Kite Runner

5 stars are just not enough for this book!! This book has been sitting on my TBR list for far too long, and now that I’ve finally read it, I honestly can’t believe I waited. The Kite Runner was everything, raw, emotional, and completely unforgettable. This was not only my first time reading Khaled Hosseini, but also my first time diving into a story centered around Afghanistan, and I was completely swept away. At its heart, this is a story about relationships. Amir and Hassan’s complicated, heartbreaking bond takes center stage, but Hosseini weaves in so many more layers: a boy and his father, the quiet bond between two fathers, broken connections, new ones, and even the deeply personal relationship between a boy and his homeland. Every thread mattered, and together they created something powerful and amazing. I understand why this book is considered controversial and why some schools have chosen to pull it from reading lists. It’s alot, and it doesn’t shy away from trauma, cruelty, and moments that are painfully difficult to read. But that’s exactly why it’s important. These aren’t just “stories.” They tell of real experiences, and reading them feels essential. To me, that makes it one of the most relevant books I’ve picked up in a long time. I fell hard for these characters. I ached for them, got frustrated with them, wanted to reach through the pages to shake them, and then immediately wanted to hold them close. The emotional toll was real, but the writing was so phenomenal that I couldn’t put it down. This book left me hungry to learn more about Afghanistan, about the history, about the people whose voices deserve to be heard. It’s the kind of novel that lingers long after the last page, and I know I’ll revisit it again in the future, hoping to capture even a piece of that “first-time” reading magic. If you haven’t read The Kite Runner yet, I can’t recommend it enough. Unless the triggers are too much for you personally, this is one of those rare novels that demands to be read. A true modern classic. I LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!

*SPOILERS AHEAD* -the quotes are all from the book and this review is based on the audio book read by the author.- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I only started the audio book yesterday and I couldn't turn it off until now because I finished it a few seconds ago. It is the first time I read a non-British or non-American novel and to tell the truth, I listened to the audio book without having high expectations since I knew this novel was a best seller and I like to stay away from best sellers because they are, most of the time, a disappointment. However, this is not the case. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini it is certainly the most delicious piece of literature I've had the pleasure to lay my eyes on (or listen to), an outstanding novel that will be remembered for many generations to come...it will always be in my mind and heart, to say the least. I have tears in my eyes right now and my heart is swelling with overflowing emotions. The suspense made my heart skip many times, but the ending left a satisfied smile plastered on my face and I don't know what else to say because my mind is busy remembering those precious and cherished times from the main character's past as if they were my own memories. I feel like I went to another world and lived Amir's life and came back to this life, wondering about my own life too. The kite runner was so good, so sad, so real. There were no perfect characters and no imperfect characters. They all were human, they were despicable, they were lovely. I read this book or I should say, I listened to this book like when I eat my favorite cake: I can't stopped eating it and the only most important thing in this world is that small moment of pleasure, nothing else matters. Many people were mad at the main character because they thought he was heartless or committed many mistakes. We have to keep in mind that Amir was only a kid longing for his father's love, so everything that mattered to him was to make his father to look at him as a dear son, this just shows us the huge impact a father/mother's treatment can make to their children's lives. Although Amir was only a kid, that's no excuse for the cruel things he did to his best friend, the ever so kind and gentle soul, Hassan. His love and loyalty towards Amir never wavered even though he knew about his betrayal and everything he's done. He always loved him unconditionally. Hassan was my favorite character, he reminded me of Petey from another great book "Map of the harbor Islands". I cried for Hassan as if he was my best friend, I even wished to meet him, to be greeted one day by a man with such a pure soul and gentle smile like his. I admit I was mad at Amir many times for the things he did or I should better say, for the things he didn't do for Hassan, like rescuing him from that horrible time..." on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975" ...I wasn't mad at the fact that he was afraid, he was only a kid so it's understandable but I was mad at how good he was at pretending he didn't know nothing afterwards or that he was worried more about the blue kite than about his friend's condition, or so I thought. I wondered many times how I would react in Amir's place...that's why I couldn't hate him like others do...because he was just human and humans have feelings. We are selfish sometimes, we feel jealousy and envy, we are cowards or at least have something we are afraid of, we lie, we steal, we hurt, we love. Life becomes beautiful where love is involved. I believe that we should live our lives in love with the world and the people in it and not waste our short life by hating and rejecting people just because they are different. This book dealt with many issues of hate, status, politics, religion, poverty, wars, sins, the importance of your bloodline but most importantly, the importance of redemption and love over everything else. "...there is a God, there always has been. I see him here, in the eyes of the people in this [hospital] corridor of desperation. This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find Him... there is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He will forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need. I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is." Amir discovered later on that his life has been like a lie because his father kept a secret from everybody...this cost the suffering of many people, including himself. Amir also made many people suffer because of his lies and betrayal..."like father, like son" "But better to be hurt by the truth than comforted with a lie." Amir suffered for the things he did, his conscience didn't leave him alone during all his life. He physically and mentally grew up and changed from a selfish, afraid boy to a responsible, valiant man. I forgive him because I also love him. :) "A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything." Let me quote another great character, Rahim(oh! another good thing is that all the characters here are important and we learn something from all of them): "A man who has no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer."... "Forgive yourself" He said this to Amir because Amir always thought of himself as unworthy, despicable, dirty, a sinner. "When guilt leads to good" Amir's guiltiness lead him to discover who he really was and what he really wanted. I love the fact that he risked his life to save Hassan's son as a way to redeem his sins, as a way to ask for forgiveness and he changed for him, suffered for him, felt for him. I was so sad for Hassan's son, Sohrab, just to think that many children has gone through the same things as him makes me shiver from terror. I'm afraid to say it has become my favorite book because The Count of Monte Cristo remained as my favorite book of all time for many years but now that I think about it, The Kite Runner is more realistic and touched me deeply on so many levels unlike the former which is a bit unrealistic but both novels are magnificently created for greatness. There was not a single time I felt bored or tired. It is not a short novel, thus I'm amazed that I finished it so fast, I wasn't even aware of it, for my mind was glued to the story. I will listen to it again and buy the book because I want to run my fingers through the pages and re-read my favorite parts. And as you can see, the top-notch writing was perfect and so was the unfolding of the story. The characters captivated me the most, though. And finally, I loved this small story written by little Amir: "That same night, I wrote my first short story. It took me thirty minutes. It was a dark little tale about a man who found a magic cup and learned that if he wept into the cup, his tears turned into pearls. But even though he had always been poor, he was a happy man and rarely shed a tear. So he found ways to make himself sad so that his tears could make him rich. As the pearls piled up, so did his greed grow. The story ended with the man sitting on a mountain of pearls, knife in hand, weeping helplessly into the cup with his beloved wife's slain body in his arms." I tell ya, this book is AMAZING!

Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is a book that will stay with me forever. This is not an easy read, but it’s an essential one. The story of Amir and Hassan broke my heart and then painstakingly tried to put it back together. Amir is a deeply flawed narrator who makes unforgivable choices as a boy, betraying his loyal friend Hassan in the worst ways. I was devastated by his actions, but I was also moved by his lifelong journey of guilt and his difficult path toward atonement. Seeing him suffer the consequences of his past, his "karma" was both painful and, in a strange way, a relief. It felt deserved and necessary for any hope of redemption. This book is a powerful exploration of cowardice, loyalty, and the long shadow of childhood sins. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Cried three times while reading this book. Such a moving story which is heartbreaking at times. So well written. Definitely a must read book. I read it within a few days time. It was so good I could not wait to continue.

At once dark and illuminating, contemporary and historical, opaque and transparent, The Kite Runner is a shimmering coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the last thirty years of Afghan history. Weaving a rich tapestry of literature using many brilliant and contrasting threads, Khaled Hosseini tells the complex tale of a young Afghan-American at conflict with both himself and his environment. The Kite Runner is most importantly about the cracks and fissures that inevitably develop in human relationships, whether between a boy and his stoic father, a young man and his new wife and eccentric in-laws, or a deeply troubled boy-man and his best friend. Indeed, human frailty is on full display in what is already regarded as a classic of contemporary Afghan-American literature. Clearly a gifted novelist, Hosseini both entertains and edifies in this his first major work. Excellent character development, vivid imagery, and a flowing, unrestrained style characterize the author's impressive literary debut. He infuses his characters with such passion, his scenes and dialogue with such feeling, and his story with so many twists and turns. Just as surely as we experience Hosseini's considerable gifts as a writer, though, we struggle to warm up to The Kite Runner's deeply flawed narrator, Amir. Early in Amir's recounting of the events that shape his life, we learn that he suffers from many of the same insecurities we all experience while growing into adulthood. During his early years in Kabul he struggles to gain his larger-than-life father's affection. In Amir's mind, he never quite measures up to his father's lofty expectations. Instead, his 'Baba' remains cold and distant, and only when Amir wins a sort of aerial combat with kites known as 'kite running' - a custom in the wealthier Kabul suburbs we learn - does Amir finally gain his father's approval. In the process, though, Amir betrays his best friend (and servant), Hassan, and remains stubbornly at war with himself. Hassan, perhaps the most striking of Hosseini's characters, embodies the many qualities and attributes Amir admires. A warm, gentle soul without an ounce of guile, Hassan repeatedly demonstrates his loyalty to his Agha (master), Amir. While valuing his companionship, Amir secretly resents Hassan's innocence and the way in which he seemingly glides through life while easily earning praise from Baba. Amir rewards Hassan's unflinching commitment by treating him at times as a brother and at times as a rival. Amir subjects Hassan to a kind of benign cruelty, one moment manipulating him, the next offering him his love. Interestingly, by birth Hassan is relegated to the lower tier of Afghanistan's caste system. The product of a sexual liaison between Baba and a peasant woman, Hassan is born hare-lipped and poor - two strikes in a rigid, intolerant Afghan society. Yet, he is infinitely rich in so many ways. Hosseini imbues Hassan with those qualities that make the Afghan people great - strength, pride, and resiliency. Indeed, the remainder of Hassan's short life in Afghanistan and subsequently in Pakistan parallels the fall of a proud society of Afghan people - first to the Soviets in the 1980s and then to the Taliban in the 1990s. By contrast, Hosseini's Amir is a study in contradictions. While Amir persists in reminding Hassan of his low station in Afghan society, he helps him learn to read and write. Nevertheless, throughout the story the two remain true to the Cain and Abel roles to which Hosseini assigns them. Amir eventually leaves Hassan to a brutal assault at the hands of the Faustian Assef. He then enters his adulthood regretting this betrayal of the one individual whose love for him was unconditional. The Kite Runner is first and foremost a story of redemption... of a boy's becoming a man, recognizing only once it is lost all he had in a unique sibling relationship. Amir ultimately atones for his youthful failings. By saving Sohrab, Hassan's son, from Assef and then the hopelessness of life in a Pakistani orphanage, Amir eventually rewards Hassan for his loyalty, sacrifice and love. Amir eventually adopts Sohrab, and the circle is complete. Sohrab will ultimately enjoy the many privileges that his father was denied both by Amir and an unforgiving Afghan society. Hosseini crafts a beautiful story, both entertaining and instructive. Through the dual lens of Afghan politics and the experiences of an extended Afghan family we learn so much about the Aghan people and their heritage. In this masterpiece, the reader is taken on a magical journey from Afghanistan to America (and back). Since as a nation we remain deeply invested in Afghanistan, the author's timing could not have been better. Indeed, Hosseini helps us gain an appreciation for this remote country and its culture during yet another turbulent period in its modern history. A superb first novel! We can only wonder what this magnificent author will do for an encore...

I don't know why I have waited so long to read this book but, having finished it in one sitting, I know I haven't only read an amazing novel, but had an emotional experience like no other. The Kite Runner tells the story of two young Afghani men who live in Kabul in quite different circumstances. One, Amir, through whose eyes the story is told, is wealthy, educated and privileged, his father being a strong, athletic and ethical man who wields power and earns respect. The other, Hassan, is the son of one of Amir's father's beloved servants and comes from a different ethnic group, the Hazara. Despite the differences in their social status, the boys were not only fed from the same wet-nurse’s breast (their mothers dying when they were newborns), but grow up together, sharing significant moments, triumphs and failures while also being eternally divided by their social status and ethnicity. The first half of the book focuses on their childhood and adolescence and the chapters are simply exquisite in their observations, the raw honesty with which personal flaws are described and acknowledged, and the simplicity as well as complexity of Hassan and Amir's relationship. This complexity becomes more evident as they grow older and, on Amir's side at least, jealousy erupts. Reading this section is like inhaling a flower's perfume and becoming giddy with the fragrance... Yet, you know it can't last. Already, as you revel in the joy of kite flying and running, for example, you know the seeds of destruction, of innocence lost, have been sewn. So you relish every moment in ways Amir especially does not and cannot. After all, what child can understand the consequences of their actions - even when they know they are wrong? This is something the book explores in detail - how what we do in a rash moment, even when we know it is morally, ethically wrong, disloyal, foolish or a betrayal, can set in motion consequences that reverberate for decades. Against a backdrop of invasion and pending war, and as more characters enter their universe, the magical, insular world the boys inhabit begins to dissolve. But no one could foresee what was to happen... The second half of the book shows how the actions - both on the page and off stage - impact upon the present. Heart-wrenching, moving, lyrical and lovely, providing insights into the hearts and minds of a different culture and faith, this sweeping story of generations, masculinity, femininity, war, liberation, immigration, refugees, is epic in scope and elegiac in execution. The prose is sublime. Phrases and descriptions linger in the mind, trip off your tongue as you have to say them aloud. Who thinks to describe a sky as a 'blameless blue'? Yet, I saw it, felt it, stood beneath it - or rain as 'melting silver' (that makes me sigh), such is the power of Hosseini's prose. At no point is the plot predictable and sometimes the twists and turns are shocking, a punch to the stomach, a catching of breath so sharp it hurts, yet you keep reading, you cannot stop. Exquisitely told, The Kite Runner is a magnificent novel by such a gifted story-teller whose insights and humanity leap off the pages and whose imagination, like the kites Amir and Hassan fly, soars.

This first novel, from an Afghanistan immigrant, feels like a memoir. I had to wonder how much of it was fiction, and how much came from Hosseni's own life, particulary the early passages. Either way, it is a stirring work and a wonderfully fast and engrossing read. It tells the story of Amir, the only son of a rich Kabul businessman. It starts with recollections of Amir as a young teen, living in thriving Afghanistan prior to the Soviet invasion. Life is pretty good. Amir's best friend is the son of his father's manservant, and the two are VERY close friends...yet because of differences in class and religion, Amir can't really "go public" with their friendship. He still has to treat his friend like a servant when out in public...yet the friend adores him almost abjectly. It's a beautifully rendered frienship, and the prose is also very evocative of the time and place. Amir's father, Babi, is a complex character, and we see him clearly through a child's eyes (and as Amir ages, our understanding of his father changes too, in the way an adult would view a parent differently...nicely done). About a third of the way through the book, Amir betrays his friend...first in a way that is terrible yet understandable. But, rather than make amends, Amir betrays his friend again. The guilt of this betrayal haunts Amir for the rest of his life, and we see very clearly how a person's entire life...his relationships with others, his character, his major choices in life...are all tainted by the guilt. Later, the books shows the coming of the Soviets, the escape to America of Amir and his father, and his gradual and very believable integration into American society. Some of the passages where we see how the once proud father is both humbled and enobeled by his collapse of circumstances is pretty amazing stuff. These are the kinds of immigrants that we need in the US..and Hosseini makes us believe that his people are that kind of immigrant. Still later, Amir returns to his country, now under the rule of the Taliban. I won't tell you WHY he goes back...except to say that some of his old debts finally call to him for repayment. This is where the book gets a little dicey. The plot developments are highly unlikely and full of coincidences that in many ways are a cheat. The only reason it remains entertaining is because the author has given us such a store of caring for the characters that we just go with it. Had the characters been built with less care, the final portions of the book would be laughably cliched. Fortunately for the reader, they are actually touching,involving and satisfying in many ways. I was aware that I was being force to swallow one unlikely event after another...but I also decided early on that I was OK with it. The book will bring you to tears many times. Parts are heartbreaking. You'll grow very frustrated with many of the characters. But you'll NEVER be bored and you'll never have a problem following the big themes of the book. It aspires to be "literature," but it's so swiftly paced, so carefully observed, and written in such clear, unflowery prose that you'll simply get pulled right in. (Going in to this book, I was worried that it might be overly political...considering our ongoing war in Afghanistan. But other than one very strange, cheap shot at the Reagan administration...it does not wear its politics on its sleeve. Frankly, it convinced me more than ever that we need to stay in Afghanistan and get this proud but frustrating country headed in the right direction.)

Hard read, because of subject. Great book

It’s a very good novel. It was an amazing book to read. Now I wish I could read it for the first time again. It had so many interesting scenes and many heart breaking moments. Perfect.

It’s a nice book, and the quality is decent. I was a bit worried after reading reviews about missing pages, but mine arrived in perfect condition. Just keep in mind that it’s a pocket-sized book, so the font is expectedly small.

One of the best books I've ever read. It was a delightful experience. Although it is a book of fiction, it seems autobiographical, contemplating all the sensibility of whose know how to deal with some of the most sensitive human issues. It contains a so wide repertoire of terms and expressions that delight the reader. It catches the reader's attention from beginning to end. 'Wonderful' is a good word to describe him.

I finished reading “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini a book chosen by our Book Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Concurrently I have just read two novels by Zia Ahmad , “Finding Danyal - A love Story” and “The One Hundred.” I recommend these wonderful story experiences equally as good as "The Kite Runner" A most gratifying reading marathon of these three novels likened to my typical Netflix series binging where I resist ear marking the last page from being so engrossed in finding out what next. Especially during the fast pace of the disturbing scenes of conflict, torture and meanness inflicted on the principal characters contained in all three novels. I grew up with the influx of Pakistani refugees arriving in Toronto Canada in the early 60s, but I did not know anything of why or the scope of their plight or struggles. Zia Ahmad’s writing has inspired me to know more of political devastating disparities of the Anglo Afghanistan wars and Russian penetration. I must say reading these three books one after the other has heaped my head blending, overlapping each story’s’ similar conflicts, betrayals, and flirting friendships to the point of having difficulty keeping them distinct each to its own. Nevertheless, here at my desk writing, recalling, fiddling with the scenes they individually start to filter through. “Finding Danyal”, it was clear from first reading Zia Ahmad’s second published novel that yes, it is a love story. I cried at the end. An indication I felt the emotions the storyteller crafted. Characters evolve from plot twists and disturbing betrayals showing us a controversial unescapable gay love story. All at odds within religious and oppressive constraints of the Arab world in Lahore Pakistan. I relate to Zia’s writing. My own experience discovering love took place in Canada, a different supposedly more tolerant world. But I too struggled with self-identity and societal acceptance confronting the turbulences of coming of age as a gay man. The ending “Finding Danyal” was read causing a feel-good sensation still with me. “The One Hundred”, Zia Ahmad’s first published novel is a different story exposing a historical tragedy in such a way achieving Zia Ahmad’s objective of memorializing the one hundred victims showing a world tolerance and acceptance are human qualities we should honor. But the frantic pace of the scenes with violence, bullying, beating the characters to a pulp was frightening, very real, virtually wanting to cover my eyes. A challenge to read calmly. High drama ending in a tale to be told one “hundred times”. I can see where Zia Ahmad utilized this background to write his second novel “Finding Danyal” with a theme of love. “The Kite Runner”, chosen by our Book club which I read after those of Zia Ahmad. Another reading challenge to cope with the violence, the class conflicts, a brutal rape of a boy, the “running away” of Amir the protagonist, the contrast of righteous Hasan and Amir’s cowardice, test of loyalty and trust, the Taliban cruel enforcement, intense control throughout the story resulting in the blood bath of the Hazaras, - but redemption is achieved when Amir becomes in the end the kite runner. Many plot twists and surprises lead to an unexpected ending far from the outset of the principal characters. I can see why Zia Ahmad studied this book in preparation for his own writing. If you have enjoyed reading “The Kite Runner, I recommend you read Zia Ahmad’s two novels, “Finding Danyal- A love Story” and “The One Hundred”. Both authors equally provide an emotionally haunting, thought-provoking thrilling story experience producing as forceful a message of what it means to be human. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Zia Ahmad’s two novels He is an impressive competent talented writer with engaging story telling style and showing descriptive flow. I truly believe “Finding Danyal” is worthy of a Netflix movie. It is comparable if not better than some I have watched. Well done, Zia Ahmad!

It's a pity in Japan both this book and the movie are not so popular! I understand because I myself was not quite interested even after I happened to read his second novel, but it turned out to be unputdownable! This book was definitely more heart moving than the second book. I just assume how many scenes should be based on his real experience revealing his mixed feeling about his homeland full of sweet and sour memories. And I really want to read it's sequel!