Monday, September 8, 2014

Book Review 2014 #18 : The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Title: The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini

About the story:  Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. . Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic

Review: I loved reading Hosseini’s ‘And The Mountains Echoed’ several months back and I was excited to get hold of ‘The Kite Runner’, since this poignant story of two friends has already created an impressive impact all over the world.

But as I sat down and started reading it, I couldn’t stop and put down the book. I was fascinated with the characters, especially Amir who sacrifices his friendship to gain his father’s approval and love. But then maybe, Amir was really a coward who did not have courage to stand up for his loyal friend. Hosseini has built the plot so meticulously, adding little details that made the book all the more heart-rending. For example, when Amir recollects that as a toddler the first word he uttered was “Baba” and Hassan’s, his devoted Hazara friend, was “Amir”, the tone for the story was set.

There are several outstanding quotes in the book and the one that I loved was-

“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime...”

Amir’s life changes dramatically in the winter of 1975, when his decision not only alters his life but the lives of those around him, including his father’s, his friend Hassan’s and Hassan’s crippled father, Ali’s. Several years later Amir is given an opportunity to atone his sins when he has a chance to go to his homeland, Afghanistan.

This tragic and heartbreaking tale of a man torn between his sinful past and a final chance to redeem his guilt-ridden future is compelling. A glimpse into lives of those men and women in Afghanistan during the pinnacle of Taliban rule, is enough to leave one teary and heartbroken.

This book is a definite must read and it left me wondering why I never read the book earlier!

Rating: 5/5

No comments:

Post a Comment