NUMBER: 17TITLE: The Kite Runner
AUTHOR: Khaled Hosseini
STARTED: February 14, 2006
FINISHED: February 19, 2006
PAGES: 371
GENRE: Fiction
FIRST SENTENCE: I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975.
SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] Despite their class differences, Amir, the son of a wealthy businessman, and Hassan, his devoted sidekick and the son of Amir's household servant, play together, cause mischief together, and compete in the annual kite-fighting tournament - Amir flying the kite, and Hassan running down the kites they fell. But one day, Amir betrays Hassan, and his betrayal grows increasingly devastating as their tale continues. Amir will spend much of his life coming to terms with his initial and subsequent acts of cowardice, and finally seek to make reparations.
REASON FOR READING: Kathleen P. told me I had to. Plus, I've heard a lot about it.
THOUGHTS: Normally, I am extremely disappointed by books that are overly hyped. I warily began reading this one, but was quite happy to have the feeling melt away as I read. Khaled's story of tormented relationships (Friend and Friend, Father and Son, Husband and Wife, Man and Self) was an addictive read. Having such a flawed character for the focus of the story created such an emotional read that it was hard to not become attached to the story. There were times where I did not like Amir, but it was so hard to hate him. Hosseini balanced his characters perfectly. While some of the plot lines were cliched, none of them read that way.
There was so much emotion permeating this story that I did not want to put the book down. I spent more than one night reading into the wee hours of the morning. Hosseini's prose is the strength of this novel. It is simple and straightforward. None of the language is difficult and this book is actually a very easy read. But, it was the way he crafted the language that made it stand out. Simple it may have been, but the emotions he built were complex, the characters were complete, and, in his descriptions, I could hear, taste, smell, and see the seen without trying to hard.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this book for me were the simple philosophic insights into human life. The way Hosseini describes Amir's life can be carried over easily to the reader. This book made me pause to think. I did not blow through it like I would most novels.
A rich text and a HIGHLY enjoyable read.
MISCELLANEOUS: This book made me hungry.
KEEP/SHARE/CRINGE(?): I will buy my own copy in hardcover one day.
RATING: 8/10 [Terrific]
CR: The Sandman: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman
RN: Either the next Sandman or a romance novel
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