Antony's Library #4 - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Started Reading: 24th February 2016
Finished Reading: 30th March 2016
Number of Pages: 353
Published: February 2009
This review may contain spoilers. You have been warned!
Educational books are not limited to the non-fiction section of the library. I believe that there are many books that can educate the reader on any particular topic and get a message across within the story that they are telling. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is one of those books.
It starts off set in the 1960s Afghanistan, it was fascinating to read about their culture and traditions at that time. The main character is the narrator, Amir, who is telling the reader about his life starting from when he was 11 or 12. He had a rich father who was socially very high up and had a servant family consisting of a man that the father had grown up with and the mans son, Hassan who is the same age as Amir.
Tragically, Hassan ends up getting raped by some bullies and Amir witnesses the whole thing but does nothing. He feels so guilty that he ends up pushing Hassan away to the point that he and his father have to move out. It was so sad because up until this point we had seen the wonderful (and somewhat unlikely) friendship that these two had. Hassan was so loyal that he would do anything for Amir even after the rift formed between them.
But then time jumps forward a few times, Amir and his father being smuggled out of Afghanistan; their life in America; his wedding; his father's death and the fact that he can not have children with his wife. I was surprised by how much it was progressing through time and was intrigued as to how it was going to link back to Hassan (who was the apparent 'Kite Runner'). I was shocked by how much and how quickly it was jumping forward in time. I didn't know that that was going to happen and at times I did lose track as to how old Amir was or what year it was.
Then he is recalled to Afghanistan by an old friend of his father. Here we see life under the Taliban and tragedy of it all.
I won't spoil everything, but there is a major twist at this point which results in Amir having to save Hassan's son from an orphanage and the clutches of a Taliban.
This was a massive reveal which was so beautifully executed and one that I definitely didn't see coming.
Then there is the climatic fight which was excellent, it was at this point that after all these decades, Amir finally got closure over what happened with Hassan. Even after the climax, just when you thought it was over, they have one more adventure which then ends in a way that nearly brought a tear to my eye.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It is a roller-coaster of emotion. I have been recommended "A Thousand Splendid Suns" which is by the same author and I will definitely give that a read in the future.
Next Book
Going for something very different with The Teacher by Katerina Diamond.