually encounters nothing less than the complete spectrum of emotional expression. Mr. Hosseini's view into Afghan society fascinates both in it's cultural particularity, as well as in how much the reader can see oneself in his work; there are moments that will sear themselved into your conscience, like that of an experience lived. It is a novel whose prose reads like a chiaroscuro on the canvas of memory and regret, which then transforms into glorious, widescreen technicolor renderings of reminiscence---it's joy, it's conflicts and it's insight. Mr. Hosseini's grip on the narrative remains firm throughout, revealing in microcosm a profound knowledge of the universality of thought, emotion and experience, found within the human condition; in an Afghan I see myself, and in turn, they see themselves in us. This is a fine, humane novel that you would do well to invest your hard earned literary coin towards purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, Intriguing and a Night Burner
Review: Once I started to get into the story I could not put the book down. I found that the incredible story combined with the events of the time fascinating. The cultural aspects of Afghan life and how it was changed forever in just a few years was a real eye opener as to what "globalization" can do for better or worse.
The part that really got to me was that no matter where you live societal mores can determine your life whether you live in Afganistan or the US, and that we should never let these mores dictate our lives and who we are as individuals. You get wrapped up in the irony of the story but then you realize the triumphs of the human spirit that soared thru most of the characters.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, heart felt, a human tale of compassion!
Review: This book has it all! Compassion, cowardice, love, honor, betrayal, and redemption. The scenes in the book are easily visualized thanks to Hosseini's beautiful descriptive style. This is a novel that truly touches the soul. I could not put it down. ENJOY!
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