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kmae314's review against another edition
5.0
This is the only book that has made me cry three times, and I was only about halfway through. Can’t wait til I read it again.
rayarriz's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes things happen so fast you have no time to react. Sometimes all we're left with is regret as a terrible reminder. Amir is plagued by inaction. He witnesses something terrible happening to his friend, and does nothing but watch. In a way, he denies it.
War comes, and Amir and his father flee Afghanistan to seek refuge in the States. But Amir is haunted by that night of the kite tournament.
Sins are like shadows: dark, and trailing us wherever we go.
So Amir seeks redemption.
Betrayal is the flipside of loyalty, which is the second chief component of friendship after honesty. By not defending Hassan, Amir ends their friendship. His own guilt forces him away from Hassan, even though his friend - through all his pain, is forgiving.
Touching story of love and forgiveness, of family and friends. (Heartbreaking, moving, and poignant have been used too often to describe stories such as these. Clichéd for the reviewer. I wouldn't have used 'touching' but I don't have my thesaurus on hand!)
Worth a read by everyone.
War comes, and Amir and his father flee Afghanistan to seek refuge in the States. But Amir is haunted by that night of the kite tournament.
Sins are like shadows: dark, and trailing us wherever we go.
So Amir seeks redemption.
Betrayal is the flipside of loyalty, which is the second chief component of friendship after honesty. By not defending Hassan, Amir ends their friendship. His own guilt forces him away from Hassan, even though his friend - through all his pain, is forgiving.
Touching story of love and forgiveness, of family and friends. (Heartbreaking, moving, and poignant have been used too often to describe stories such as these. Clichéd for the reviewer. I wouldn't have used 'touching' but I don't have my thesaurus on hand!)
Worth a read by everyone.
literaryleftie's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good story, and I liked the ending, the freedom that seemed to be felt by the narrator, but I'm not sure if I loved this book like I was hoping I would.
cezbeams's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- what a genuinely incredible book. This book is incredible in every way and I cannot put into words how moved I am by it. The story telling was magnificent, the pace was excellent and the overall story was just incredible. Not something I’ve ever read before and definitely not my usual genre but it will always be one of my favourite books ever. I think there is a stigma around Afghanistan and I definitely had my own versions of it in my head but the author managed to portray it in the beginning as a very beautiful place (which I believe it would have been) whilst also showing its wretchedness during taliban rule. Constant twists and turns throughout the book that I did not guess. Truly a work of art.
a_jayne222's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
adeselnaferreira's review against another edition
4.0
The Kite Runner is a fascinating story that conquers us in the end. The plot leaves the reader with a nostalgic taste and the story set in Hosseini’s home country becomes our story. It’s not unexpected that Middle East authors do great in Portugal. Just like the Portuguese people, they also possess a certain nostalgia, a wish that the present was somehow more like their past. Just like the Portuguese rely on their past glories, Hosseini summons the sweetness and joy of Afghanistan without the presence of the Taliban and without the nightmare that the afghan people went through. There is a harmony between The Rooftops of Tehran and The Kite Runner, even if the story takes place in different countries. The narrative style relying on the memories of a pacific childhood goes against a turbulent adolescence and then manhood filled with ghosts.
The Kite Runner characters accompany this decadence. The characters show the beauty of the landscapes at the same time that they describe the destruction of their country and subsequently their memories. Amir and Hassan represent two opposite worlds. Amir comes from a rich family and Hassan, descendent from the Hazara people, serves Amir.
Amir sins and makes the wrong decision when trying to please his father, Baba; trying to be the best and to get some recognition from him. However, his relationship with Hassan often swings between servitude and friendship and we find that in the middle of a ill and destroyed Afghanistan, society does not matter, war does not matter, what matters is keeping the memories of the past and the people who contributed for those memories. Then, suddenly, we read a story of redemption, hope and happiness.
Unlike Portuguese Authors, Middle East authors finish their stories with a message of hope to the future. Maybe because they really believe that one day that future will change their childhood country and innocence will be a reality to their children. They represent the future that deserves to be saved. Our country is always the best, it can be led by corrupts or it can become something we despise so much that we need to seek a new home. But through Amir, Hosseini shows that our country, our home remains in our heart and it does not matter if we are mistreated by it. Our heart is where our home is and no one can steal what is inside our heart, even if our home is not what once used to be and we are many miles away from home.
The Kite Runner is a Bildungsroman that leaves us daydreaming about a place that no longer exists, that is nothing but memories inside our characters that probably did exist.
This is the story of three boys, where each one of them suffered from the change, racism and abandonment. Just like Hosseini, we also dream of a pacific Afghanistan, one where there is no violence on the streets, where children can run with their kites.
The answer for that hope will only come when next generations, those who will return to their homeland despite everything, take their country back to the glories of their past described in these pages.
The Kite Runner characters accompany this decadence. The characters show the beauty of the landscapes at the same time that they describe the destruction of their country and subsequently their memories. Amir and Hassan represent two opposite worlds. Amir comes from a rich family and Hassan, descendent from the Hazara people, serves Amir.
Amir sins and makes the wrong decision when trying to please his father, Baba; trying to be the best and to get some recognition from him. However, his relationship with Hassan often swings between servitude and friendship and we find that in the middle of a ill and destroyed Afghanistan, society does not matter, war does not matter, what matters is keeping the memories of the past and the people who contributed for those memories. Then, suddenly, we read a story of redemption, hope and happiness.
Unlike Portuguese Authors, Middle East authors finish their stories with a message of hope to the future. Maybe because they really believe that one day that future will change their childhood country and innocence will be a reality to their children. They represent the future that deserves to be saved. Our country is always the best, it can be led by corrupts or it can become something we despise so much that we need to seek a new home. But through Amir, Hosseini shows that our country, our home remains in our heart and it does not matter if we are mistreated by it. Our heart is where our home is and no one can steal what is inside our heart, even if our home is not what once used to be and we are many miles away from home.
The Kite Runner is a Bildungsroman that leaves us daydreaming about a place that no longer exists, that is nothing but memories inside our characters that probably did exist.
This is the story of three boys, where each one of them suffered from the change, racism and abandonment. Just like Hosseini, we also dream of a pacific Afghanistan, one where there is no violence on the streets, where children can run with their kites.
The answer for that hope will only come when next generations, those who will return to their homeland despite everything, take their country back to the glories of their past described in these pages.
maryme111's review against another edition
informative
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
the_schaef's review against another edition
5.0
All of us have issues that we regret from our past. All of us have complex relationships and disappointments with our parents at some point when we see their imperfections. The author writes a wonderful story of intense personal conflict in a disastrous situation, and created a hugely personal and emotional encounter that we can all relate with. I was shocked more than once by turns of events and had a full cry several times. When an author is able to render such strong emotions, it is the sign of an excellent story. This is a great story to get in touch with ourselves and to also have a better appreciation for the terror and destruction that the Taliban created.
bbog's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
4.0
Very sad at points yet quite inspiring