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mhegde's review against another edition
4.0
“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime...” (Hosseini 142).
This quote is an embodiment of The Kite Runner, as the novel’s plot revolves around one decision made by Amir that changes his life forever. The Kite Runner was one of the first historical fiction books that I have ever read, as I mostly stick to science fiction or fantasy books. After multiple people recommended The Kite Runner, I decided to read the book, and I loved it. I found this book to have one of the best examples of character development, as Hosseini ensures that everything Amir experiences affects Amir’s personal progression alongside the plot’s progression and has a clear purpose. Hosseini’s detail, whether about the setting, the events, or the characters, allow Hosseini to have a significant impact on the readers during powerful sections and give the readers the sense that they are truly with the characters in the story. Finally, Hosseini also has incredible symbolism throughout this book, subtly introducing ideas that are later elaborated in further deatil. Just like how Amir thought “...the past claws its way out” (Hosseini 1), every detail, event, and example of symbolism Hosseini uses eventually claws its way out, reappearing in the book once again to affect the plot, surprising the readers time and time again.
The story revolves around Amir and Hassan, two boys who live in Kabul, Afghanistan. Although Amir comes from a rich Pushtan family, and Hassan is a Hazara and in the family of servants for Amir’s family, both of the boys are close friends and inseparable. However, as the boys get older, their friendship is strained. Amir’s love-hate relationship with his father causes him to develop jealousy for Hassan, who Amir’s father treats affectionately. In addition, Hassan has always protected Amir throughout their lives, but when Hassan is in danger, Amir can’t muster up the courage to take action and runs away, and this is due to the fact that Amir views Hassan as competition regarding his father. The jealousy, guilt, and anger from Amir sever their friendship, and Amir and his father travel to America to escape the war while Hassan stays in Afghanistan. However, Amir is always reminded of what happened with him and Hassan, and his guilt drives him to visit Afghanistan one last time, to finally redeem himself for Hassan.
Hosseini masterfully developed Amir as a character and used different themes throughout the book to cause this change. One prominent theme in the book is Amir’s guilt after not saving Hassan. Throughout the book, Amir notices that even if he is in America and Hassan is in Afghanistan, everything he does reminds him of what happened with Hassan. Although Amir tries to forget about his past, the guilt keeps resurfacing in Amir’s thoughts. This guilt affects Amir throughout his life, causing him to doubt his self-worth and to keep being hard on himself, similar to how he blamed himself for his father not loving him. This also reinforces the love-hate relationship Amir has with Hassan: he feels guilty for what he did, but he is angry at Hassan for making him feel guilty in the first place. This guilt leads to another theme, which is the heart of the novel: the search for redemption. This guilt gnaws at Amir and causes him to start questioning whether he is a good person. This theme not only forces Amir to face his past, but also causes Amir to change as a person. As a child, he never stood up for himself, but to redeem himself, Amir finally has to show that he does have the courage to do the right thing.
Hosseini kept the reader engaged throughout the book with his vivid description and suspense. Hosseini provided amazing detail about Afghanistan and the culture present there. He also referenced specific ideas throughout the book for symbolism, such as the lamb in the religion of Islam, and how Amir’s perspective on kites changed throughout the book. Hosseini’s detail of the setting allowed the setting to feel realistic and engaging, and the symbolism added another layer of depth to the plot. These details also help create suspense, and Hosseini generates this with a theme concerning Amir. As mentioned before, Amir is plagued with the guilt of what happened with him and Hassan, and his main conflict is whether he should go back to Afghanistan to redeem himself. This conflict is continuous throughout Amir’s time in America, and Amir’s answer changes from one page to another as he weighs his different options. By revolving around this conflict and making Amir not reach an immediate conclusion, Hosseini encouraged me to turn the page to keep reading to see what happens next.
One thing I really enjoyed in The Kite Runner is the culture Hosseini paints throughout the plot. This was the first book that I have read that is based in Afghanistan, and Hosseini’s incorporation of many aspects of the culture allows the book to be unique. I feel like allowing the culture and religions of Afghans to affect Amir instead of merely including them added more depth to the story as well. This aspect also made me start thinking about how Afghans are portrayed in the media, and how they are represented by Hosseini. While reading the book, Hosseini made the differences between Afghanistan before and after political power shifted to the Taliban clear, and some of the descriptions were outright shocking. This war-torn version of Afghanistan mirrors how Afghanistan is portrayed in the media, and it caused my perception of Afghanistan to change. Although this book is focused on the storyline, I feel like it also teaches the reader of a new place, especially the history and circumstances. It was also interesting to see how this affected Amir and his decisions, as religion, social class, and violence all played significant roles later on in the book and appeared multiple times in significant passages.
Another thing I enjoyed was the realism in this book. I personally enjoy books that are realistic, and everything Hosseini portrays appears this way: the prejudice against Hazaras due to their status, the racial and religious extremism, the violence, and the characters. Discrimination against others due to their social class has been very common throughout history and is still present today. As I mentioned before, Hosseini including these aspects of the culture of Afghanistan adds another layer to the book. Moreover, Hosseini didn’t just add these aspects, but intertwined them with the story and the characters. Although some people have said that the realistic descriptions of violence and society made them feel uncomfortable, I feel like it is much better to be exposed to these important issues. This book can enlighten the readers on complex issues, such as discrimination, forgiveness, and what it means to be a good person. These important current issues are important things that people, especially teenagers, need to learn about, making this book even more interesting.
Overall, I would definitely recommend The Kite Runner to anyone who enjoys reading. Not only does it have an engaging plot and amazing character development, but you will also learn about a new country and culture. Although this book focuses on the storyline and doesn’t have much action, I still found it to be a page-turner, as I found myself caught up in the plot and the characters. Also, I found that this book has lots of genres in it, from romance to action, meaning it will be enjoyable for everyone, especially for those who enjoy character development. This book is short, sweet, and essential for everyone, from teenagers to adults, to read, as you will come away with new knowledge about guilt, life, and what it means to be a good person.
This quote is an embodiment of The Kite Runner, as the novel’s plot revolves around one decision made by Amir that changes his life forever. The Kite Runner was one of the first historical fiction books that I have ever read, as I mostly stick to science fiction or fantasy books. After multiple people recommended The Kite Runner, I decided to read the book, and I loved it. I found this book to have one of the best examples of character development, as Hosseini ensures that everything Amir experiences affects Amir’s personal progression alongside the plot’s progression and has a clear purpose. Hosseini’s detail, whether about the setting, the events, or the characters, allow Hosseini to have a significant impact on the readers during powerful sections and give the readers the sense that they are truly with the characters in the story. Finally, Hosseini also has incredible symbolism throughout this book, subtly introducing ideas that are later elaborated in further deatil. Just like how Amir thought “...the past claws its way out” (Hosseini 1), every detail, event, and example of symbolism Hosseini uses eventually claws its way out, reappearing in the book once again to affect the plot, surprising the readers time and time again.
The story revolves around Amir and Hassan, two boys who live in Kabul, Afghanistan. Although Amir comes from a rich Pushtan family, and Hassan is a Hazara and in the family of servants for Amir’s family, both of the boys are close friends and inseparable. However, as the boys get older, their friendship is strained. Amir’s love-hate relationship with his father causes him to develop jealousy for Hassan, who Amir’s father treats affectionately. In addition, Hassan has always protected Amir throughout their lives, but when Hassan is in danger, Amir can’t muster up the courage to take action and runs away, and this is due to the fact that Amir views Hassan as competition regarding his father. The jealousy, guilt, and anger from Amir sever their friendship, and Amir and his father travel to America to escape the war while Hassan stays in Afghanistan. However, Amir is always reminded of what happened with him and Hassan, and his guilt drives him to visit Afghanistan one last time, to finally redeem himself for Hassan.
Hosseini masterfully developed Amir as a character and used different themes throughout the book to cause this change. One prominent theme in the book is Amir’s guilt after not saving Hassan. Throughout the book, Amir notices that even if he is in America and Hassan is in Afghanistan, everything he does reminds him of what happened with Hassan. Although Amir tries to forget about his past, the guilt keeps resurfacing in Amir’s thoughts. This guilt affects Amir throughout his life, causing him to doubt his self-worth and to keep being hard on himself, similar to how he blamed himself for his father not loving him. This also reinforces the love-hate relationship Amir has with Hassan: he feels guilty for what he did, but he is angry at Hassan for making him feel guilty in the first place. This guilt leads to another theme, which is the heart of the novel: the search for redemption. This guilt gnaws at Amir and causes him to start questioning whether he is a good person. This theme not only forces Amir to face his past, but also causes Amir to change as a person. As a child, he never stood up for himself, but to redeem himself, Amir finally has to show that he does have the courage to do the right thing.
Hosseini kept the reader engaged throughout the book with his vivid description and suspense. Hosseini provided amazing detail about Afghanistan and the culture present there. He also referenced specific ideas throughout the book for symbolism, such as the lamb in the religion of Islam, and how Amir’s perspective on kites changed throughout the book. Hosseini’s detail of the setting allowed the setting to feel realistic and engaging, and the symbolism added another layer of depth to the plot. These details also help create suspense, and Hosseini generates this with a theme concerning Amir. As mentioned before, Amir is plagued with the guilt of what happened with him and Hassan, and his main conflict is whether he should go back to Afghanistan to redeem himself. This conflict is continuous throughout Amir’s time in America, and Amir’s answer changes from one page to another as he weighs his different options. By revolving around this conflict and making Amir not reach an immediate conclusion, Hosseini encouraged me to turn the page to keep reading to see what happens next.
One thing I really enjoyed in The Kite Runner is the culture Hosseini paints throughout the plot. This was the first book that I have read that is based in Afghanistan, and Hosseini’s incorporation of many aspects of the culture allows the book to be unique. I feel like allowing the culture and religions of Afghans to affect Amir instead of merely including them added more depth to the story as well. This aspect also made me start thinking about how Afghans are portrayed in the media, and how they are represented by Hosseini. While reading the book, Hosseini made the differences between Afghanistan before and after political power shifted to the Taliban clear, and some of the descriptions were outright shocking. This war-torn version of Afghanistan mirrors how Afghanistan is portrayed in the media, and it caused my perception of Afghanistan to change. Although this book is focused on the storyline, I feel like it also teaches the reader of a new place, especially the history and circumstances. It was also interesting to see how this affected Amir and his decisions, as religion, social class, and violence all played significant roles later on in the book and appeared multiple times in significant passages.
Another thing I enjoyed was the realism in this book. I personally enjoy books that are realistic, and everything Hosseini portrays appears this way: the prejudice against Hazaras due to their status, the racial and religious extremism, the violence, and the characters. Discrimination against others due to their social class has been very common throughout history and is still present today. As I mentioned before, Hosseini including these aspects of the culture of Afghanistan adds another layer to the book. Moreover, Hosseini didn’t just add these aspects, but intertwined them with the story and the characters. Although some people have said that the realistic descriptions of violence and society made them feel uncomfortable, I feel like it is much better to be exposed to these important issues. This book can enlighten the readers on complex issues, such as discrimination, forgiveness, and what it means to be a good person. These important current issues are important things that people, especially teenagers, need to learn about, making this book even more interesting.
Overall, I would definitely recommend The Kite Runner to anyone who enjoys reading. Not only does it have an engaging plot and amazing character development, but you will also learn about a new country and culture. Although this book focuses on the storyline and doesn’t have much action, I still found it to be a page-turner, as I found myself caught up in the plot and the characters. Also, I found that this book has lots of genres in it, from romance to action, meaning it will be enjoyable for everyone, especially for those who enjoy character development. This book is short, sweet, and essential for everyone, from teenagers to adults, to read, as you will come away with new knowledge about guilt, life, and what it means to be a good person.
cosmas's review against another edition
5.0
Damn April has been a pretty good reading month. This masterpiece is of no exception. I have no words, just a new respect and perspective of a country and group of people. Thank you for this, Khalid Hosseini. It is absolutely everything I didn’t know I needed
davarenee_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
willowsmeanders's review against another edition
4.0
Finally, I have read this thing. And was it good? Mostly. Why? Let’s begin!
Pros
1. Amir as an Anti-Hero. I know that many people hate Amir because he’s very selfish, but —oddly — I think it fleshed him out. While it does become extreme when
2. The grey characters. Everyone did something horrible, even if they’re nice. Grey, indeed.
3. Hassan. Just Hassan. I can’t say more without crying.
4. The emotional moments and the light-hearted moments were nicely balanced.
Cons
1. The writing style. I think there were too many fragment sentences (something that irked me as a Grammar Nazi) and it was slightly dry at times. There were a lot of Farsi words and translations thrown willy-nilly which bothered me. Like when -.5 for that.
2. Instalove with Many look over it as “Afghan culture”, but using this trope is sinful and deserves -1 star. So -1 star.
OVERALL RATING: 3.5 stars
Pros
1. Amir as an Anti-Hero. I know that many people hate Amir because he’s very selfish, but —oddly — I think it fleshed him out. While it does become extreme when
Spoiler
he lets Hassan get screwed, it causes him to feel guilt and redeem himself.2. The grey characters. Everyone did something horrible, even if they’re nice.
Spoiler
Amir betrayed Hassan and let him get raped, Baba slept with Sanaubar after his wife died and conceived Hassan, Rahim Khan kept it a secret, Soraya ran away, etc.3. Hassan. Just Hassan. I can’t say more without crying.
4. The emotional moments and the light-hearted moments were nicely balanced.
Cons
1. The writing style. I think there were too many fragment sentences (something that irked me as a Grammar Nazi) and it was slightly dry at times. There were a lot of Farsi words and translations thrown willy-nilly which bothered me. Like when
Spoiler
Baba warns Amir about “courting” Soraya. He says General Taheri, her dad, had honor and pride, but he used nang and namoos. But he translated IN DIALOGUE! That made me angry.2. Instalove with
Spoiler
Amir and Soraya. One moment Amir’s gushing over her like a creep and she’s unaware of his existence, the next moment they’re married and trying to have a kid.OVERALL RATING: 3.5 stars
crcooper's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hellosunil88's review against another edition
5.0
It's amazing. Takes you through varied range of emotions and mostly you feel the sadness, helplessness how people had gone through in that tumultuous land and especially, it feels so sad children had to go through all that
jhutasingh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, War, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Grief, and Suicide attempt
chicken_tracker's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ritaralha's review against another edition
2.0
O menino de Cabul, pelo que percebi, é uma semi-autobiografia cheia de acontecimentos históricos, bem como as memórias de infância de heróis e vilões.
É uma história de amizade entre rapaz rico e rapaz pobre, das traições, de sacrifícios e de amor, que se pretende arrebatadora, num cenário de guerra e destruição de uma sociedade.
Tinha tudo para agradar, mas houve um pormenor que me incomodou durante toda a leitura:
Onde estão as mulheres?
Pois é, não estão!
Ou melhor, as poucas mulheres que surgem na história estão mortas, desaparecidas ou ausentes.
The disappearance of the woman, Boushra Almutakawel
A mãe de Amir morre no parto, a mãe de Hassan desaparece após o seu nascimento.
A única mulher presente no romance é Soraya que é infértil. Ela é imperfeita porque é despojada da capacidade de conceber crianças. Amir, o seu marido, o homem e o herói, é o que tem a solução: adopta Sohrab.
Analisando com um olhar muito crítico parece que se pretende substituir a maternidade com a paternidade, através da ausência de mães (e mulheres) e da presença de pais (e homens), para fortalecer o patriarcado.
Por este motivo não consigo dar-lhe mais que 2 estrelas.
É uma história de amizade entre rapaz rico e rapaz pobre, das traições, de sacrifícios e de amor, que se pretende arrebatadora, num cenário de guerra e destruição de uma sociedade.
Tinha tudo para agradar, mas houve um pormenor que me incomodou durante toda a leitura:
Onde estão as mulheres?
Pois é, não estão!
Ou melhor, as poucas mulheres que surgem na história estão mortas, desaparecidas ou ausentes.
The disappearance of the woman, Boushra Almutakawel
A mãe de Amir morre no parto, a mãe de Hassan desaparece após o seu nascimento.
A única mulher presente no romance é Soraya que é infértil. Ela é imperfeita porque é despojada da capacidade de conceber crianças. Amir, o seu marido, o homem e o herói, é o que tem a solução: adopta Sohrab.
Analisando com um olhar muito crítico parece que se pretende substituir a maternidade com a paternidade, através da ausência de mães (e mulheres) e da presença de pais (e homens), para fortalecer o patriarcado.
Por este motivo não consigo dar-lhe mais que 2 estrelas.
catonirique's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75