The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Genre: Historical
Release Date: 29th May 2003
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Source: Bought
Add it: Goodreads
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Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

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 an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.

I read the graphic novel of The Kite Runner about seven years ago when I first started blogging and I absolutely loved it. I immediately bought the novel, but I put off reading it for the longest time (seven years…) because I felt like the story was still too fresh in my mind and I remembered absolutely bawling over the graphic novel.

The Kite Runner is harrowing. There is no other word to describe it. There are so many scenes in this book that absolutely broke me. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the best book to pick up when I was on holiday. So much for trying to relax…

The main character, Amir, isn’t a very likeable person. He’s incredibly cowardly, both as a child (understandable) and as a young adult. I guess he was supposed to be that way, and this did improve as the book progressed, which was good. I don’t think you’re meant to think Amir is amazing or brilliant or anything.

The Kite Runner made me want to read more books about this time period, especially ones set in the Middle East, since I haven’t read many books set there. I want to read allllll of Hosseini’s books now, and I want to look into reading more about Shia and Sunni Muslims. There’s a lot of reading that I want to do.

In short, read this book. There were tears everywhere. Do it.