The Kite Runner

*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!

The Kite Runner is a poignant historical fiction tale set against Afghanistan’s turbulent backdrop, following Amir, a boy wrestling with guilt and loyalty, and his steadfast friend Hassan. The coming-of-age journey of Amir, Hassan, and later Sohrab gripped me—father-son drama, Hassan’s selfless sacrifice, and Amir’s hard-won redemption hit all my sweet spots. The historical weave and emotional stakes, like gaining a father’s fleeting approval or overcoming betrayal, shone bright. Yet, some turns—like a villain’s convenient reappearance—stretched believability, piling on drama when subtlety might’ve sufficed. The prose, while clear and engaging, lacked the lyrical flow I crave, though it never bogged down. This story surprised me, delivering more depth and heart than I’d expected—a near-perfect blend of what I love in a book. Standout lines linger: “I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night,” and “A man who has no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer.”

The Kite Runner is a book that I debated reading for a far longer time than it took me to actually read it. The book was so wildly popular, especially among book clubs and other clusters of bibliophiles, that I had little choice but to give it attention. Many times as I would peruse the shelves at the bookstore I would see The Kite Runner. Each time this happened I would pick up a copy and hold it in my hands. I would read the back of the book, which displays a synopsis provided from a review rather than from the publisher, and really try the book on. What I found each time was that it did not fit, if I may continue the metaphor.It was at the advice of two readers I know that I finally bought a copy of The Kite Runner. They both, on separate occassions, heard what I detailed above about how the book and I seemed to have creative differences; "it does not sound like a book I would enjoy," I told them both. "Read it. I did for my book club and really enjoyed it," was what they both said in reply. And so I did.I found the synopsis, which talks so much of the power struggle between Russia and Afghanistan and then the portrait of the current state of affairs in Afghanistan to be irrelevant through the first half of the book. I had been worried about the synopsis because I have not met a book that talks of political conflict that I have enjoyed. I read to be entertained by something a little...lighter than the subject of politics. You may think me odd for that, or you may agree, at least in part. That which had me concerned was presented in a manner secondary to the story. The conflict was the setting of the book, not the subject. The subject is and always was Amir, a boy with whom we see the years pass after he makes his way to America. He struggles to leave his past behind while other immigrants around him pay particular attention so as to not lose theirs. It may not be as easy as he had hoped to start over in America.Much in the same way the two who had recommended the book to me had created a situation in which they felt somewhat obligated to read the book (their respective book clubs), I manufactured a similar reason for myself.Having now read The Kite Runner I feel comfortable suggesting it to others, though you need not make up an excuse to read it. read it because you are in search of a story that will, among other things, grip your heart and soul, squeezing a little at times, while you read. Read it because it educates in the ways of another culture, deserving as they all do, to be recognized. Read it because you want to know what past Amir wants to leave behind when he comes to America and if he is finally able to do just that.I cannot say that The Kite Runner is to be raved about, but it is a beautiful story that made for a good read. I was pleasantly surprised by The Kite Runner. Despite the popularity of the book, I still consider it a diamond in the rough, when the rough is endless shelves at the bookstore. The Kite Runner is a relatively short book and a quick read. I hope you enjoy it. I think you will.