Book Review: The Kite Runner

 

“For you, a thousand times over!!” 

One sentence, multiple emotions. That’s how I describe The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

 

A simple line of 6 words is capable of carrying various emotions like shame, guilt, friendship, forgiveness, love, and regret. 

The Kite Runner is not a book written on the grounds of being morally or politically correct. Rather, it’s a book that lets you live through various conflicting emotions that a human being goes through in his life. How a decision shapes up a person or a person’s destiny is beautifully sewn by Khaled Hosseini.

The plot unfolds against the backdrop of Afghanistan and is a moving portrait of Afghanistan's glorious days to Afghanistan under Taliban Rule. It takes the readers through a country, which is more than just a troubled land.

Hassan, a pure and loyal servant cum friend said the above-quoted words to Amir who is conflicted and unsure on emotional and moral ground. Hassan and Amir, who were fed from the same breasts, who learned to crawl together, who spent their entire winters flying kites, who taught each other to ride a bicycle, and yet Amir never considered Hassan as his friend in the usual sense. This is an accepted equation between a master and a servant in our society, which is based on history, ethnicity, or religion, be it between Amir’s father and Hassan’s father or between Amir and Hassan. Still, that one incident in the winter of 1975 changes their point of view towards life. Hassan’s soul dies a painful death and Amir searches for redemption through Hassan’s son, Sohrab’s eyes.

 

Hosseini’s writing is simple, with no added glitter which lets you live the story and not just read it. It puts a personal face on Afghanistan and drives the readers through the sufferings of the flesh and bones living in the conflicting, troubled land.

 

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Rating: 4.6 out of 5

 

Plot: 4.5

Language: 4

Character Building: 5

Reader Engagement: 5

Ending: 4.5