Book Review: The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner is a thought-provoking, very well crafted, story that examines the relationships between friends, fathers and sons, and cultures – through the prism of Afghanistan, and the Afghan community in America, over the last 30 years. At the outset of the book, Amir, the protagonist of the story, is enjoying a privileged childhood in the Afghanistan of the 1970’s. His best friend is his servant Hassan, the son of his father’s loyal servant Ali. Amir’s father, Baba, is a strong personality who cuts a swath through the business and social circles of Kabul, a much different Kabul than the harsh reality of Kabul in the early 21st century. The friendship of Amir and Hassan is under constant pressure from the disparate rungs that they occupy on the Afghan social ladder. These pressures seem to weigh the most on Amir, and they culminate in an event that will change both of their lives forever. Amir’s inner conflict regarding his friendship with Hassan coincides with his country’s fall into, seemingly, endless war and despair. First with the coup to overthrow the King, followed by the invasion of the Russians, culminating in years of savage rule by the Taliban. Amir and Baba flee to America via the Khyber Pass, but their bonds with Ali and Hassan will both haunt and embolden them throughout the rest of the novel. The final arc of the novel involves Amir’s heroic return to his native country to try to restore his bond with Hassan, and to claim a piece of his soul he left behind many years before.
This is the type of book that will stick in your head for a long time after you finish the final sentence. I highly recommend it as a tremendous work of fiction, an interesting look into Afghan culture, and a superb exploration of the relationships we keep in our lives. I don’t want to give away too much more, but I hope you read it – and if you do, make a comment and let me know if you liked it.