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Summary: Afghanistan, in all its spendor and despair.
Review: Recreating the day-to-day existence of Amir and his father (Baba), a successful merchant in Kabul in the 1970's, Hosseini creates a warm and emotionally involving story of childhood, its traumas, and the importance of family. Telling of two families--Amir and his father, and Hassan and Ali, their servants--he depicts two different worlds. Amir and Baba are Pashtuns, while Hassan and Ali are Hazaras, descendants of the Moguls who are also Shi'a Muslims, and it is in these parallel tracks that we come to see the variety of life in Afghanistan, its mores, traditions, and its hierarchies. Best friends, the boys grow up together, though Hassan, the servant, bears the burden of being different in appearance, both because of his Mogul heritage and because of his unrepaired hare-lip. When the boys are twelve, Hassan is beaten and severely injured by bullies, while Amir, who witnesses the attack, runs away in fear. Burdened by guilt and jealous of the close relationship between his father and Hassan and Ali, Amir manipulates their dismissal. Six years later, after a Communist coup, Amir and his father escape to the United States, where, away from the roles demanded of them in Kabul, they are on a more equal footing and come to new understandings. When Amir gets a phone call from his father's former business partner, twenty years later, he returns to Afghanistan to put his betrayal of Hassan to rights and "be good again." Hosseini's narrative is fast-paced, and his sensitive portrayal of childhood with all its fears and tensions is striking. The glimpses of Afghan family life and values are captivating, particularly because they have been virtually unknown in American fiction. But it is the author's focus on the humanity of the characters that gives the novel its universality and appeal. Amir's betrayal of Hassan is believable and understandable, and his long-term remorse is not surprising. Hassan's nobility in the face of his trauma gives him a saintly aspect which never cloys. Baba seems larger than life, and it is only much later that Amir discovers that Baba, too, has secrets. The focus on two families, one in the U.S. and one in Afghanistan, dramatically emphasizes the contrasts when the Taliban seizes power. This dual focus creates a few structural problems at the end of the novel, however, as the author reconnects the families. Relying heavily on coincidences, some of them unnecessary to the plot, he ties up loose ends and resolves conflicts. Occasionally, details seem artificial, inserted only to provide irony or obvious parallels with earlier events. Despite some narrative clumsiness, however, the novel is a moving and dramatic read, fascinating for its setting, its father-son relationship, and it study of guilt and its effects. Mary Whipple
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Summary: Your heart will soar
Review: The earth turns and the wind blows and sometimes some marvelous scrap of paper is blown against the fence for us to find. And once found, we become aware there are places out there that are both foreign and familiar. Funny what the wind brings. And now it brings "The Kite Runner," a beautiful novel by Afghan-American Khaled Hosseini that ranks among the best-written and provocative stories of the year so far. Hosseini's first novel -- and the first Afghan novel to be written originally in English -- "The Kite Runner" tells a heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between Amir, the son of a wealthy Afghan businessman, and Hassan, the son of his father's servant. Amir is Sunni; Hassan is Shi'a. One is born to a privileged class; the other to a loathed minority. One to a father of enormous presence; the other to a crippled man. One is a voracious reader; the other illiterate. The poor Hassan is born with a hare lip, but Amir's gaps are better hidden, deep inside. Yet Amir and Hassan live and play together, not simply as friends, but as brothers without mothers. Their intimate story traces across the expansive canvas of history, 40 years in Afghanistan's tragic evolution, like a kite under a gathering storm. The reader is blown from the last days of Kabul's monarchy -- salad days in which the boys lives' are occupied with school, welcome snows, American cowboy movies and neighborhood bullies -- into the atrocities of the Taliban, which turned the boys' green playing fields red with blood. This unusually eloquent story is also about the fragile relationship fathers and sons, humans and their gods, men and their countries. Loyalty and blood are the ties that bind their stories into one of the most lyrical, moving and unexpected books of this year. Hosseini's title refers to a traditional tournament for Afghan children in which kite-flyers compete by slicing through the strings of their opponents with their own razor-sharp, glass-encrusted strings. To be the child who wins the tournament by downing all the other kites -- and to be the "runner" who chases down the last losing kite as it flutters to earth -- is the greatest honor of all. And in that metaphor of flyer and runner, Hosseini's story soars. And fear not, gentle reader. This isn't a "foreign" book. Unlike Boris Pasternak's "Dr. Zhivago," Hosseini's narrative resonates with familiar rhythms and accessible ideas, all in prose that equals or exceeds the typical American story form. While exotic Afghan customs and Farsi words pop up occasionally, they are so well-defined for the reader that the book is enlightening and fascinating, not at all tedious. Nor is it a dialectic on Islam. Amir's beloved father, Baba, is the son of a wise judge who enjoys his whiskey, television, and the perks of capitalism. A moderate in heart and mind, Hosseini has little good to say about Islamic extremism. "The Kite Runner" is a song in a new key. Hosseini is an exhilaratingly original writer with a gift for irony and a gentle, perceptive heart. His canvas might be a place and time Americans are only beginning to understand, but he paints his art on the page, where it is intimate and poignant.
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Summary: An incredible tale...one of the best books I have ever read!
Review: After finishing this book I feel compelled to share it with every reader I know. I have sent copies to my friends, and family, as well as shared it with my reading groups at work and on line. The story begins in Afghanistan in the 1970's. Amir remembers his childhood as a benevolent string of happy days, childhood memories that last a lifetime. It is this part of the book that I enjoyed through the author's eyes. Today we see Afghanistan as the war torn land depicted on the evening news, to read of the early days through the eyes of Hosseini is a delight. The joy and love for his native country literally pours out, to fill the pages with his memories of a country filled with beautiful, hospitable, and kind people. Amir's friendship with a young servant boy is pivotal to the story, as a horrific event changes their relationship forever, thus effecting Amir's life in a way that he never expects. The political climate changes, and he flees to the USA with his father, where he learns to let his guilt simmer in the back of his mind. It is many years later when he is called back to Afghanistan, and comes face to face with the outcome of the betrayal, along with it's reciprocating factors. The Taliban is entrenched in a country filled with all too many citizens that live in fear. The beauty he once knew is covered by rubble. As Amir follows the path that was set in motion decades prior, the reader can't help but feel totally immersed in his plight. I will give no more away, but promise you an end that is a touching portrayal of hope and justice. Kudo's to this author who in his first book has given us a novel that fills the reader with a longing for more. He is a force to be reckoned with and worth watching....Kelsana 5/9/2004
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Summary: Powerful, Moving and Beautiful
Review: THE KITE RUNNER, a debut novel from Afghan émigré physician, Khaled Hosseini, is a very powerful, very moving book. Although the book is set against a political backdrop, politics takes a backset in THE KITE RUNNER to the more personal and poignant story of two friends, the wealthy Amir and his servant, Hassan and the bond of friendship they share. When the book opens, Afghanistan is living out the last days of its monarchy. Amir , a very lonely, sensitive and artistic boy, whose mother is dead, lives with his wealthy father, Baba, a powerful member of the Pashtun tribe. Baba is a complex character...he's savage in his pursuit of sport, he can brutal and domineering, yet he is sensitive and kind as well. I liked him a great deal. Amir forms a close friendship with Hassan, a servant his own age who lives in his father's house. The two boys don't let class differences bother them and they do much together, from flying kites to reading folktakes. Then something happens to sever the bonds of friendship that Amir and Hassan share and show them just how fragile those bonds can be. It is something that Amir will never be able to forget, nor should he. Hosseini has presented pre-revolutionary Afghanistan with warmth and humor as well as with darkness, something I liked very much. I enjoyed learning about the political climate of Afghanistan during this time, but I also appreciated the fact that Hosseini kept his characters in the forefront of the book and didn't let politics take over, something that, given the current situation, must have been rather difficult to resist. When the revolution breaks out, Amir and Baba must flee to the US and so Amir is parted from Hassan geographically, yet he can't forget the time he let his best friend down in such a horrible manner. Amir and Baba struggle to make a new life in California and, to Baba's credit (and Hosseini's characterization of him), this once proud and powerful man does what needs to be done. He works at a gas station and at swap meets so his son can go to college. As the years pass, Amir establishes himself in his profession and marries happily but one thing still haunts him and darkens his days...Hassan and the day he (Amir) let him down and broke the bonds of friendship the boys once shared. In fact, Amir is so haunted by Hassan's fate that he feels compelled to return to Afghanistan, even though the country is now under Taliban rule and a far more dangerous place than it was in Amir's youth. Just as Hosseini painted a vivid picture of Afghanistan in pre-revolutionary days, he paints a vivid one of Afghanistan under Taliban rule. It is, however, a much darker and more violent picture. Some of the images Hosseini presents in this part of the book are painful to read, all the more so because we know that just such things (and worse) occur. Amir does find Hassan, but to tell you any more of what happens between them would not be fair. I'll just say that the ending of the book is "fitting" and "satisfying," though it might not be the ending all readers are longing for. I think Hosseini did a wonderful job with THE KITE RUNNER. His prose is fluid and unadorned and his characters are quite complex and really "come alive." In fact, at times, it's very difficult to believe we're reading a work of fiction and not a memoir. What I didn't like about THE KITE RUNNER, and the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five (I really would like to give it 4 1/2 stars), is the use of coincidence to drive the plot. Worse yet, much of this coincidence wasn't even necessary. I also think that, despite the dark and violent atmosphere that pervades Afghanistan, some of the events near the book's end, after Amir encounters Hassan once again, as an adult, are a little melodramatic and the book would have been improved had Hosseini left them out or at least portrayed them in a more plausible light. Events in Afghanistan are terrible enough; Hosseini doesn't need to resort to melodrama to make us believe. And, he's too good a writer to do so. Despite a few missteps, I think THE KITE RUNNER is an intelligent and beautiful debut and it is certainly a book I would recommend to anyone, especially to those who love literary fiction that touches the intellect as well as the soul. Personally, I am greatly looking forward to Hosseini's next book. I hope it will be set in Afghanistan as well.
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Summary: The Kite Runner
Review: This is a truly magnificent book! Without a doubt one of the very best stories I have ever read, not just because it is so beautifully written, but also because it is an important story. It takes place during the last thirty years of turbulent history in Afghanistan, and deals with a family and their love for each other and for their country. Author Khalid Hosseini no doubt has drawn heavily on his own life experiences to bring us this story. He was born to a wealthy family in Kabul Afghanistan and came to America as a political refugee in 1980. In The Kite Runner, Amir is the son of a prominent Pashtun family; his best friend, Hassan is the son of their servant man and a Hazara, a much hated ethnic minority. Despite their ethnic differences, Amir and Hassan are close friends throughout their childhood, both of them always mindful of Hassan's servant status. The two boys grow and learn, one of them privileged, the other deprived, both of them secure in the bosom of a prominent Pashtun family, both loved by the patriarch of that family, while the winds of change blew ceaselessly over the Afghan landscape. This story traces the lives of Amir and Baba his proud Father, and of Hassan and Ali his Father and faithful servant to Baba. In July of 1973, the people of Afghanistan woke to learn that while their King Zahir Shah was away in Italy, the Afghan monarchy had been ended in a bloodless coup led by the King's cousin Daoud Kahn. For a while there was peace in their lives but it was not to last. Before the end of that decade came first the Russians with soldiers, tanks and helicopter gun ships, and when they left, came the years of wanton destruction by the countless tribal war lords. This was to be ended, they thought mercifully, by the arrival of the Taliban, who at first brought order to the chaos, but later proved to be the most ruthless of killers. Amir and his Father left Afghanistan when the Russians arrived and came to America to settle in an Afghan community in San Francisco. However, the ties to their homeland and to the family they had left behind were to haunt them for years. One day, Amir received a telephone call from a friend in Pakistan and decided he must return. What he found there was a revelation of the awful changes which had been brought to his homeland and its people since his childhood. Don't buy this book because it is about that part of the world which changed our lives, don't buy it because it is a story about Muslims, don't even buy it because it is in a way a modern "Gone With The Wind" a story of a strong family in turbulent times. Buy it because it is a wonderful meaningful story, beautifully, sensitively written, by a man whose first language was not even our language, but who has mastered it as few of us have, and who has shown an unusual understanding of the workings of the human mind in times of great mental and physical stress.
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Summary: Excellent Read
Review: I really enjoyed "The Kite Runner" - some of the writing style reminded me of "Life of Pi". I found it very informative, educational, and feel more tolerant toward people who have had to flee their country ,family and friends. The question of what would I take with me, if I had to leave quickly haunts me. I have recommended this book to many different people. Couldn't put it down.
jwc
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Summary: Sensational
Review: This book was just that...sensational. Hosseini's story is told through the eyes of Amir, the son of a wealthy and prominent man in Afghanistan. Amir's best friend Hassan, is also his father's servant's son. The lines between friendship and duty are sometimes blurred for Amir and later it is an act of betrayal that eventually consumes Amir and causes him so much pain in his life. We witness his fears, insecurities and guilt and the internal struggle to do what is right. It is truly a story of betrayal and redemption with family loyalties at stake, hidden family secrets and childhood friendship borne of innocence and doomed by one single act. The storyline of this book will stay with you, haunt you. It opened my heart and my mind. The depth of sadness and humanity is felt within the first few pages. The author is able to make us feel what living in Afghanistan was like before the Soviets took over and before the Taliban began its reign of terror. I learned about the people and their customs along with their struggles, their pride as a people and their overwhelming heartbreaks. This is a book not to be missed, a story that begs to be heard.
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Summary: Afghanistan, The Taliban, and Family Love
Review: "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini is one of those marvelous books that opens up our hearts and minds. This book puts a name and face to the people we are helping to free. This is a book at once so magnificent,it is difficult to comprehend and describe. How could we be fighting for freedom in this far off land, Afghanistan, and not understand the people; their heritage, their land and what they lost? This book transports us to a very different time in the 1960's. Amir and Hassan, friends, raised in the same household, but in different worlds. Amir is the son of a wealthy businessman, and Hassan is the son of the servant, Hazara. There may be a difference in the lives they led, but they became fast friends. Amir would learn to read and Hassan would not. Amir would have the most beautiful toys and particularly kites, and Hassan would be able to help Amir play with the toys and run (fly) his kite. Amir was the spolied son, Hassan was the intelligent and intuitive servant's son. Their lives would intertwine even when separated. When the Russian army invaded, Amir and his father fled to the United States, California. Amir grew up in a different land, but with the same Afghanistan culture. He and his father became close. Amir married, went to college, all the while wondering what happened to his childhood friend, the one he betrayed. As time marched on, Amir lost his father to cancer and was summoned to Pakistan to meet with an old family friend. This turns out to be a life renewing event. Amir searches for news of his friend, Hassan. The search takes him back to Afghanistan, to an orphanage, a meeting with a member of the Taliban, a search for his lost city and culture and for a prize he will cherish, for the truth and for the life he regains. This is a gritty book, the beauty and violence of this country, Afghanistan, comes to life. The customs and food and smells of the city; the desolation of life and the loss of the country to madmen who are running it with only their imagined vulgar needs and wealth in mind that destroys a culture so varied and rich.
We can imagine we are there, and we can share in the sights, the smells, the utter disregard for human life. But we can never know what these people have lost. A book, I will cherish, so will you. prisrob
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Summary: The Kite Runner
Review: I have been a voracious reader for over 30 years, and this is one of the best books I have ever read. I just completed it while staying in NYC. Every chance I had to gobble a few words I did. Profound, astonishing, exquisite are some of the adjectives I would venture to use in describing this book, but to be honest with you, there are no adequate words that gives justice to this superior novel. Anyone who reads this book will not be disappointed.
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Summary: astonishing debut
Review: Rarely have I read a first novel of such depth and power. It tells the story of a complex relationship between a boy and his family's servant, who is his age, and could be classified as being on the border between a friend and a subordinate. After the boy, Amir, betrays the trust of his friend, he emigrates to America with his father, in order to escape the political persecution of their family. But, he will eventually have to return to his homeland and make amends for his cowardly boyhood act. This is a brutal, moving and brilliant novel. If it is indeed the first Afghan novel translated into English, as one review claims, what a pity we've been missing the chance to read writers of this one's caliber.
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