Bottom Of The Barrel

The Kite Runner: A Book Review

Khaled Hosseini's first novel, The Kite Runner is a touching story of fathers and sons, loyalty and betrayal and gives us a glimpse into Afghanistan past and present. Hosseini's title refers to a traditional tournament for Afghan children in which kite-flyers compete by slicing through the strings of their opponents with their own razor-sharp, glass-encrusted strings. To be the child who wins the tournament by downing all the other kites - and to be the "runner" who chases down the last losing kite as it flutters to earth - is the greatest honor of all.

The tale follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As a backdrop to the development of these characters, we get some insight into what Afghanistan was like in the last 70's and early 80's. The book follows Amir as he and his father flee to the US because of growing turmoil in Afghanistan, grows into a young man and attends college, marries Farzani, an Afghan woman living in America, and returns to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule to face his past and right some wrongs.

I can only assume that some of this novel is based on Hosseini's own life and experiences, growing up in Afghanistan and moving to California and going to college there. Maybe it is an in joke that Amir is a writer and this is Hosseini's first book. The Kite Runner is a great read and an outstanding first novel - and no wonder it has been on the NY Times bestseller list of 89 weeks. I want to thank my friend Sandy for the recommendation and I am happy to see that a movie is currently in the works.

posted by TheWino @ 8:53 AM