Kite Runner, The
Khaled Hosseini is quickly becoming a household name in the United States. Before The Kite Runner sold in the millions, Hosseini was a comfortable doctor living in California. Now he holds two best-selling books and a movie to his name. Despite his many flaws as an inexperienced novelist, Hosseini is a promising writer who knows how to captivate and move readers.
From the first-person perspective of Amir, The Kite Runner winds through Afghanistan, chronicling the early 1970s to present day. While the book is timely and educational, it is not a history lesson. Instead, Hosseini manages to create a heartfelt story amidst his characters.
Baba, Amir’s father, is an unyielding businessman with strict morals who struggles to bond with his son. Rahim Khan is Baba's best friend and Amir's mentor. Hassan, Amir’s servant, is exceedingly loyal to Amir, and their deeply rooted relationship channels the direction of the entire book.
Redemption is the primary theme of The Kite Runner, though Hosseini certainly tackles other subjects, from forgiveness, to assimilation, to blood, to ethnic tension. Perhaps the strongest part of the book is its beginning, as Hosseini paints Amir’s childhood in Afghanistan in exotic, lively colors. One of the first images of the book is of Amir and Hassan, "firing walnuts...at the neighbor's one-eyed German shepherd" from atop "poplar trees." Moreover, the catalyst for all of Amir’s subsequent actions is clearly labeled in the distressing beginning. Amir says, "the rest of my life might have turned out differently." This ripple effect is a recurring theme in the book.
The Kite Runner dwells on the past. Depending on the interest of the reader, this could be bad. Do you believe one moment can define or change the rest of your life? Do you care? If not, The Kite Runner will become tiring. Although many defining moments occur later in the book, they tend to be less interesting and more contrived. The book is also linear in its path; it's all about Amir's sorrows. Hosseini likes to foreshadow and come full circle with hackneyed plot twists and conclusions. Realistic? No. Unforeseeable? No. Poetic? Yes.
Hosseini writes engaging, yet effortless sentences; Amir’s voice rarely sounds stilted. However, Hosseini often doubts his readers, explaining situations and relationships thoroughly without allowing for individual contemplation and interpretation. This sucks much of the complexity from the book. Part of the reader's joy is supposed to derive from predicting and concluding elements of the plot. Furthermore, a lot of space is wasted spelling out obvious symbolism, which almost feels insulting.
The Kite Runner can edge on melodrama, but its sentiments are usually passable and sometimes heart-wrenching. When Hosseini does create genuineness, he nails it. The moral greyness of Amir and his father are realistic. Hassan's unadulterated goodness in the face of immorality is difficult to bear. And most of this is set against the backdrop of an all too real country filled with, "the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire."
Hosseini opens a telling window into modern Afghanistan that will interest most people. Sometimes he appears to be biased against his own country, describing Afghan culture in the preconceived light shown on the news-- namely, that the Taliban destroyed it. This sometimes feels shallow, but for all I know it's an accurate picture.
With all of its flaws, the book is an easy read that most people should at least attempt. It can throw depressing blow after depressing blow, yet that's life.
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Khaled Hosseini - Kite Runner, The - 7.25
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