The Kite Runner

A year-or-so ago, I picked The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini to read for a school project. I wanted quickly read the book so I could start on the essay. However, I realized that this novel was much more than just another assigned reading. Only a few months later, I decided to reread the book. I thought about it all summer long. However, as this school year started, I forgot about the book due to my busy schedule. It wasn’t until a recent conversation where I was reminded of this absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking tale.

The Kite Runner follows the tales of family, friendship, guilt, and love. The story starts in 2001, as the adult Amir picks up a phone call from his father's old friend in Pakistan. Amir flashes back to his youth in Afghanistan, remembering his close friendship with his father’s servant’s son, Hassan. Although treated terribly by others, Hassan was always at Amir's side, until one day when everything changed. It was a betrayal that would guilt Amir for the rest of his life. In the present, at the request of his father's friend, Amir leaves for Pakistan, not knowing that his life would change forever yet again. 

There is so much to unpack about this book that it is hard to find where to start. I remembered going silent in the conversation as the memories of this book flooded back in.

Characters:

I was blown away by the depth and complexity of the characters. Hosseini makes the reader grow an emotional attachment to the characters, even the less significant ones. I still find myself thinking about some of the characters and reflecting on how much each of them went through. None of the characters were perfect. They all made mistakes that changed the lives of people around them. It was another level of realism that stunned me. 

Plot:

Heartbreaking. Heartbreaking would be the word that I would use to describe the plot. There were some small joyful moments that you had to hold on to. Otherwise, the book was filled with poignant scenes. But these scenes made this novel so impactful. It was a realistic type of sorrow-- something you would find in the real world. 

Writing:

Again, I find myself applauding Hosseini. Despite the book jumping from past to present, everything came together seamlessly. The plot twists added to the nail-biting suspension of reading. The style of writing conveyed all the emotions of each character and scene. I tend to get critical of how the author presents the story, but Hosseini definitely did not disappoint. 

Ending:

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

I described the plot as heartbreaking, and I would describe the ending as bittersweet. Bitter because it’s not the happiest of endings. Sweet because despite all the hardships the characters went through, there was a satisfying sense of resolution -- albeit an emotional one. The ending was realistic. It didn’t sugarcoat anything. 

While typing this, I realized that I could go on and on about this book, but I did not want to bore anyone. I definitely spoke highly of this book, but I will admit that the novel is not for everyone. There are some incredibly heavy scenes dealing with topics such as sexual assault and suicide.

Writing all of this made me want to reread this book again. There is something so captivating about this story, despite how emotional it is. Heart wrenching, heartwarming, bittersweet, and so much more -- The Kite Runner is one book to read.

- Sarisa