Kite Runner - A Review

Kite Runner, is a novel released in 2003, topped the best seller’s list in the year 2005 in USA. Khaled Hosseini, author of the book is an Afghan by birth. He is now settled in America with their citizenship; had authored one more book to his credit.

The prose is done in an astounding way and the emotions of each character, drawn perfectly.

The book starts with and older Amir going back to his memories in Kabul where he had grown up till the age of 12. Amir, a Pashtun considered being an upper class, lives in a society who got a privileged life under the shadows of his iconic father and a posh livelihood. His only companion is Hassan, a Hazara servant, an outcast those times. The relationship between the two kids is portrayed best in the first half. Amir was never ready to accept Hassan as his best friend, but they always sticked together in whatever they did.

Innocence of children and their thoughts are streamlined amazingly in the pomegranate tree expeditions to Amir’s read-out sessions of classic books for Hassan to the kite running competition. But jealousy in Amir result in some sour incidents which leads Hassan and his father to leave the house and this is before he with his father become a part of the exodus of natives to America escaping the Soviet attack on Afghanistan.

Second half deals with Amir’s life in America depicting the immigrant’s hardships and emotions, his blooming romance, his fathers surrender to a tumour, his guilt ruling him of betraying his friend Hassan and the search for Hassan’s son back in Kabul.  

In short the book is weaved on the relationships of a father and his son – Amir and his father, a master and his servent – Amir and Hassan, two good friends – Amir’s father and Rahim Khan, a silent romantic relationship between Amir and Soraya. There are some surprises too in store.

The book definitely highlights the sufferings and tragedies of a nation after a war and internal conflicts in a heart wrenching manner. The plight of orphaned children and woman are portrayed well in this write up. Well, towards the ending at one point when we feel that things are getting settled with Amir, immigration problems comes as a monster which make the reader too feel an uneasiness as it did with Amir. Thoughts go wild with the reader as it did with Amir. This is where the author succeeded. He could very well relate his protagonist with the reader; same with other characters like Ali, Rahim Khan and Soraya – Amir’s wife.

A definite read, the book is brought by Riverhead Trade in a paper back mode with 384 pages to gorge on. On a 10 star rating meter, Kite Runner, definitely deserves a 8 rating. Go, Get it.

.....

Post written for India Special