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A review by lydiature_
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
ok so confession: i tried reading this last year but i dnfd right when amir saw what happened to hassan. SA is such a difficult and sensitive subject in general and i (back then) couldn’t grapple with the fact that the main character basically saw someone getting assaulted and wouldn’t say anything. so i dnfd.
cue a couple of days ago. i saw the physical book at the thrift store for 50 cents and i was like 👀 i’m a simple girl. if i see a book (especially a cheap one), i will buy. so i bought it and i decided to try it again like 2 days ago.
this is one of the most heartbreaking books i have read in a long time. it was uncomfortable all the way through. especially since cruelty and all its nuances were explored in various ways. we have the cruelty of assef (the main bully. may god punish his soul) and the taliban, which is more overt and dark. we have the cruelty of cowards, like amir who watches a life altering event occur. in this story, there are victims, abusers, cowards, and everything else in between. sometimes, characters play all roles at the same time. such is life. sometimes, we might wish to be the hero, but like amir, we might realize that there are shades to heroes. it isn’t so black and white like people tell us.
even though i despise amir for what he didn’t do, i felt myself empathizing with him later on. i never excused his act, but i commended him on his actions later on. and that’s what the author i think was trying to convey. being a hero, coward, and abuser aren’t so clear cut.
i was honestly surprised by this story. it kept exceeding my expectations. i felt so many emotions and deep connection with the characters, despite the very difficult subject matter. i’m so happy that i gave this another shot. i’m definitely adding this author to my “automatic buy” list.
cue a couple of days ago. i saw the physical book at the thrift store for 50 cents and i was like 👀 i’m a simple girl. if i see a book (especially a cheap one), i will buy. so i bought it and i decided to try it again like 2 days ago.
this is one of the most heartbreaking books i have read in a long time. it was uncomfortable all the way through. especially since cruelty and all its nuances were explored in various ways. we have the cruelty of assef (the main bully. may god punish his soul) and the taliban, which is more overt and dark. we have the cruelty of cowards, like amir who watches a life altering event occur. in this story, there are victims, abusers, cowards, and everything else in between. sometimes, characters play all roles at the same time. such is life. sometimes, we might wish to be the hero, but like amir, we might realize that there are shades to heroes. it isn’t so black and white like people tell us.
even though i despise amir for what he didn’t do, i felt myself empathizing with him later on. i never excused his act, but i commended him on his actions later on. and that’s what the author i think was trying to convey. being a hero, coward, and abuser aren’t so clear cut.
i was honestly surprised by this story. it kept exceeding my expectations. i felt so many emotions and deep connection with the characters, despite the very difficult subject matter. i’m so happy that i gave this another shot. i’m definitely adding this author to my “automatic buy” list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, War, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault