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By: Zach R.

At first I didn’t want to read Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, it’s not normally a book I would like to read but after a few chapters I kept wanting to know what was next. The book is a perfect book for an in class reading assignment. There is a lot to talk about and a lot going on.

Set in Afghanistan the story is about a young Amir and his friend Hassan who is his Hazara. Living life through Amir you get to see him grow up and go through difficult times between his dad’s approval and problems between friends. Amir is born to a privileged family yet really does nothing significant with his life except turn his mind and make himself something he is not, a coward.

It is a good book to read for class but I wouldn’t have read it for any other reason. It shows a good history lesson on Afghanistan from the 70’s to current day. Also showing the strict rule of the Taliban and the nonsense they believe in.

Personally I wish there would have been more to the ending not just how it is ended up almost from nothing. But the author has a great way of building up suspense and calming things down when needed. The story is very believable in the since that it already happened.

 

By: Devin Gerhart (Iowa)

       Kite runner is a book that shows how you should never give up, friendship, should never die, and you should always stay loyal no matter how the circumstances get. Khaled Hosseini went into depth about how life was in Afghanistan in this time period which is; during World War II all the way through September 11 2001. At first this novel starts in Afghanistan but it moves to the United States during this novel.

 

       It is based around Amir, a pastune boy "The Narrator" and Hassan "Amir's Servant" who have this big secret that is ripping Amir apart. Baba, Amir's dad is a very wealthy man in Kabul, and Ali, Hassan's dad who grew up with Baba and is now Baba's servant along with his son. Hassan is a hazara boy who has a cleft lip, Ali is a hazaran man that has polio and his wife ran out on him and Hassan a week after Hassan was born. Then there is Assef the protagonist, he his about 3 years older then Hassan and Amir and he is a pastune like Amir.

 

            I thought this book was decent but the ending was not very good. It could have had a lot more but it didn’t. If I was the author I would have added two or three more chapters to make this book complete. It ended on a blah ending. Other then that the book was good, it covered all of the areas it even depicted the background of the time frame. It also showed the hardships for the people in the time.

 

            I would rate this book a three out of five star. All the reviews I read gave this book a four or five. It is a little over rated I don’t understand how they think the book is so good when the ending is so incomplete. I mean I am not a writer or an annual reader but when I do read I expect the ending of all things to be the best not what I think was the worse part of the entire book.

 

            This book has a few action parts but over all id say the tone is somber and loving. Most the action parts are ether about the war in the background or the fight between a few of the characters. This is more of a friendship book it has to do with Amir and Hassan’s secret once it comes about.

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Kite Runner Summary (Meredith -- Iowa)

            Hosseini’s brilliantly shocking novel, The Kite Runner, is a fictional story about loyalty and friendship. The Kite Runner is about a boy, Amir, and his life growing up in Afghanistan.

            In the novel, Amir is telling his story bout growing up with his servant/ best friend Hassan and his father Baba. Baba doesn’t pay attention to Amir or support him writing stories. Hassan does everything for Amir and is very loyal to him. A conflict occurs when Amir witnesses Hassan “getting hurt” and doesn’t help him or tells anyone about it. Amir feels guilty and decides the best way to get over his guilt is to not be around or talk to Hassan anymore. While all of this is occurring, Afghanistan is being taken over by the Taliban and is becoming a very dangerous place to live, especially for Hassan’s religion. People are sneaking out of the country and leaving everything they own behind just to save their own lives.

            I am a seventeen-year-old junior at Southeast Polk High School in Iowa. I read this book for an English class called Popular Fiction. I expected The Kite Runner to be a long, boring, pointless book that I would not enjoy. Boy was I wrong! Now, I am not    the type of person who loves to read and would spend my free time reading, but this novel was so thrilling and exciting that I could not put it down. The Kite Runner makes me realize how good my life is in America, and that made me enjoy the novel even more.

            The Kite Runner is mainly realistic, but some of the characters, such as Hassan, are considered to be unrealistic in America. This novel is very suspenseful and shocking. Slow-paced page turning would be a way I would describe it. Hosseini did a great job at making this a powerfully written book that almost anyone would have a difficult time putting down.

            In the story, Hassan is unrealistic by taking the fault and punishments for Amir. Most people in this world would not get there self into a fight that they have no chance of winning for a friend. I wish the author would have let Hassan tell Amir to fight his own battles for once, it would have made Hassan more realistic and I could have related to him more. The ending could have been better if the author would have added another page or two; it is much to brief! Writing the story from Hassan’s perspective instead of Amir’s might have made the novel more interesting and show what Hassan was thinking during certain chapters in the story, but I enjoyed reading it from Amir’s perspective.

            The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a novel that shows the importance of having a real loyal friendship. One of the questions made me ask myself was what would I do if I grew up in a war zone like Afghanistan? High school students should read this book to help them not take advantage of their freedom they have in America. I would recommend The Kite Runner to anyone who wants to read a powerful, shocking novel that will blow he/she away.

 

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E.Denning (Iowa)

 

             The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is more than a book about Afghan life before and during the Taliban’s rule over the country of Afghanistan. It’s a historical fiction novel with themes of love, relationships between families and friends, betrayal and above all redemption. Although the topics the book covers are anything but lighthearted, Hosseini does a great job painting a picture of a country’s downfall alongside relationships we could all relate to.

            The book follows a main character, Amir, through his childhood in Kabul in the first half of the book. Amir is the son of a respected and wealthy businessman, Baba, and overall lives a very privileged lifestyle. Amir’s best friend, Hassan, is an unlikely one. Hassan belongs to a much lower class than Amir, and is a servant to him and Baba with his father, Ali. When Amir constantly questioning why he would be friends with someone “beneath” him and Hassan’s undying loyalty to Amir combines it ultimately leads to a horrible turn of events that lead to Amir’s betrayal of Hassan and an ending to both of their childhoods. With Amir racked with guilt, he is taken on a long journey to redemption to make up for what he did when he was just a boy.

            Being a senior in high school, I didn’t really expect much from a book assigned to me in class. I’d heard about the book before, but only knew it was about Afghanistan. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized it wasn’t completely based on history, but had a beautifully written story to tell behind that. Even though the book became predictable, and the irony drawn between some of the characters by the end seemed incredibly lucky, it still kept my interest to the very end, and I thought about the characters and how they were now long after I put the book down.

            Although I believe it was important for a masculine point of view considering the main character was a man, I was hoping for a feminine character to play more of a role in the book. With both Hassan and Amir’s mothers being gone, and Amir’s wife being present for a short time, it made it a little harder for females to relate to. Also, the ending left the reader to fill in their own conclusion, which works for most books but not in this one. I feel after taking such a long journey to redemption with Amir we needed more of a solid ending than an open-ended one.

            The Kite Runner shows readers that redemption is possible for those who seek it out, as one of the books more prominent quotes shows, “There is a way to be good again” (2 Hosseini) It also shows the past doesn’t always stay the past. However, I don’t think that teenagers younger than sixteen would enjoy the book as much as an older teen or adult would. This book requires a high maturity level to be fully appreciated.

 

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Sara S.(Iowa)

 

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini was a book filled with racism, love, and pure hate. All these emotions and thoughts are brought together to create the full understanding of the events surrounding true life in Afghanistan. The author wrote this story to represent the theme of, “redemption.” In this novel more than once this theme is represented through many examples.

            In the beginning of this story the lives of Hassan, a loyal Hazara servant, and Amir, a selfish yet confused young Pashtun, are told through the many adventures the two have together in Kabul. Throughout these adventures life is seen through the view of Amir. He can have whatever he desires, but the love and appreciation of his father. While Hassan gets everything Amir could wish for. Amir is always trying to be patient but his pride and jealousy get in the way and you see these emotions through his thoughts. After Amir makes a huge mistake, Hassan moves away and that is the last time they ever see each other. Throughout his life Amir tries to redeem himself and live through the guilt that haunts him day and night. Until one day he gets a call that tells him “There is a way to be good again,” (Hosseini 2). But he will have to leave America and go back to Afghanistan to reveal the country he once knew.

            This uplifting, yet haunting novel was very powerful to read as a fifteen year old student in a Popular Fiction class. I learned about the true hardships involved in the Afghanistan world. I enjoyed this book to the most part. The author’s attention to detail was outstanding, and it made me feel like I was actually involved in the events. The only reason I disliked this book is because it was very predictable. I continually guessed what was going to happen. So I was never surprised or had the feeling of suspense. It also seemed unreal; everything was blown way out of proportion compared to real life.

            Many people believe that redemption is always possible. While others argue that it depends on the crime committed. For example, in the novel Assef, is a horrible and unscrupulous character, who commits unbelievable and inhumane crimes. Most readers believe that he is not deserving of redemption even if he tries to find it. The question continually discussed is, is redemption possible for everyone?

            This book should be read by everyone, when they enter high school. This book describes life in different worlds. It may be extreme for younger children because of all the profanity but it describes real life. It doesn’t cover up the true things with a happy feeling just to make the reader happy. It makes you think about life and death in a different perspective. This book will truly help strengthen the understandings of the atrocities of war.

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Allison B. (Iowa)

 

 

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini tells the tale of a young boy named Amir who grows up financially well off in pre-Russian invasion Afghanistan. The story follows the friendship of Amir and Hassan, whose fathers, Baba and Ali, are also long time friends. Among the plot of the book, the theme, redemption is possible, is very apparent throughout the book.

            Amir, the son of Baba, and Hassan, who is the son of Ali, Baba’s servant, were childhood friends though Amir would not admit it. The friendship between these two is not accepted in society because Amir is a Pashtun and Hassan is a Hazara. This book is told through Amir’s eyes, who happens to be 12 at the beginning of the story. The morose story follows Amir as he grows up, moves from Afghanistan to Pakistan to America, and tries to hide a secret that no one knows.

            When I first picked up this book for my Popular Fiction class, I didn’t think it would be that good, given the name Kite Runner. But, as I got into the story and starting relating a little to the characters, it became a page-turner.  Throughout this book, the plot was very intriguing, but towards the end, it seemed as if the author was having too much fun inflicting obstacles upon Amir. The situations that the characters had to go through were unrealistic and far-fetched. All-in-all, my expectations for this book were exceeded enormously.

            There were a couple of characters who were believable in this story. Baba and Amir were very realistic in that they actually had flaws and showed emotions. When they were angry or happy, you could tell unlike the others, like Hassan, who was so loyal to Amir that he rarely showed his true emotions. One of the times that Hassan revealed his feelings was when Amir was reading him a story and started throwing pomegranates at Hassan. After he threw a couple, Amir vehemently yelled at Hassan to throw one at him. Hassan did not oblige, but simply took one and crushed it against his forehead. ‘“There,” he croaked, red dripping down his face like blood. “Are you satisfied? Do you feel better?” ’ (Khaled Hosseini 93). This shows that Hassan did have feelings but he rarely showed them which makes him an unreal character that not many can relate to.

            The word choice and imagery the author chose was very effective and descriptive. The scenes he described were different from the way I always viewed Afghanistan, which made the story more interesting.  Some of the scenes were too wordy and descriptive which made parts of the book drawn-out and slow-paced.

            This book leaves readers with many questions about the world and the people in it. Is redemption possible? Is there such thing as true evil in the world? When do you need to stick up for people and when do you just look away? All these questions are brought up in this book which makes it a good story to have someone to discuss it with. I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about joining or creating a book club or has someone to discuss it with. All-in-all this book will not let you down in plot, characters, or suprises.

 

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                                                                                                                                                 L.Wheeler

THE KITE RUNNER REVIEW

 

     “Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, has been one of the most popular books out in bookstores since its release. This book is a biography and dramatic story about a young Afghan boy, Amir, and his betrayal against his best friend, Hassan. This book is heart wrenching, and teaches its readers about the importance of being a true and loyal friend.

     Taking place in Afghanistan, the story is told by the main character, Amir, the son of Baba, both wealthy Pashtuns, and Hassan, the son of Ali, their Hazara servants. Amir and Hassan are kite running, best friends until the day a horrible tragedy and a choice Amir makes, turns their lives around. The struggle of his choice will cause Amir to live with the guilt of his decision of pushing away his best friend, and memory of the life he had in Afghanistan after he is forced to move to America. “Kite Runner” takes us through the events of Amir’s life and his journey to redeem and make himself good again.

     As a seventeen year old student, I had to read this book for my popular fiction class. Before beginning this novel I was disappointed in the choice my teacher made for us to read “Kite Runner.” I figured it was just going to be about the lifestyle of Afghanistan with boring historical facts, which does not interest me. As I began reading, however, the book started getting me hooked. At certain times it was hard to put the book down because I was eager to know what happens in the next chapter. Overall, the book was okay, in my opinion. There were times when I lost interest and there were scenes that were too raw for my liking. This book captures a good lesson for all people, nonetheless.

     Author, Khaled Hosseini did an excellent job creating characters in this book that were mostly realistic and believable. Like any good book, it is going to consist of both suspenseful and dull moments. Hosseini did a good job having both of these. When excitement was not happening, I gained information about the geography of Afghanistan and saw more in depth about the characters feelings. I especially liked how descriptive Khaled was in “Kite Runner.” When describing parts of Afghanistan I could envision it as if I was there, along with, knowing exactly what the characters looked like. Hosseini is a powerful writer; I wouldn’t change any part of his book.

      I would recommend “Kite Runner” for anyone high school age and older. Some readers would argue with the author’s message in this story that “there is always a way to be good again” (Hosseini 192). I would have to agree with the author though because this book does a good job proving that even with our faults, there is some way we can always make things right. We have all had our Amir moment, whether it was a big deal or little, overtime, we realize we want to make ourselves right.

 

 

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C.

The Kite Runner Review

 

Novel writer, Khaled Hosseini achieved in his first novel what some authors out 

there are shooting for during their entire writing career. The Kite Runner is a popular 

and high rated book, read in book clubs, in classes at school, known all over the world 

and has become a number one fiction seller. Each page is telling its own story of a bond 

between two boys, even deeper ties, and the long road to redemption. 

 

            The story is told from one of the young boy characters, Amir. The reader follows 

memories from his childhood adventures in Afghanistan with his best friend Hassan, up 

until his adult and married life in a new country. Amir and Hassan are friends with such 

strong loyalty, as best friends and as master and servant. Hassan and Amir reside together 

in a upper-class house in Afghanistan owned by Amir’s father, Baba. Hassan and his 

father, Ali, are of different ethnicity to Baba and Amir and work as their servants. They 

are servants by tradition but are friends by choice. Growing up alongside each other, the 

boys seem as if they are inseparable until the twists and turns of the novel begin. 

Changing times and tragic events leave each character fending for himself. All else is left 

to be saved. With a mixture of tones, the story leaves readers feeling compassion, anger, 

sympathy and by the end of the novel rooting for a hero. 

 

            For me, being 17 and the lack of books ever read on my shelves, this book 

surprised even someone like myself. I found myself a few times skipping ahead and 

reading more than just the one chapter I was assigned for class the next day. Some 

flashbacks and times in the book were a struggle to read, but past those points, the fiction 

book was a page turner. From the vast details I could imagine each character, from the 

way they talk even to their bone structure, which made for a much better read. The words 

were of easy reading capable for anyone and the small doses of Farsi language strewn 

throughout the book gives a sense of culture. I ended up learning about Afghanistan’s 

history and language in a story line, which compelled me to be more open-minded and 

interested towards their way of life. The only thing I could comment on that lost me was 

the many unrealistic plots placed near the end of the book. With those mentioned, the 

novel was insightful and interesting for anyone to read with viewer discretion due to a 

few scenes that could be unsuitable to some readers. I would advise discussing if the 

book is right for you to read because I’m sure for some it isn’t. 

 

Coming near the end with such suspenseful chapters makes closing the book leave 

the reader wishing for a chapter more, a future look, a hint of closure to such a dramatic 

ending. Days later and I still want to ask the characters last minute questions! :]

 

 

 

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Nora A

Kite Runner

 

Khaled Hosseini’s book, The Kite Runner, is a book about friendship and redemption.  Amir, the main character, is a son of a wealthy business man in Afghanistan, a Pashtun. He befriends Hassan, the son of his father’s servant, a Hazara.  They become like brothers growing up together. The title of the book refers to a competition where children fly kites with strings of broken glass and try to cut other flying kites. The kite runner is the child who runs and receives the last kite cut by the champion. Hosseini’s book tells a story of the relationship between a kite flyer and a kite runner.

 

The story starts off in Afghanistan before the Russian invasion. The book tells of what life was like in Afghanistan through Amir and Hassan, two young boys growing up at that time. When the Russians invaded Afghanistan, Amir and his father fled to America. Amir left Hassan and the memory of his sins in Afghanistan.  The rest of the book is about Amir finding redemption for his past. “There is a way to be good again,” (Hosseini pg. 192)

 

The reason I read this book was for a high school class. I enjoyed reading this book. It was suspenseful and I just wanted to keep reading. Hosseini gave good imagery through his very descriptive details. The book however, did start out slow but as it continued it picked up momentum and was hard to put down. This book was very interesting to me because it told of life in Afghanistan. I have never really known what it was like there and it was very interesting to me to read about it. I feel that the book was well written, but I would improve it by adding more to the ending. What was it like five years after it? Ten years? I feel that the book would have had a greater impact on me if Hosseini did that.

 

I enjoyed reading The Kite Runner and I would recommend it to anyone to read. It is an easy read that is suspenseful and different. With all the conflict occurring now in the Middle East, The Kite Runner tells what life is like in Afghanistan, and I recommend reading it.

 

 

 

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                                                                        Nic P.

                                                                                                           

 

 

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a book about redemption set in Afghanistan. I think the book was written to show a little history about Afghanistan as well. The book talks about the relationship Amir and his best friend Hassan have and how it changes through time.

 

 

          In the story we hear about the relationships of many characters, including Amir and his father Baba, and Hassan and his father Ali. The book is told through the perspective of Amir, the main character throughout the story. The book gives a cheerful tone at times, but can become depressing as well. The setting of this story is early 1970’s Afghanistan to modern day Afghanistan, following the events of the Taliban and their ethnic cleansing of the Hazaras. The goal of the main character is to redeem himself after he makes a grave mistake as a child.

 

 

          I am 16 years old and I really enjoyed the book as a whole, though I felt the ending was lacking. I read the book for popular fiction class. I’ve heard people talk about it and that it is a good book, and I love to read, so I had high expectations for the book. In the end it met most of my expectations.

 

 

          The writing style is like nothing I’ve read before. The first half of the book is a flashback perspective, but later on it became a little difficult to tell if it was still a flashback or not. I liked the book because it had a great story that some people can relate to, and had some good historical events that I had never heard about before. Some characters such as Hassan and Assef are a little unbelievable, but I’ve read more unbelievable characters before. There were times where I was ready to put the book down and take a nap, but not many. Most of it wanted me to keep reading so I could find out what happens next.

 

 

          The book makes you think about some things. Such as is there really anyone in the world purely good like Hassan or pure evil like Assef?   Something like that make you think in the book.

 

 

          I think most people who like to read should read this book. It has a lot of historical events in it but also has a fictional story as well. At times it got a little inappropriate but I really think it’s a good book for high school.

 

 

 

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Catherine M.

The Kite Runner Review

 

 

     Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is an amazing story about a family who holds many secrets and fights for redemption.

     The Kite Runner tells about many relationships like Amir and Hassan. Amir is the son of Baba and Hassan is the son of Ali, Baba's Hazara servant. The two boy have a strong relationshp that many people in Afghanistan would not. The fact that Amir is Pashtun and of higher classmeans he is not supposed to befriend Hazaras like Hassan.The story also follows the life of Baba's business friend, Rahim Khan.

     This serious sometimes humorous story takes off with Amir telling about his life in Afghanistan until he and Baba flee to the U.S. and get a house in California. Many friends are left behind. Soon, Amir goes on in life and marries. Everything seems to be back together. He even follows his life dream of being a writer. The past still haunts him throughout his life and at some point it calls and he has a chance for redemption. This is what he wants more that anything in the world.

     My opinion of this great book is that it shows anyone can redeem themselves but it is hard work. This story shows man relationships that have been torn and somehow stitched back together. Also, I like how things from the past have a way of reappearing. The motifs are great. There is a lot of irony in this story too. Also, a great quality of The Kite Runner is that it is not predictable. The story is never ruined because you will never expect what happens next.

     This is the kind of story I like and would enjoy reading many more times. I would suggest The Kite Runner for anyone to read. I think it would be good for high school students and adults. I love the way the characters are all well connected somehow and the secrets are deep within them. With all these secrets there is still love and family overall. This is also a great book to learn how others live and what has happened in the past. It is great how you can read a good story but still learn new things. This book is awesome! READ IT! 

     

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Angelica Ippolito

2/18/09

P4

 

Kite Runner Review

 

Kite Runner is a story of friendship, loyalty, and bravery, set in Afghanistan. It was written by Khaled Hosseini and is historical fiction. The main character, Amir, has an inner struggle with himself; he has trouble being loyal to his friend, Hassan, and doesn't have a very strong back bone. Throughout this serious, yet up-lifting novel, Amir's bravery shows through and you finally see his cowardice slowly dissipate.

Amir is raised by his father, Baba. They have two very loyal servants, Ali and Hassan. Ali has been friends with Baba since they were very young, and, living together, Hassan and Amir have developed an odd kind of friendship. On the day of Hassan's birth, seeing the cleft lip of her new born baby, Hassan's mother, Sanaubar, fled her home and ran away with gypsies.

Another honorable character in Kite Runner is a good friend of Baba's, Rahim Khan. He tries to teach Amir good qualities and is always an impeccable role model for him. Rahim Khan is one of the few characters in the story that actually believes in Amir and his writings.

Being only sixteen years old, I was shocked in reading about the effects on people during times of war. I didn’t know there are so many other issues that go along with the fighting, besides actual battles. I learned that there are also many children losing parents, wives losing husbands, and entire families losing homes. Before reading Kite Runner, I thought it was going to be strictly about a kid that runs kites, but it actually told a very realistic story that went much deeper than my expectations. I greatly enjoyed the book because it taught me a lot about war and different countries. Now I am more aware of the many hardships in surviving war.

Khaled Hosseini drew an extremely vivid picture in my mind when he told me this story. I knew exactly what Hosseini was describing when he described Assef: “…towered over the kids …walked the streets with his eager to please entourage…his word was law, and if you needed a little legal education, those brass knuckles were just the right teaching tool.”

What would you do if the events in Amir’s life happened to you? How would you handle it; would you just take life as it comes, or would you take the initiative, swallow your nerves, and be a hero?

If you enjoy historical fiction or war novels, you should definitely read this Kite Runner. A person who mostly enjoys funny books probably would not enjoy reading this at all. There is almost no humor in Kite Runner, except when Amir ‘teaches’ Hassan that imbecile means smart, or intelligent. Then Amir says, “When it comes to words, Hassan is an imbecile.” That’s not even very funny; just to Amir. Kite Runner is a very serious read, not meant for humor.

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The Kite Runner

Writen by Craig Brown

 

 

     This book was one of those books I could not put down, a real attention getter, the kite runner is about betrayal, lying, war, loyalty, and redemption. The author really gives you an image about how Afghanistan was before and after the rule of the Taliban, how people were starved, murdered and became refugees.

     The first few chapters are a little sluggish but if you stick through it, it becomes a very excellent book to read in your free time. I have not read any of Knaled Hosseini's other books. But I plan on reading A Thousand Splendid Suns the Costumer reviews say it's an excellent book to read.

     The author sets up a strong connection among characters and slowly breaks it way, with betrayal, war, and death. For example the relationship with Amir and Hassan. The relationship between most of the characters is a family, friend and enemy relationship. The point of view is through Amir or first person. The book is placed at many different city and towns like Kabul in Afghanistan, and California in the United States. The conflict of The Kite Runner is war in Afghanistan, our main goal for Amir is to seek redemption for him and his father’s actions.

     I read this book when I was sixteen and in high school the book was an assignment, I thought it was going to be one of those boring book that I would have to force my self to read but it turned out to be one of the best books I have ever read. This novel gave me a better view of the life in Afghanistan than the news did, the book may be fiction but there are some real historical points that the author shares in the novel.

     The book really hits key points about the war we are dealing with now, how the people we are trying to help became poor and hungry, also on how the people we are fighting came to power.

     This book may be to inappropriate for some younger readers but if some one were to read it in high school or later on it would be fine because it deals with real life problems like rape, starvation, death, and suicide.

     I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. (Khaled Hosseini, 77)

 

 

Lena Giron

 

The Kite Runner

 

    The Kite Runner, Written by Khaled Hosseini is a beautiful and twisting novel about Afghanistan history and the troubles they faced during the time the Taliban was in control. Amir, the narrator, expresses his thoughts and experiences throughout his life. The book brings out the loyalty in the characters and also the friendship the characters share with one another.

     The book goes more into detail about two boys, Amir and Hassan, experiencing life changing events throughout their friendship that leads Hassan and his father, Ali, to move away from them. Baba, Amir's father, is horrified to hear the news because they are not only his servants be also his family. Soon after the Taliban take over and Baba and Amir take off to the United States where Amir's past haunts him for most of  his life. Until one day he receives a phone call, "There's a way to be good again," his friend tells him. He goes off back to Kabul where he lived his childhood to try to redeem himself and forget the past that has been in his mind since he's left his home.

     As a seventeen year old high school student being assigned to read this book, I wasn't expecting to like the book because I didn't even now what it was about or what a kite runner was. After reading it, I knew I had gotten the wrong impression. It turned out to be a book I couldn't put down because everything was so interesting. One shocking thing after another happened and that's what made the book so enjoyable to read.

     Overall the novel was somewhat realistic until the end. The author could've added a few more pages to give it a full understanding.  is definitely a page turner with Farsi words and characters that you could see in your lifetime. Another alternative to make the book a little better is to have it in another characters view, for instance Hassan. Teenagers and up should get a glimpse of the book because not only is it entertaining but it also talks about history.

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Daniel Patton

Per 4

2/18/09

 

‘The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini is a great book and has many twists and turns. The book is about carma, loyalty, and redemption. The book is first person, out of Amir’s eyes for the first half and a man named Rahim Kohan for the second half.

This book is serious but uplifting at the same time, It takes place in Afganistan and California. There are many characters in this book and for the most part they are related Baba is Amirs father, which were Pashtuns (the rich people). Ali and Hassan were Baba and Amirs, Hazaras which are servants. Ali and Baba grew up together and were friends their whole lives. Amir and Hassan get a long very well as well but to the open public Hazaras were not supposed to be played with by Pashtuns or even treated well. The setting of the book is based in 1976-2001. They live in afganistan but when the soviets came in and invaded they were forced to flee and become refugees and try and make a new living for themselves. They got to Pakistan by sitting in a gas tanker semi and were cramped in the back with many Afghanistan people. Amir says at one point “all that keeps me alive is being able to see Babas watch hands glow in the dark and I just kept starring at them.” ( Khaled Hosseini pg 72)

I liked this book very much. Before this book I did not like to read but for some reason I could not set this book down it always kept you guessing and wanting more. I am 17 years old and I read this book because in my popular fiction class it was a book that was assigned to us. My expectations for this book was not good because I had not heard of to many people that liked it but the further you get into I bet you will learn to like it more and more. I feel my expectations were exceeded this is a great book and you should read it.

The writing style of this book is in first person and out of Amirs eyes, he makes everything very believable and realistic because everything that is pretty graphic actually happens in war these days. The suspense was great! It made me want to just keep reading the book and not want to put it down, although I have to admit it is slow at some points it always picks back up. The book is an easy to read and a very fluent and not hard book to understand.

The main theme in this book is redemption. It makes you think the whole time on what you (as in yourself) would do in the situation and what Amir does in the situation. Amir has many chances but you never know if he will redeem himself.

If you like an easy read, detailed and an adventuress reading style this book is for you. But if you do not like very descriptive details and lots of gross things and are grossed out easily I would not recommend this book to you.