The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Introduction

The kite runner is written by Khaled Hosseini an Afghan-American novelist. The novel was the number one best seller for 2005 in the United States of America. The Kite Runner has been adapted into a film of the same name which was released in December 2007. As a coin has two sides The book has also has received hatred from different parts of the world and also the movie is banned in many countries. So, coming back to the book:
A gripping story of betrayal and redemption, The Kite Runner had me thrilled and moved, both at the same time.

About the Plot

Set in 1970s Afghanistan, it is a story of two friends Amir and Hassan. Amir a rich Pashtun boy and Hassan the son of their servant. Amir who is quite desperate to win the local kite tournament has Hassan as his successful kite runner who is commendable at his job and can know the exact place where the kite can land even without looking at it. Assef a sadist half Pashtun boy plans to hurt Amir but Hassan being a true friend saves him for the first time but ends up being a victim of his violence the next time. Amir witnessed the whole mishap and being super scared starts maintaining Distance and plants his father’s belonging in Hassan’s room to make him go away from his life. After the Russian’s invasion in Afghanistan, Amir and his father flee from Afghanistan to California to start a new life.

My thoughts

The book has a very slow story and is mostly about Amir’s quest for redemption – righting the wrongs he committed all those years ago as a boy in Kabul.Overall the book holds the essence of Hassan and Amir’s friendship and sacrifices. At points the book is quite devastating but surely is inspiring. It moves you in a way that you find yourself in the picture, as if you’re not reading but actually living the story which is something I believe Khalid Hosseini has mastered the art of writing. To everyone looking for some deep read and a shakespearean tale of bonding. The message behind the very ending could be interpreted differently by different readers, but personally I feel that it offers a small sense of hope for both the future of its characters, and perhaps for war-torn Afghanistan as well.
The book is a must read.

By: Muskaan Gulati