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The Kite Runner
1970s Afghanistan: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what would happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to an Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.
371 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 2003
49.2k people are currently reading
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About the author
Khaled Hosseini
45听books158k听followersHosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. In 1970 Hosseini and his family moved to Iran where his father worked for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Tehran. In 1973 Hosseini's family returned to Kabul, and Hosseini's youngest brother was born in July of that year.
In 1976, when Hosseini was 11 years old, Hosseini's father obtained a job in Paris, France, and moved the family there. They were unable to return to Afghanistan because of the Saur Revolution in which the PDPA communist party seized power through a bloody coup in April 1978. Instead, a year after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, in 1980 they sought political asylum in the United States and made their residence in San Jose, California.
Hosseini graduated from Independence High School in San Jose in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1988. The following year, he entered the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, where he earned his M.D. in 1993. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 1996. He practiced medicine for over ten years, until a year and a half after the release of The Kite Runner.
Hosseini is currently a Goodwill Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He has been working to provide humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan through the Khaled Hosseini Foundation. The concept for the foundation was inspired by the trip to Afghanistan that Hosseini made in 2007 with UNHCR.
He lives in Northern California with his wife, Roya, and their two children (Harris and Farah).
In 1976, when Hosseini was 11 years old, Hosseini's father obtained a job in Paris, France, and moved the family there. They were unable to return to Afghanistan because of the Saur Revolution in which the PDPA communist party seized power through a bloody coup in April 1978. Instead, a year after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, in 1980 they sought political asylum in the United States and made their residence in San Jose, California.
Hosseini graduated from Independence High School in San Jose in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1988. The following year, he entered the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, where he earned his M.D. in 1993. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 1996. He practiced medicine for over ten years, until a year and a half after the release of The Kite Runner.
Hosseini is currently a Goodwill Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He has been working to provide humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan through the Khaled Hosseini Foundation. The concept for the foundation was inspired by the trip to Afghanistan that Hosseini made in 2007 with UNHCR.
He lives in Northern California with his wife, Roya, and their two children (Harris and Farah).
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July 23, 2011
Finished this book about a month ago but it's taken me this long to write a review about it because I have such mixed feelings about it. It was a deeply affecting novel, but mostly not in a good way. I really wanted to like it, but the more I think about what I didn't like about the book, the more it bothers me. I even downgraded this review from two stars to one from the time I started writing it to the time I finished.
Let's start off with the good, shall we? The writing itself was pretty good when it comes to description, in that I really felt the author's descriptions of scenes, and in terms of moving the story forward. That said, it's not particularly challenging writing to read.
The very best part of the novel is its warm depiction of the mixed culture of Afghanistan, and how it conveys the picture of a real Afghanistan as a living place, before the coup, the Soviet invasion, and above all, the Taliban and the aftermath of September 11th created a fossilized image in the US of a failed state, petrified in "backwardness" and locked in the role of a villain from central casting.
Now for the not so good.
== Spoiler Alert ==
... because I don't think I'm going to be able to complain about what I didn't like about the book without revealing major plot points. (Not to mention, some of what follows will only make sense to someone who has read the book.) So if you don't want to spoil it for yourself, read no further, here be spoilers:
My overwhelming emotion throughout the book is feeling entirely manipulated. Of course, one major reason for this is that the author's attempts at metaphor, allegory, and forshadowing are utterly ham-fisted. When he wants to make a point, he hits you over the head with it, hard -- Amir's split lip / Hassan's cleft palate comes immediately, resoundingly to mind.
But I feel manipulated beyond that. The members of the servant class in this story suffer tragic, unspeakable calamities, sometimes at the hands of our fine hero, and yet the novel seems to expect the reader to reserve her sympathies for the "wronged" privileged child, beating his breast over the emotional pain of living with the wounds he has selfishly inflicted upon others. How, why, am I supposed to feel worse for him as he feels bad about what he has done to others? Rather than feeling most sympathy and kinship for those who, through absolutely no fault of their own, must suffer, not just once or twice, but again and again?
Of course this elevation of / identification with the "wounded"/flawed hero goes hand in hand with an absolutely detestable portrayal of the members of the servant class as being at their utmost happiest when they are being their most servile and utterly subjugating their own needs, wants, desires, pleasures -- their own selves, in fact -- to the needs of their masters. (Even when they are protecting their masters from their own arrogance, heartlessness, or downright stupidity.)
I don't see how the main character, Amir, could possibly be likeable. Amir's battle with Assef, momentous as it is, is not so much him taking a stand because he feels driven to do so or feels that he must. Rather, he acts with very little self-agency at all -- he is more or less merely carried forward into events. (And, moreover, in the end it is Sohrab (Hassan again) who saves him.)
I finished the novel resenting Amir, and even more intensely resenting the author for trying to make the reader think she's supposed to care about Amir, more than about anyone else in the story.
A couple other points: I'm wondering if one theme of the novel is that there are no definitive happy endings, no single immutable moments of epiphany or redemption. Because Amir's moral "triumph", such as it is, over Assef, is so short-lived. He manages to crash horrifically only a week or two later, when he goes back on his word to Sohrab about his promise not to send him to an orphanage.
And lastly, I don't understand why Baba's hypocrisy is not more of a theme. He makes such a point of drilling into his son's head that a lie is a theft of one's right to the truth. His own hipocrisy there is a profound thing, and it's a shame the author doesn't do more with it.
Nevertheless, after all the bad things I had to say about it, I do have a couple quotes worth keeping:
"Every woman needed a husband. Even if he did silence the song in her." (p.178)
"'That's the real Afghanistan, Agha sahib. That's the Afghanistan I know. You? You've always been a tourist here, you just didn't know it.'" (p. 232)
=== UPDATE ===
I originally posted my review The Kite Runner in February 2008. Since then, my review has generated a very robust response from other 欧宝娱乐 members. I have responded a couple of times in the comments section, but I realize that by now, the comments section has gotten long enough that some folks may not realize that I have added some clarifications to my review. So, although the extended reply that I posted in the comments section in October 2008 is still available in the comments section, I am re-posting it here, so people don't miss it.
I also want to offer my continued thanks to those who have read, liked, and/or comment on my review of The Kite Runner. This kind of back-and-forth conversation on books is exactly why I signed on to 欧宝娱乐! I appreciate the feedback, and look forward to engaging in more such discussion.
Finally, one more quick reply. One recent commenter asked how I could have given this book only a 1 star rating, if I was so affected by it. As I replied in the comments, the short answer is that I am guided by Goodread's prompts when I rate a book. Two stars is "It was OK;" 1 star is "I didn't like it." While I have praised a few things about the book, the bottom line is, overall, I didn't like it. -- Linda, 22 July 2011
Posted 24 October 2008:
There have been many comments to my review since I first wrote it, and I thought it might be about time for me to weigh in for a moment.
Before I get into my response, I must start off with a great thank you for all those who have felt sufficiently moved (positively or negatively) by my review to comment and respond. I appreciate all the comments, whether I agree with them or not.
First of all, I'd like to address the question of whether we're "supposed" to like Amir or not. Yes, I do realize that sometimes writers create and/or focus on a character that the reader is not meant to like. Here, though, the story is clearly meant to be about some kind of redemption -- but I found Amir so distasteful, that I simply wasn't interested in his redemption. The focus of the story was entirely on how Amir's life had been corrupted by the despicable things he'd done - when the things he'd done were entirely part and parcel of the position of power and privilege he occupied over Hassan.
Which brings me to my second point, the insufferable current of paternalism that runs throughout the story. The members of the servant and poorer classes are consistently portrayed as saintly, absurdly self-sacrificing, one-dimensional characters. Regardless of what terrible things befall them, they are shown to have nothing but their masters' interests at heart. Granted, it may be unlikely that the powerless would be overtly talking back and setting their masters straight; however, the novel gives no indication that they even have any private wishes of recrimination, or much of a private life, for that matter. Given this portrayal, it is even more difficult for me to muster any interest in Amir's suffering. But to suggest that perhaps we're misinterpreting the servants' subservient attitudes because we approach the story from a different time, place, or culture, is simply to engage in a cultural relativism borne out of -- and perpetuating -- the very same paternalism.
To clarify my point, let's look at some comparable examples from US culture. Consider any one of a huge number of films such as Driving Miss Daisy, Clara's Heart, Bagger Vance, or Ghost (all simply continuing a tradition that reaches back to Shirley Temple's days) in which noble servants or similar helpers have absolutely no concern in their lives other than making sure the wealthy people they are serving have happy, fulfilled lives -- while they themselves never seem to have any of their own personal hopes, desires, triumphs, tragedies, or even any hint of a home, family, personal, or romantic life at all. Their total happiness is bound up entirely with serving the lives of their rich counterparts. It is this quality, present throughout Hosseini's book, that bothers me most.
In the end, however, a beautifully written story could have overcome these criticisms -- or at the very least, I would have been able to temper or counter my points above with lavish praise for the writing. However, here, again, the novel falls flat. It is not particularly well-written. As some other commenters have also pointed out, the storytelling is quite heavy-handed, and the narrative suffers from implausible plot twists and uncanny coincidences, and a writing style that relies far too heavily on cliches and obvious literary devices.
I wish that I could say I liked the book more. To answer [another commenter's] question, I haven't read ; I'm afraid I wasn't particularly motivated to do so after my reaction to this one. However, I do believe, as that commenter also suggests, that there is something to be gained from the debate and discussion that the book has inspired.
Let's start off with the good, shall we? The writing itself was pretty good when it comes to description, in that I really felt the author's descriptions of scenes, and in terms of moving the story forward. That said, it's not particularly challenging writing to read.
The very best part of the novel is its warm depiction of the mixed culture of Afghanistan, and how it conveys the picture of a real Afghanistan as a living place, before the coup, the Soviet invasion, and above all, the Taliban and the aftermath of September 11th created a fossilized image in the US of a failed state, petrified in "backwardness" and locked in the role of a villain from central casting.
Now for the not so good.
== Spoiler Alert ==
... because I don't think I'm going to be able to complain about what I didn't like about the book without revealing major plot points. (Not to mention, some of what follows will only make sense to someone who has read the book.) So if you don't want to spoil it for yourself, read no further, here be spoilers:
My overwhelming emotion throughout the book is feeling entirely manipulated. Of course, one major reason for this is that the author's attempts at metaphor, allegory, and forshadowing are utterly ham-fisted. When he wants to make a point, he hits you over the head with it, hard -- Amir's split lip / Hassan's cleft palate comes immediately, resoundingly to mind.
But I feel manipulated beyond that. The members of the servant class in this story suffer tragic, unspeakable calamities, sometimes at the hands of our fine hero, and yet the novel seems to expect the reader to reserve her sympathies for the "wronged" privileged child, beating his breast over the emotional pain of living with the wounds he has selfishly inflicted upon others. How, why, am I supposed to feel worse for him as he feels bad about what he has done to others? Rather than feeling most sympathy and kinship for those who, through absolutely no fault of their own, must suffer, not just once or twice, but again and again?
Of course this elevation of / identification with the "wounded"/flawed hero goes hand in hand with an absolutely detestable portrayal of the members of the servant class as being at their utmost happiest when they are being their most servile and utterly subjugating their own needs, wants, desires, pleasures -- their own selves, in fact -- to the needs of their masters. (Even when they are protecting their masters from their own arrogance, heartlessness, or downright stupidity.)
I don't see how the main character, Amir, could possibly be likeable. Amir's battle with Assef, momentous as it is, is not so much him taking a stand because he feels driven to do so or feels that he must. Rather, he acts with very little self-agency at all -- he is more or less merely carried forward into events. (And, moreover, in the end it is Sohrab (Hassan again) who saves him.)
I finished the novel resenting Amir, and even more intensely resenting the author for trying to make the reader think she's supposed to care about Amir, more than about anyone else in the story.
A couple other points: I'm wondering if one theme of the novel is that there are no definitive happy endings, no single immutable moments of epiphany or redemption. Because Amir's moral "triumph", such as it is, over Assef, is so short-lived. He manages to crash horrifically only a week or two later, when he goes back on his word to Sohrab about his promise not to send him to an orphanage.
And lastly, I don't understand why Baba's hypocrisy is not more of a theme. He makes such a point of drilling into his son's head that a lie is a theft of one's right to the truth. His own hipocrisy there is a profound thing, and it's a shame the author doesn't do more with it.
Nevertheless, after all the bad things I had to say about it, I do have a couple quotes worth keeping:
"Every woman needed a husband. Even if he did silence the song in her." (p.178)
"'That's the real Afghanistan, Agha sahib. That's the Afghanistan I know. You? You've always been a tourist here, you just didn't know it.'" (p. 232)
=== UPDATE ===
I originally posted my review The Kite Runner in February 2008. Since then, my review has generated a very robust response from other 欧宝娱乐 members. I have responded a couple of times in the comments section, but I realize that by now, the comments section has gotten long enough that some folks may not realize that I have added some clarifications to my review. So, although the extended reply that I posted in the comments section in October 2008 is still available in the comments section, I am re-posting it here, so people don't miss it.
I also want to offer my continued thanks to those who have read, liked, and/or comment on my review of The Kite Runner. This kind of back-and-forth conversation on books is exactly why I signed on to 欧宝娱乐! I appreciate the feedback, and look forward to engaging in more such discussion.
Finally, one more quick reply. One recent commenter asked how I could have given this book only a 1 star rating, if I was so affected by it. As I replied in the comments, the short answer is that I am guided by Goodread's prompts when I rate a book. Two stars is "It was OK;" 1 star is "I didn't like it." While I have praised a few things about the book, the bottom line is, overall, I didn't like it. -- Linda, 22 July 2011
Posted 24 October 2008:
There have been many comments to my review since I first wrote it, and I thought it might be about time for me to weigh in for a moment.
Before I get into my response, I must start off with a great thank you for all those who have felt sufficiently moved (positively or negatively) by my review to comment and respond. I appreciate all the comments, whether I agree with them or not.
First of all, I'd like to address the question of whether we're "supposed" to like Amir or not. Yes, I do realize that sometimes writers create and/or focus on a character that the reader is not meant to like. Here, though, the story is clearly meant to be about some kind of redemption -- but I found Amir so distasteful, that I simply wasn't interested in his redemption. The focus of the story was entirely on how Amir's life had been corrupted by the despicable things he'd done - when the things he'd done were entirely part and parcel of the position of power and privilege he occupied over Hassan.
Which brings me to my second point, the insufferable current of paternalism that runs throughout the story. The members of the servant and poorer classes are consistently portrayed as saintly, absurdly self-sacrificing, one-dimensional characters. Regardless of what terrible things befall them, they are shown to have nothing but their masters' interests at heart. Granted, it may be unlikely that the powerless would be overtly talking back and setting their masters straight; however, the novel gives no indication that they even have any private wishes of recrimination, or much of a private life, for that matter. Given this portrayal, it is even more difficult for me to muster any interest in Amir's suffering. But to suggest that perhaps we're misinterpreting the servants' subservient attitudes because we approach the story from a different time, place, or culture, is simply to engage in a cultural relativism borne out of -- and perpetuating -- the very same paternalism.
To clarify my point, let's look at some comparable examples from US culture. Consider any one of a huge number of films such as Driving Miss Daisy, Clara's Heart, Bagger Vance, or Ghost (all simply continuing a tradition that reaches back to Shirley Temple's days) in which noble servants or similar helpers have absolutely no concern in their lives other than making sure the wealthy people they are serving have happy, fulfilled lives -- while they themselves never seem to have any of their own personal hopes, desires, triumphs, tragedies, or even any hint of a home, family, personal, or romantic life at all. Their total happiness is bound up entirely with serving the lives of their rich counterparts. It is this quality, present throughout Hosseini's book, that bothers me most.
In the end, however, a beautifully written story could have overcome these criticisms -- or at the very least, I would have been able to temper or counter my points above with lavish praise for the writing. However, here, again, the novel falls flat. It is not particularly well-written. As some other commenters have also pointed out, the storytelling is quite heavy-handed, and the narrative suffers from implausible plot twists and uncanny coincidences, and a writing style that relies far too heavily on cliches and obvious literary devices.
I wish that I could say I liked the book more. To answer [another commenter's] question, I haven't read ; I'm afraid I wasn't particularly motivated to do so after my reaction to this one. However, I do believe, as that commenter also suggests, that there is something to be gained from the debate and discussion that the book has inspired.
July 5, 2017
In 2012, when I was Mathematics teacher at a private high school in Iran, I had an Afghan student in my class. Sometimes, I discussed with my students about literature, and I told them of novels and poem. I found it very strange that my students had no interest in literature and even sometimes looked with hostility to this discussion. Days passed and much time was left to the end of school year. One day I saw Ali, Afghan student, came to me and had a booklet in his hand and I saw in his eyes several times as if he wanted to say something, but he was quiet. I waited for a little, and after a few moments, I began to speak. He smiled, and with a special Afghan accent, he said " I have written a story, sir " and became quiet again. I said "it's excellent! ", and I asked, "do you read books? ". Yes, sir, he replied. I asked, "what kind of books do you like? ". Mark Twain and John Steinbeck and Jules Verne, he answered. I asked what you have written? He replied I wrote a story about a 13 years old Afghan boy who immigrated to Iran. I got his booklet, and I read it in a week. It was a dark story. A week later, we discussed again after class. Ali invited me to go his house at night for reading books. I was pleased, and I greeted this plan. When night arrived, I took the kite runner and went to Ali's home. When I entered the house, I saw a house with mud walls that has no rooms, except a small hull that there was a table in the middle of it and almost nine children were dining. Of clothes of Ali's father, it was obvious that he was a building worker and he welcomed me very sincerely. I thanked him, and I went to the storehouse in the corner of the yard that Ali had made it, a place to be alone. Ali took the book and with incredible passion began to read. This process was repeated almost every night for a week, and we have read half of the Kite Runner. Among pages of the book, Ali informed me about Afghanistan, explained of how twenty people, entered Iran with a small car, illegally and secretly. Of how his classmates ridiculed him because of his Afghan accent, of how he was forced to work in a brick burner factory all days after the school, of how his dad has forced him to marry at the age of 13 in the summer. Then Ali proceeded to speak that he wants to be a writer and prizes the Nobel award. I saw in his room that he had Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam, Hafiz and Rumi's book poem. When I looked at his face, I saw an unusual man who was ahead of his time and situation. Ali said, because Afghans have been banned of the registration in public schools in Tehran, he is forced to register in a private school, and now he and his mother must work hard to pay school charges.
The next week, I went to class, but I didn't see Ali. When I asked the guys about him, they replied that because his father hadn't citizenship card and passport, he was arrested, and all of them have deported to Afghanistan. I was agitated that I couldn't continue reading Kite Runner never. Even I felt so depressed and sad when I saw the book in bookstores. Until this spring, after three years, I got a message in WhatsApp messenger from Ali, that congratulated teachers day to me. He was written that he married to a girl who was in love with her and they have a two months old girl baby. He was written he is working at a bookstore in Kabul and he has read almost thousand books in three years. He was written they have the 4G Internet in Kabul and I replied him, it's supposed to we have 4G in Tehran as well, soon! When I received the message, I could reread the Kite Runner. It was a great book, especially for me, recall nostalgia of tired immigrants and unfavorable circumstances.
**
爻丕賱 1391 夭賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 賲毓賱賲 乇蹖丕囟蹖 丨賯 丕賱鬲丿乇蹖爻 蹖賴 丿亘蹖乇爻鬲丕賳 禺氐賵氐蹖 卮丿賴 亘賵丿賲 蹖賴 丿丕賳卮 丕賲賵夭 丕賮睾丕賳 賴賲 爻乇 讴賱丕爻 丿丕卮鬲賲 ..賴乇丕夭诏丕賴蹖 亘賴 亘賴賵賳賴 賴丕蹖 賲禺鬲賱賮 亘丨孬 乇賵 亘賴 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲 賲蹖讴卮賵賳丿賲 賵 丕夭 乇賲丕賳 賵 卮毓乇 亘乇丕蹖 亘趩賴 賴丕 賲蹖诏賮鬲賲 .. 亘乇丕賲 禺蹖賱蹖 毓噩蹖亘 亘賵丿 讴賴 亘趩賴 賴丕蹖 讴賱丕爻 賴蹖趩 毓賱丕賯賴 丕蹖 亘賴 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲 賳卮賵賳 賳賲蹖丿丕丿賳 賵 诏丕賴蹖 丨鬲蹖 亘丕 丿蹖丿 鬲賲爻禺乇 賴賲 亘賴 賯囟蹖賴 賳诏丕賴 賲蹖讴乇丿賳.. 乇賵夭賴丕 賲蹖诏匕卮鬲 賵 夭賲丕賳 夭蹖丕丿蹖 亘賴 倬丕蹖丕賳 爻丕賱 鬲丨氐蹖賱蹖 亘丕賯蹖 賳賲賵賳丿賴 亘賵丿.. 蹖讴 乇賵夭 亘毓丿 丕夭 倬丕蹖丕賳 讴賱丕爻 丿蹖丿賲 毓賱蹖 賲丨氐賱 丕賮睾丕賳 , 丕賵賲丿 讴賳丕乇 賲蹖夭 賲賳 賵 鬲賵賵蹖 丿爻鬲卮 蹖賴 丿賮鬲乇趩賴 丿丕卮鬲 賵 鬲賵賵蹖 趩卮丕卮 丿蹖丿賲 讴賴 趩賳丿亘丕乇 丕賳诏丕乇 賲蹖禺賵丕爻鬲 丨乇賮蹖 亘夭賳賴 丕賲丕 爻讴賵鬲 讴乇丿.. 讴賲蹖 氐亘乇 讴乇丿賲 賵 亘毓丿 丕夭 趩賳丿 賱丨馗賴 爻乇 氐丨亘鬲 乇賵 亘丕夭 讴乇丿賲.. 賱亘禺賳丿 夭丿 賵 亘丕 賱賴噩賴 丕賮睾丕賳蹖 禺丕氐卮 诏賮鬲 "丕賯丕 賲賳 蹖賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賳賵卮鬲賲 ".賵 爻讴賵鬲 讴乇丿.. 诏賮鬲賲 禺蹖賱蹖 毓丕賱蹖賴.. 倬乇爻蹖丿賲. 讴鬲丕亘 賴賲 賲蹖禺賵賳蹖? 诏賮鬲 丕賯丕 亘賱賴..诏賮鬲賲 趩蹖 賲蹖禺賵賳蹖? 噩賵丕亘 丿丕丿 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳 賵 噩丕賳 丕卮鬲丕蹖賳 亘讴 賵 跇賵賱 賵乇賳.. 诏賮鬲賲 趩蹖 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻蹖 ..噩賵丕亘 丿丕丿 蹖賴 乇賲丕賳 賳賵卮鬲賲 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖賴 倬爻乇 爻蹖夭丿賴 爻丕賱賴 丕賮睾丕賳 讴賴 亘賴 丕蹖乇丕賳 賲賴丕噩乇鬲 讴乇丿賴. 丿賮鬲乇趩賴 乇賵 丕夭 毓賱蹖 诏乇賮鬲賲 賵 鬲賵賵蹖 蹖讴 賴賮鬲賴 禺賵賳丿賲. 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 睾賲诏蹖賳 亘賵丿. 蹖讴 賴賮鬲賴 亘毓丿 丿賵亘丕乇賴 亘毓丿 丕夭 讴賱丕爻 亘丕 賴賲 氐丨亘鬲 讴乇丿蹖賲. 毓賱蹖 賲賳 乇賵 丿毓賵鬲 讴乇丿 讴賴 卮亘賴丕 亘賴 禺賵賳賴 卮賵賳 亘乇賲 賵 讴鬲丕亘 亘禺賵賳蹖賲. 禺亘 禺蹖賱蹖 丕夭 丕蹖賳 锟斤拷蹖卮賳賴丕丿 禺賵卮丨丕賱 卮丿賲 賵 丕爻鬲賯亘丕賱 讴乇丿賲. 卮亘 讴鬲丕亘 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭 乇賵 亘乇丿丕卮鬲賲 賵 乇賮鬲賲 . 賵丕乇丿 禺賵賳賴 讴賴 卮丿賲 丿蹖丿賲 蹖賴 禺賵賳賴 亘丕 丿蹖賵丕乇賴丕蹖 讴丕賴诏賱蹖 讴賴 賴蹖趩 丕鬲丕賯蹖 賳丿丕乇賴 亘噩夭 蹖賴 倬匕蹖乇丕蹖蹖 讴賴 賵爻胤卮 蹖賴 爻賮乇賴 丕賳丿丕禺鬲賴 亘賵丿賳 賵 賴卮鬲 賳賴 鬲丕 亘趩賴 讴賵趩蹖讴 丿丕卮鬲賳 睾匕丕 賲蹖 禺賵乇丿賳. 倬丿乇 毓賱蹖 讴賴 丕夭 賱亘丕爻賴丕卮 賲卮禺氐 亘賵丿 蹖賴 讴丕乇诏乇 爻丕禺鬲賲賵賳蹖 賴爻鬲 亘丕 诏乇賲蹖 禺丕氐蹖 丕夭 賲賳 丕爻鬲賯亘丕賱 讴乇丿. 賲賳 鬲卮讴乇 讴乇丿賲 賵 亘丕 毓賱蹖 乇賮鬲蹖賲 亘賴 爻賲鬲 丕賳亘丕乇蹖 讴賵趩蹖讴蹖 讴賴 诏賵卮賴 丨蹖丕胤 亘賵丿 賵 毓賱蹖 丕夭 丕賵賳 蹖賴 噩丕蹖蹖 亘乇丕蹖 鬲賳賴丕 亘賵丿賳卮 丿乇爻鬲 讴乇丿賴 亘賵丿. 毓賱蹖 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 丕夭 賲賳 诏乇賮鬲 賵 亘丕 卮毓賮 禺丕氐蹖 賲卮睾賵賱 禺賵賳丿賳 卮丿.. 鬲賯乇蹖亘丕 蹖讴 賴賮鬲賴 賴乇 卮亘 丕蹖賳 噩乇蹖丕賳 鬲讴乇丕乇 賲蹖 卮丿 賵 賲丕 賳蹖賲蹖 丕夭 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭 乇賵 禺賵賳丿賴 亘賵丿蹖賲. 毓賱蹖 賱丕亘賱丕蹖 氐賮丨賴 賴丕蹖 讴鬲丕亘 亘乇丕賲 丕夭 丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳 賲蹖诏賮鬲 丕夭 丕蹖賳 讴賴 趩胤賵乇 亘蹖爻鬲 賳賮乇 亘丕 蹖賴 爻賵丕乇蹖 賵丕乇丿 丕蹖乇丕賳 卮丿賳 丕夭蹖賳讴賴 趩胤賵乇 亘趩賴 賴丕蹖 讴賱丕爻 丕賵賳 乇賵 亘禺丕胤乇 賱賴噩賴 丕賮睾丕賳蹖 賲爻禺乇賴 賲蹖讴賳賳 丕夭 丕蹖賳 讴賴 毓氐乇賴丕 亘毓丿 丕夭 賲丿乇爻賴 賲噩亘賵乇賴 鬲賵賵蹖 讴丕乇诏丕賴 丕噩乇 倬夭蹖 讴丕乇 讴賳賴. 丕夭 丕蹖賳讴賴 倬丿乇卮 賲噩亘賵乇卮 賲蹖讴賳賴 讴賴 鬲丕亘爻鬲賵賳 鬲賵賵蹖 爻蹖夭丿賴 爻丕賱诏蹖 丕夭丿賵丕噩 讴賳賴.. 亘毓丿 毓賱蹖 丕丿丕賲賴 丿丕丿 丿賱卮 賲蹖禺賵丕丿 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 亘卮賴 賵 噩丕蹖夭賴 賳賵亘賱 亘诏蹖乇賴. 鬲賵蹖 丕賵賳 丕賳亘丕乇蹖 讴賵趩蹖讴 丿蹖丿賲 讴賴 卮丕賴賳丕賲賴 賵 禺蹖丕賲 賵 丨丕賮馗 賵 賲賵賱賵蹖 賴賲 丿丕乇賴.. 賲蹖诏賮鬲 丨丕賮馗 乇賵 丕夭 亘乇 丿丕乇賴 賵 禺蹖丕賲 乇賵 賴賲.. 賵 賲賳 鬲賵蹖 丕賵賳 賳诏丕賴卮 蹖賴 倬爻乇 卮乇蹖賮 乇賵 賲蹖 丿蹖丿賲 讴賴 禺蹖賱蹖 丕夭 夭賲丕賳 賵 賲丨蹖胤 禺賵丿卮 噩賱賵鬲乇 乇賮鬲賴 亘賵丿. 毓賱蹖 诏賮鬲 趩賵賳 鬲賵蹖 賲丿丕乇爻 丿賵賱鬲蹖 賳丕賲賳賵蹖爻蹖 丕賮睾丕賳賴丕 賲賲賳賵毓賴 賲噩亘賵乇 卮丿賴 鬲賵蹖 蹖賴 丿亘蹖乇爻鬲丕賳 禺氐賵氐蹖 丿乇爻 亘禺賵賳賴 賵 丨丕賱丕 禺賵丿卮 賵 賲丕丿乇卮 亘乇丕蹖 鬲丕賲蹖賳 丕蹖賳 賴夭蹖賳賴 賲噩亘賵乇賳 讴丕乇 讴賳賳.. 賴賮鬲賴 亘毓丿 讴賴 亘丕夭 爻乇 讴賱丕爻 乇賮鬲賲 毓賱蹖 乇賵 賳丿蹖丿賲. 賵賯鬲蹖 倬乇爻蹖丿賲 亘趩賴 賴丕 诏賮鬲賳 讴賴 趩賵賳 倬丿乇卮 讴丕乇鬲 賳丿丕卮鬲賴 诏乇賮鬲賳卮 賵 賴賲卮賵賳 乇賵 賮乇爻鬲丕丿賳 丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳. 丕賵賳賯丿乇 賳丕乇丕丨鬲 卮丿賲 讴賴 丿蹖诏賴 爻賲鬲 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭 賳乇賮鬲賲. 丨鬲蹖 丿蹖丿賳 讴鬲丕亘 鬲賵賵蹖 卮賴乇讴鬲丕亘丕 睾賲诏蹖賳賲 賲蹖讴乇丿.. 鬲丕 丕蹖賳讴賴 亘賴丕乇 丕賲爻丕賱 亘毓丿 丕夭 爻賴 爻丕賱 倬蹖丕賲蹖 丕夭 毓賱蹖 鬲賵賵蹖 賵丕蹖亘乇 乇爻蹖丿 讴賴 乇賵夭 賲毓賱賲 乇賵 鬲亘乇蹖讴 诏賮鬲賴 亘賵丿.. 賳賵卮鬲賴 亘賵丿 亘丕 丿禺鬲乇蹖 讴賴 丿賵爻鬲卮 丿丕乇賴 丕夭丿賵丕噩 讴乇丿賴 賵 蹖讴 丿禺鬲乇 丿賵賲丕賴賴 丿丕乇賴. 賳賵卮鬲賴 亘賵丿 丨丕賱丕 丿乇 蹖賴 讴鬲丕亘賮乇賵卮蹖 鬲賵蹖 讴丕亘賱 讴丕乇 賲蹖讴賳賴 賵 鬲賵蹖 丕蹖賳 爻賴 爻丕賱 賴夭丕乇鬲丕 讴鬲丕亘 禺賵賳丿賴.賳賵卮鬲賴 亘賵丿 賲丕 丕蹖賳噩丕 鬲賵賵蹖 讴丕亘賱 丕蹖賳鬲乇賳鬲 賳爻賱 趩賴丕乇賲 丿丕乇蹖賲. 亘乇丕卮 賳賵卮鬲賲 賯乇丕乇賴 賳爻賱 趩賴丕乇賲 亘夭賵丿蹖 亘賴 丕蹖乇丕賳 賴賲 亘乇爻賴! 亘丕 乇爻蹖丿賳 倬蹖丕賲 毓賱蹖 亘丕夭 鬲賵賳爻鬲賲 亘賴 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭 賳夭丿蹖讴 亘卮賲 .讴鬲丕亘 禺賵亘蹖 亘賵丿.. 賲禺氐賵氐丕 亘乇丕蹖 賲賳 蹖丕丿丕賵乇 睾乇亘鬲 賲賴丕噩乇丕蹖 禺爻鬲賴 賵 賳丕爻丕夭诏丕乇蹖 乇賵夭诏丕乇...
The next week, I went to class, but I didn't see Ali. When I asked the guys about him, they replied that because his father hadn't citizenship card and passport, he was arrested, and all of them have deported to Afghanistan. I was agitated that I couldn't continue reading Kite Runner never. Even I felt so depressed and sad when I saw the book in bookstores. Until this spring, after three years, I got a message in WhatsApp messenger from Ali, that congratulated teachers day to me. He was written that he married to a girl who was in love with her and they have a two months old girl baby. He was written he is working at a bookstore in Kabul and he has read almost thousand books in three years. He was written they have the 4G Internet in Kabul and I replied him, it's supposed to we have 4G in Tehran as well, soon! When I received the message, I could reread the Kite Runner. It was a great book, especially for me, recall nostalgia of tired immigrants and unfavorable circumstances.
**
爻丕賱 1391 夭賲丕賳蹖 讴賴 賲毓賱賲 乇蹖丕囟蹖 丨賯 丕賱鬲丿乇蹖爻 蹖賴 丿亘蹖乇爻鬲丕賳 禺氐賵氐蹖 卮丿賴 亘賵丿賲 蹖賴 丿丕賳卮 丕賲賵夭 丕賮睾丕賳 賴賲 爻乇 讴賱丕爻 丿丕卮鬲賲 ..賴乇丕夭诏丕賴蹖 亘賴 亘賴賵賳賴 賴丕蹖 賲禺鬲賱賮 亘丨孬 乇賵 亘賴 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲 賲蹖讴卮賵賳丿賲 賵 丕夭 乇賲丕賳 賵 卮毓乇 亘乇丕蹖 亘趩賴 賴丕 賲蹖诏賮鬲賲 .. 亘乇丕賲 禺蹖賱蹖 毓噩蹖亘 亘賵丿 讴賴 亘趩賴 賴丕蹖 讴賱丕爻 賴蹖趩 毓賱丕賯賴 丕蹖 亘賴 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲 賳卮賵賳 賳賲蹖丿丕丿賳 賵 诏丕賴蹖 丨鬲蹖 亘丕 丿蹖丿 鬲賲爻禺乇 賴賲 亘賴 賯囟蹖賴 賳诏丕賴 賲蹖讴乇丿賳.. 乇賵夭賴丕 賲蹖诏匕卮鬲 賵 夭賲丕賳 夭蹖丕丿蹖 亘賴 倬丕蹖丕賳 爻丕賱 鬲丨氐蹖賱蹖 亘丕賯蹖 賳賲賵賳丿賴 亘賵丿.. 蹖讴 乇賵夭 亘毓丿 丕夭 倬丕蹖丕賳 讴賱丕爻 丿蹖丿賲 毓賱蹖 賲丨氐賱 丕賮睾丕賳 , 丕賵賲丿 讴賳丕乇 賲蹖夭 賲賳 賵 鬲賵賵蹖 丿爻鬲卮 蹖賴 丿賮鬲乇趩賴 丿丕卮鬲 賵 鬲賵賵蹖 趩卮丕卮 丿蹖丿賲 讴賴 趩賳丿亘丕乇 丕賳诏丕乇 賲蹖禺賵丕爻鬲 丨乇賮蹖 亘夭賳賴 丕賲丕 爻讴賵鬲 讴乇丿.. 讴賲蹖 氐亘乇 讴乇丿賲 賵 亘毓丿 丕夭 趩賳丿 賱丨馗賴 爻乇 氐丨亘鬲 乇賵 亘丕夭 讴乇丿賲.. 賱亘禺賳丿 夭丿 賵 亘丕 賱賴噩賴 丕賮睾丕賳蹖 禺丕氐卮 诏賮鬲 "丕賯丕 賲賳 蹖賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賳賵卮鬲賲 ".賵 爻讴賵鬲 讴乇丿.. 诏賮鬲賲 禺蹖賱蹖 毓丕賱蹖賴.. 倬乇爻蹖丿賲. 讴鬲丕亘 賴賲 賲蹖禺賵賳蹖? 诏賮鬲 丕賯丕 亘賱賴..诏賮鬲賲 趩蹖 賲蹖禺賵賳蹖? 噩賵丕亘 丿丕丿 賲丕乇讴 鬲賵丕蹖賳 賵 噩丕賳 丕卮鬲丕蹖賳 亘讴 賵 跇賵賱 賵乇賳.. 诏賮鬲賲 趩蹖 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻蹖 ..噩賵丕亘 丿丕丿 蹖賴 乇賲丕賳 賳賵卮鬲賲 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖賴 倬爻乇 爻蹖夭丿賴 爻丕賱賴 丕賮睾丕賳 讴賴 亘賴 丕蹖乇丕賳 賲賴丕噩乇鬲 讴乇丿賴. 丿賮鬲乇趩賴 乇賵 丕夭 毓賱蹖 诏乇賮鬲賲 賵 鬲賵賵蹖 蹖讴 賴賮鬲賴 禺賵賳丿賲. 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 睾賲诏蹖賳 亘賵丿. 蹖讴 賴賮鬲賴 亘毓丿 丿賵亘丕乇賴 亘毓丿 丕夭 讴賱丕爻 亘丕 賴賲 氐丨亘鬲 讴乇丿蹖賲. 毓賱蹖 賲賳 乇賵 丿毓賵鬲 讴乇丿 讴賴 卮亘賴丕 亘賴 禺賵賳賴 卮賵賳 亘乇賲 賵 讴鬲丕亘 亘禺賵賳蹖賲. 禺亘 禺蹖賱蹖 丕夭 丕蹖賳 锟斤拷蹖卮賳賴丕丿 禺賵卮丨丕賱 卮丿賲 賵 丕爻鬲賯亘丕賱 讴乇丿賲. 卮亘 讴鬲丕亘 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭 乇賵 亘乇丿丕卮鬲賲 賵 乇賮鬲賲 . 賵丕乇丿 禺賵賳賴 讴賴 卮丿賲 丿蹖丿賲 蹖賴 禺賵賳賴 亘丕 丿蹖賵丕乇賴丕蹖 讴丕賴诏賱蹖 讴賴 賴蹖趩 丕鬲丕賯蹖 賳丿丕乇賴 亘噩夭 蹖賴 倬匕蹖乇丕蹖蹖 讴賴 賵爻胤卮 蹖賴 爻賮乇賴 丕賳丿丕禺鬲賴 亘賵丿賳 賵 賴卮鬲 賳賴 鬲丕 亘趩賴 讴賵趩蹖讴 丿丕卮鬲賳 睾匕丕 賲蹖 禺賵乇丿賳. 倬丿乇 毓賱蹖 讴賴 丕夭 賱亘丕爻賴丕卮 賲卮禺氐 亘賵丿 蹖賴 讴丕乇诏乇 爻丕禺鬲賲賵賳蹖 賴爻鬲 亘丕 诏乇賲蹖 禺丕氐蹖 丕夭 賲賳 丕爻鬲賯亘丕賱 讴乇丿. 賲賳 鬲卮讴乇 讴乇丿賲 賵 亘丕 毓賱蹖 乇賮鬲蹖賲 亘賴 爻賲鬲 丕賳亘丕乇蹖 讴賵趩蹖讴蹖 讴賴 诏賵卮賴 丨蹖丕胤 亘賵丿 賵 毓賱蹖 丕夭 丕賵賳 蹖賴 噩丕蹖蹖 亘乇丕蹖 鬲賳賴丕 亘賵丿賳卮 丿乇爻鬲 讴乇丿賴 亘賵丿. 毓賱蹖 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 丕夭 賲賳 诏乇賮鬲 賵 亘丕 卮毓賮 禺丕氐蹖 賲卮睾賵賱 禺賵賳丿賳 卮丿.. 鬲賯乇蹖亘丕 蹖讴 賴賮鬲賴 賴乇 卮亘 丕蹖賳 噩乇蹖丕賳 鬲讴乇丕乇 賲蹖 卮丿 賵 賲丕 賳蹖賲蹖 丕夭 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭 乇賵 禺賵賳丿賴 亘賵丿蹖賲. 毓賱蹖 賱丕亘賱丕蹖 氐賮丨賴 賴丕蹖 讴鬲丕亘 亘乇丕賲 丕夭 丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳 賲蹖诏賮鬲 丕夭 丕蹖賳 讴賴 趩胤賵乇 亘蹖爻鬲 賳賮乇 亘丕 蹖賴 爻賵丕乇蹖 賵丕乇丿 丕蹖乇丕賳 卮丿賳 丕夭蹖賳讴賴 趩胤賵乇 亘趩賴 賴丕蹖 讴賱丕爻 丕賵賳 乇賵 亘禺丕胤乇 賱賴噩賴 丕賮睾丕賳蹖 賲爻禺乇賴 賲蹖讴賳賳 丕夭 丕蹖賳 讴賴 毓氐乇賴丕 亘毓丿 丕夭 賲丿乇爻賴 賲噩亘賵乇賴 鬲賵賵蹖 讴丕乇诏丕賴 丕噩乇 倬夭蹖 讴丕乇 讴賳賴. 丕夭 丕蹖賳讴賴 倬丿乇卮 賲噩亘賵乇卮 賲蹖讴賳賴 讴賴 鬲丕亘爻鬲賵賳 鬲賵賵蹖 爻蹖夭丿賴 爻丕賱诏蹖 丕夭丿賵丕噩 讴賳賴.. 亘毓丿 毓賱蹖 丕丿丕賲賴 丿丕丿 丿賱卮 賲蹖禺賵丕丿 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 亘卮賴 賵 噩丕蹖夭賴 賳賵亘賱 亘诏蹖乇賴. 鬲賵蹖 丕賵賳 丕賳亘丕乇蹖 讴賵趩蹖讴 丿蹖丿賲 讴賴 卮丕賴賳丕賲賴 賵 禺蹖丕賲 賵 丨丕賮馗 賵 賲賵賱賵蹖 賴賲 丿丕乇賴.. 賲蹖诏賮鬲 丨丕賮馗 乇賵 丕夭 亘乇 丿丕乇賴 賵 禺蹖丕賲 乇賵 賴賲.. 賵 賲賳 鬲賵蹖 丕賵賳 賳诏丕賴卮 蹖賴 倬爻乇 卮乇蹖賮 乇賵 賲蹖 丿蹖丿賲 讴賴 禺蹖賱蹖 丕夭 夭賲丕賳 賵 賲丨蹖胤 禺賵丿卮 噩賱賵鬲乇 乇賮鬲賴 亘賵丿. 毓賱蹖 诏賮鬲 趩賵賳 鬲賵蹖 賲丿丕乇爻 丿賵賱鬲蹖 賳丕賲賳賵蹖爻蹖 丕賮睾丕賳賴丕 賲賲賳賵毓賴 賲噩亘賵乇 卮丿賴 鬲賵蹖 蹖賴 丿亘蹖乇爻鬲丕賳 禺氐賵氐蹖 丿乇爻 亘禺賵賳賴 賵 丨丕賱丕 禺賵丿卮 賵 賲丕丿乇卮 亘乇丕蹖 鬲丕賲蹖賳 丕蹖賳 賴夭蹖賳賴 賲噩亘賵乇賳 讴丕乇 讴賳賳.. 賴賮鬲賴 亘毓丿 讴賴 亘丕夭 爻乇 讴賱丕爻 乇賮鬲賲 毓賱蹖 乇賵 賳丿蹖丿賲. 賵賯鬲蹖 倬乇爻蹖丿賲 亘趩賴 賴丕 诏賮鬲賳 讴賴 趩賵賳 倬丿乇卮 讴丕乇鬲 賳丿丕卮鬲賴 诏乇賮鬲賳卮 賵 賴賲卮賵賳 乇賵 賮乇爻鬲丕丿賳 丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳. 丕賵賳賯丿乇 賳丕乇丕丨鬲 卮丿賲 讴賴 丿蹖诏賴 爻賲鬲 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭 賳乇賮鬲賲. 丨鬲蹖 丿蹖丿賳 讴鬲丕亘 鬲賵賵蹖 卮賴乇讴鬲丕亘丕 睾賲诏蹖賳賲 賲蹖讴乇丿.. 鬲丕 丕蹖賳讴賴 亘賴丕乇 丕賲爻丕賱 亘毓丿 丕夭 爻賴 爻丕賱 倬蹖丕賲蹖 丕夭 毓賱蹖 鬲賵賵蹖 賵丕蹖亘乇 乇爻蹖丿 讴賴 乇賵夭 賲毓賱賲 乇賵 鬲亘乇蹖讴 诏賮鬲賴 亘賵丿.. 賳賵卮鬲賴 亘賵丿 亘丕 丿禺鬲乇蹖 讴賴 丿賵爻鬲卮 丿丕乇賴 丕夭丿賵丕噩 讴乇丿賴 賵 蹖讴 丿禺鬲乇 丿賵賲丕賴賴 丿丕乇賴. 賳賵卮鬲賴 亘賵丿 丨丕賱丕 丿乇 蹖賴 讴鬲丕亘賮乇賵卮蹖 鬲賵蹖 讴丕亘賱 讴丕乇 賲蹖讴賳賴 賵 鬲賵蹖 丕蹖賳 爻賴 爻丕賱 賴夭丕乇鬲丕 讴鬲丕亘 禺賵賳丿賴.賳賵卮鬲賴 亘賵丿 賲丕 丕蹖賳噩丕 鬲賵賵蹖 讴丕亘賱 丕蹖賳鬲乇賳鬲 賳爻賱 趩賴丕乇賲 丿丕乇蹖賲. 亘乇丕卮 賳賵卮鬲賲 賯乇丕乇賴 賳爻賱 趩賴丕乇賲 亘夭賵丿蹖 亘賴 丕蹖乇丕賳 賴賲 亘乇爻賴! 亘丕 乇爻蹖丿賳 倬蹖丕賲 毓賱蹖 亘丕夭 鬲賵賳爻鬲賲 亘賴 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭 賳夭丿蹖讴 亘卮賲 .讴鬲丕亘 禺賵亘蹖 亘賵丿.. 賲禺氐賵氐丕 亘乇丕蹖 賲賳 蹖丕丿丕賵乇 睾乇亘鬲 賲賴丕噩乇丕蹖 禺爻鬲賴 賵 賳丕爻丕夭诏丕乇蹖 乇賵夭诏丕乇...
February 23, 2016
This is the sort of book White America reads to feel worldly. Just like the spate of Native American pop fiction in the late eighties, this is overwhelmingly colonized literature, in that it pretends to reveal some aspect of the 'other' culture, but on closer inspection (aside from the occasional tidbit) it is a thoroughly western story, firmly ensconced in the western tradition.
Even those tidbits Hosseini gives are of such a vague degree that to be impressed by them, one would have to have almost no knowledge of the history of Afghanistan, nor the cultural conflicts raging there between the Shia and Sunni Muslims, or how it formed a for Russia and the United States in the Cold War, or for in the centuries before. Sadly, for all the daily news reports about Afghanistan, most people know very little of its history.
Hosseini's story is thickly foreshadowed and wraps up so neatly in the end that the reader will never have to worry about being surprised. Every convenient coincidence that could happen, does happen. He does attempt to bring some excitement to the story with dramatized violence, but that's hardly a replacement for a well-constructed plot. He is also fond of forcing tension by creating a small conflict between two characters and then having them agonize over it for years, despite the fact that it would be easy to fix and the characters have no reason to maintain the conflict. And since the conflict does not grow or change over time, everything is quickly reduced to petty and repetitive reactions.
He even creates a cliched 'white devil' character, a literal sociopath (and pedophile) as the symbol for the 'evils' of the Taliban. This creates an odd conflict in the narrative, since one of the main themes is that simple inequalities and pointless conflicts stem from Afghan tradition, itself. His indelicate inclusion of wealthy, beautiful, white power as the source of religious turmoil in the mid-east negates his assertion that the conflicts are caused by small-mindedness.
The fact that this character seems to have the depth of motivation of a Disney villain also means that he does not work as a representation of the fundamental causes of colonial inequality, which tend to be economic, not personal. The various mixed messages about the contributors to the ongoing Afghan conflict suggest that Hosseini does not have anything insightful to say about it.
Perhaps the worst part about this book is how much it caters to the ignorance of White America. It will allow naive readers to feel better about themselves for feeling sympathy with the larger mid-east conflict, but is also lets them retain a sense of superiority over the Muslims for their 'backwards, classicist, warlike' ways. In short, it supports the condescending, parental view that many Americans already have about the rest of the world. And it does all this without revealing any understanding of the vast and vital economic concerns which make the greater mid-east so vitally important to the future of the world.
It is unfortunate that nowhere amongst this book's artfully dramatized violence and alternative praising and demonizing of the West is there the underlying sense of why this conflict is happening, of what put it all into place, and of why it will continue to drag us all down. The point where it could turn sympathy into indignation or realization is simply absent.
There is a bad joke on the internet showing a map of the world with the mid-east replaced by a sea-filled crater with the comment 'problem solved'. What this map fails to represent is that there is a reason the West in the affairs of the mid-east, and that every time we do, it creates another conflict--because almost every group who we decry as terrorists now were originally trained and armed by the US and Western powers to serve our economic interests.
As long as we see extremists as faceless sociopaths, we can do nothing against them. We must recognize that , and that everyone sees himself as being 'in the right'. Who is more right: the Westerner whose careless bomb kills a child, or the Muslim's that does?
The point shouldn't be to separate the 'good Muslims' from the 'bad Muslims', because people aren't fundamentally good or bad. They are fundamentally people. Almost without exception, they are looking out for their future, their children, and their communities. Calling someone 'evil' merely means you have ceased to try understanding their point of view, and decided instead to merely hate because it's easier to remain ignorant than to try to understand.
This book isn't particularly insightful or well-written, but that is in no way unusual in bestsellers. The problem is that Americans are going to use this book to justify their ignorance about the problems in the east. This book will make people feel better about themselves, instead of helping them to think better about the world.
For an actually insightful, touching view of the Afghan conflict, I would suggest avoiding this bit of naive melodrama and looking up Emmanuel Guibert's .
Even those tidbits Hosseini gives are of such a vague degree that to be impressed by them, one would have to have almost no knowledge of the history of Afghanistan, nor the cultural conflicts raging there between the Shia and Sunni Muslims, or how it formed a for Russia and the United States in the Cold War, or for in the centuries before. Sadly, for all the daily news reports about Afghanistan, most people know very little of its history.
Hosseini's story is thickly foreshadowed and wraps up so neatly in the end that the reader will never have to worry about being surprised. Every convenient coincidence that could happen, does happen. He does attempt to bring some excitement to the story with dramatized violence, but that's hardly a replacement for a well-constructed plot. He is also fond of forcing tension by creating a small conflict between two characters and then having them agonize over it for years, despite the fact that it would be easy to fix and the characters have no reason to maintain the conflict. And since the conflict does not grow or change over time, everything is quickly reduced to petty and repetitive reactions.
He even creates a cliched 'white devil' character, a literal sociopath (and pedophile) as the symbol for the 'evils' of the Taliban. This creates an odd conflict in the narrative, since one of the main themes is that simple inequalities and pointless conflicts stem from Afghan tradition, itself. His indelicate inclusion of wealthy, beautiful, white power as the source of religious turmoil in the mid-east negates his assertion that the conflicts are caused by small-mindedness.
The fact that this character seems to have the depth of motivation of a Disney villain also means that he does not work as a representation of the fundamental causes of colonial inequality, which tend to be economic, not personal. The various mixed messages about the contributors to the ongoing Afghan conflict suggest that Hosseini does not have anything insightful to say about it.
Perhaps the worst part about this book is how much it caters to the ignorance of White America. It will allow naive readers to feel better about themselves for feeling sympathy with the larger mid-east conflict, but is also lets them retain a sense of superiority over the Muslims for their 'backwards, classicist, warlike' ways. In short, it supports the condescending, parental view that many Americans already have about the rest of the world. And it does all this without revealing any understanding of the vast and vital economic concerns which make the greater mid-east so vitally important to the future of the world.
It is unfortunate that nowhere amongst this book's artfully dramatized violence and alternative praising and demonizing of the West is there the underlying sense of why this conflict is happening, of what put it all into place, and of why it will continue to drag us all down. The point where it could turn sympathy into indignation or realization is simply absent.
There is a bad joke on the internet showing a map of the world with the mid-east replaced by a sea-filled crater with the comment 'problem solved'. What this map fails to represent is that there is a reason the West in the affairs of the mid-east, and that every time we do, it creates another conflict--because almost every group who we decry as terrorists now were originally trained and armed by the US and Western powers to serve our economic interests.
As long as we see extremists as faceless sociopaths, we can do nothing against them. We must recognize that , and that everyone sees himself as being 'in the right'. Who is more right: the Westerner whose careless bomb kills a child, or the Muslim's that does?
The point shouldn't be to separate the 'good Muslims' from the 'bad Muslims', because people aren't fundamentally good or bad. They are fundamentally people. Almost without exception, they are looking out for their future, their children, and their communities. Calling someone 'evil' merely means you have ceased to try understanding their point of view, and decided instead to merely hate because it's easier to remain ignorant than to try to understand.
This book isn't particularly insightful or well-written, but that is in no way unusual in bestsellers. The problem is that Americans are going to use this book to justify their ignorance about the problems in the east. This book will make people feel better about themselves, instead of helping them to think better about the world.
For an actually insightful, touching view of the Afghan conflict, I would suggest avoiding this bit of naive melodrama and looking up Emmanuel Guibert's .
August 5, 2021
Sad stories make good books.
"I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975."
There are two types of books, usually, that makes one feel like there are no words to describe the experience: They are either unbelievably detrimental, or exceptionally (and positively) impactful. Given the overall high rating, it is redundant to tell, to which category does The Kite Runner belong. I don't think there are that many books, especially fiction, that could leave such a profound effect on a reader's mind.
"People say that eyes are windows to the soul."
"Time can be a greedy thing - sometimes it steals all the details for itself."
What I loved the most about this book is the set of characters. Hosseini has done an amazing job developing them, which increases the emotional impact of the plot tenfold. Especially, it's remarkable how well he handled the first person protagonist, Amir. The traditional 'do wrong, then atone, conclude with happy ending' is not the way with The Kite Runner, but utilizes an attempt to direct Amir towards a path of atonement, while sticking to a more realistic ending. Had it not been for Hosseini's unique narrative, Amir's character could have turned far more contemptible. Luckily, for me, it was never the case. Many would probably love the secondary characters more, but it is important to remember that it was the protagonist's undistorted, self-criticizing account of the events that made it that way. It's not a perspective you see everyday, but I loved it.
"It always hurts more to have and lose than not have in the first place."
I was perfectly satisfied with the pace of the story, including the intermittent jumps in time Hosseini used to separate the book in to a few main parts. Each of these parts had their own theme going on, while introducing an occasional twist to keep things interesting. The only minor complaint I have is about the attempt at creating a villain. Even though it introduced a tiny bit of mystery to the plot, that particular part felt a little out of harmony with the rest.
"That's the real Afghanistan, Agha sahib. That's the Afghanistan I know. You? You've always been a tourist here, you just didn't know it."
The writing style is somewhat simple, but I believe most readers would be too absorbed in the plot to notice it. If anything, it felt more appropriate, reducing distractions from the flow of the story. But the plot, and the characters make up perfectly for any other shortcoming in my opinion. I wouldn't call this an emotional rollercoaster, for, the majority of the emotions include regret, disappointment, sadness, fear, anger, privation but very little happy ones. But all this helped the book become more moving. I usually don't enjoy books with sad endings but this one was definitely an exception, and worth all the heartbreak.
"Better to get hurt by the truth than comforted with a lie."
Before starting the book, based on almost all the reviews, I knew this was a sad story. But with fiction, if and when things get too depressing, a reader could always be consoled by the fact that this is, after all, fiction. It's easier attributing everything to being not real, and proceed from that safe spot. You're no going to find that solace here. If anything, unless we are fooling ourselves, the severity of reality has been lessened to make it more bearable. But I guess that's the whole point. That's what makes this deliver a profound reading experience. It enables all readers to understand, to empathize, and be considerate towards others. Kite Runner easily made it to my All-time-favorites and I believe this should be read by everyone.
'For you, a thousand times over!' he said. Then he smiled his Hassan smile and disappeared around the corner.
January 10, 2008
"For you, a thousand times over."
"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors."
"...attention shifted to him like sunflowers turning to the sun."
"But even when he wasn't around, he was."
"When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal a wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing."
"...she had a voice that made me think of warm milk and honey."
"My heart stuttered at the thought of her."
"...and I would walk by, pretending not to know her, but dying to."
"It turned out that, like satan, cancer had many names."
"Every woman needed a husband, even if he did silence the song in her."
"The first time I saw the Pacific, I almost cried."
"Proud. His eyes gleamed when he said that and I liked being on the receiving end of that look."
"Make morning into a key and throw it into the well,
Go slowly, my lovely moon, go slowly.
Let the morning sun forget to rise in the East,
Go slowly, lovely moon, go slowly."
"Men are easy,... a man's plumbing is like his mind: simple, very few surprises. You ladies, on the other hand... well, God put a lot of thought into making you."
"All my life, I'd been around men. That night, I discovered the tenderness of a woman."
"And I could almost feel the emptiness in [her] womb, like it was a living, breathing thing. It had seeped into our marriage, that emptiness, into our laughs, and our lovemaking. And late at night, in the darkness of our room, I'd feel it rising from [her] and settling between us. Sleeping between us. Like a newborn child."
"America was a river, roaring along unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the waters carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins. If for nothing else, for that I embraced America."
"...and every day I thank [God] that I am alive, not because I fear death, but because my wife has a husband and my son is not an orphan."
"...lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty."
"...sometimes the dead are luckier."
"He walked like he was afraid to leave behind footprints. He moved as if not to stir the air around him."
"...and when she locked her arms around my neck, when I smelled apples in her hair, I realized how much I had missed her. 'You're still the morning sun to me...' I whispered."
"...there is a God, there always has been. I see him here, in the eys of the people in this [hospital] corridor of desperation. This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find Him... there is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He will forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need. I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is."
"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors."
"...attention shifted to him like sunflowers turning to the sun."
"But even when he wasn't around, he was."
"When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal a wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing."
"...she had a voice that made me think of warm milk and honey."
"My heart stuttered at the thought of her."
"...and I would walk by, pretending not to know her, but dying to."
"It turned out that, like satan, cancer had many names."
"Every woman needed a husband, even if he did silence the song in her."
"The first time I saw the Pacific, I almost cried."
"Proud. His eyes gleamed when he said that and I liked being on the receiving end of that look."
"Make morning into a key and throw it into the well,
Go slowly, my lovely moon, go slowly.
Let the morning sun forget to rise in the East,
Go slowly, lovely moon, go slowly."
"Men are easy,... a man's plumbing is like his mind: simple, very few surprises. You ladies, on the other hand... well, God put a lot of thought into making you."
"All my life, I'd been around men. That night, I discovered the tenderness of a woman."
"And I could almost feel the emptiness in [her] womb, like it was a living, breathing thing. It had seeped into our marriage, that emptiness, into our laughs, and our lovemaking. And late at night, in the darkness of our room, I'd feel it rising from [her] and settling between us. Sleeping between us. Like a newborn child."
"America was a river, roaring along unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the waters carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins. If for nothing else, for that I embraced America."
"...and every day I thank [God] that I am alive, not because I fear death, but because my wife has a husband and my son is not an orphan."
"...lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty."
"...sometimes the dead are luckier."
"He walked like he was afraid to leave behind footprints. He moved as if not to stir the air around him."
"...and when she locked her arms around my neck, when I smelled apples in her hair, I realized how much I had missed her. 'You're still the morning sun to me...' I whispered."
"...there is a God, there always has been. I see him here, in the eys of the people in this [hospital] corridor of desperation. This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find Him... there is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He will forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need. I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is."
August 12, 2024
WOW! This book was beautiful, exquisite.
This book follows the story of a rich boy named Amir who grows up playing with his buddy Hassan who is the son of his father's servant. This story is one of friendship, betrayal, love, redemption, and family.
There were so many different twists in this book that I never saw coming. It was also so real that I had to Google, "Is The Kite Runner based on a true story?" If you are wondering, no, it is not.
Honestly, this book was so moving and beautiful that I was crying at multiple spots in the book. It would be hard to convey how much I love this book. Even typing this review, I am tearing up. Love in real life is not a Hallmark movie or a Lifetime show. Even people we love let us down and disappoint from time to time. The world doesn't always give us an easy hand in life. However, this author perfectly depicted imperfect characters who were doing their best.
If you need a read, this book is it. It is captivating and page turning. It will rumble your soul.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
This book follows the story of a rich boy named Amir who grows up playing with his buddy Hassan who is the son of his father's servant. This story is one of friendship, betrayal, love, redemption, and family.
There were so many different twists in this book that I never saw coming. It was also so real that I had to Google, "Is The Kite Runner based on a true story?" If you are wondering, no, it is not.
Honestly, this book was so moving and beautiful that I was crying at multiple spots in the book. It would be hard to convey how much I love this book. Even typing this review, I am tearing up. Love in real life is not a Hallmark movie or a Lifetime show. Even people we love let us down and disappoint from time to time. The world doesn't always give us an easy hand in life. However, this author perfectly depicted imperfect characters who were doing their best.
If you need a read, this book is it. It is captivating and page turning. It will rumble your soul.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
May 8, 2021
It's been a while since I've been this frustrated with a main character...
July 26, 2021
The Kite Runner, 2003, Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Published in 2003 by Riverhead Books.
It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan.
The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan's monarchy through the Soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕蹖 趩丕倬 卮丿賴 丿乇 丕蹖乇丕賳: 芦亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭禄貨 芦亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 倬乇丕賳禄貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 禺丕賱丿 丨爻蹖賳蹖貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 禺賵丕賳卮 丿乇 賲丕賴 賲丕乇爻 爻丕賱 丿賵賴夭丕乇賵倬賳噩 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 禺丕賱丿 丨爻蹖賳蹖貨 賲鬲乇噩賲 夭蹖亘丕 诏賳噩蹖貨 倬乇蹖爻丕 爻賱蹖賲丕賳夭丕丿賴 丕乇丿亘蹖賱蹖貙 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賲乇賵丕乇蹖丿貙 1383貙 丿乇 422氐貨 卮丕亘讴9645881927貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 - 爻丿賴 21賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲賴丿蹖 睾亘乇丕卅蹖貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳卮乇 賴賲乇丕賴貙 1384貙 丿乇 456氐貨
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賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳 讴鬲丕亘: (賳丕乇丕丨鬲 卮丿賳 丕夭 蹖讴 丨賯蹖賯鬲 亘賴鬲乇 丕夭 鬲爻讴蹖賳 蹖丕賮鬲賳 亘丕 蹖讴 丿乇賵睾 丕爻鬲
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丨爻賳 丕蹖賳胤賵乇蹖 亘賵丿貨 賱毓賳鬲蹖 丌賳賯丿乇 亘蹖 睾賱 賵 睾卮 亘賵丿 讴賴 倬蹖卮 丕賵 丌丿賲 賴賲蹖卮賴 丨爻 賲蹖讴乇丿 乇蹖丕讴丕乇 丕爻鬲
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亘丕亘丕 诏賮鬲: 芦禺賵亘賴.禄 丕賲丕 賳诏丕賴卮 丨蹖乇丕賳 亘賵丿貨 芦禺亘 賴乇趩蹖 賲賱丕 蹖丕丿鬲 丿丕丿賴 賵賱 讴賳貙 賮賯胤 蹖讴 诏賳丕賴 賵噩賵丿 丿丕乇丿 賵丕賱爻賱丕賲貨 丌賳 賴賲 丿夭丿蹖 丕爻鬲 - 丕賱亘鬲賴 亘乇禺蹖 賴賲 丌賳 蹖讴 诏賳丕賴 乇丕 丿乇賵睾诏賵蹖蹖 賲蹖丿丕賳賳丿貨 賴乇 诏賳丕賴 丿蹖诏乇蹖 賴賲 賳賵毓蹖 丿夭丿蹖 丕爻鬲貨 賲蹖賮賴賲蹖 趩蹖 賲蹖诏賵蹖賲責禄 賲丕蹖賵爻丕賳賴 丌乇夭賵 讴乇丿賲 賵 诏賮鬲賲 讴丕卮 賲蹖賮賴賲蹖丿賲貨 賵 诏賮鬲賲 芦賳賴 亘丕亘丕 噩賵賳禄貨 賳賲蹖鈥屫堌ж池� 丿賵亘丕乇賴 賳丕丕賲蹖丿卮 讴賳賲.貨 亘丕亘丕 亘丕 亘蹖 丨賵氐賱诏蹖 丌賴蹖 讴卮蹖丿貨 亘丕 丕蹖賳讴丕乇 丿賵亘丕乇賴 丿賱賲 乇丕 爻賵夭丕賳丿貙 趩賵賳 丕賵 丕氐賱丕賸 丌丿賲 亘蹖 丨賵氐賱賴 丕蹖 賳亘賵丿貨 蹖丕丿賲 丌賲丿 讴賴 鬲丕 賴賵丕 鬲丕乇蹖讴 賳賲蹖卮丿貙 賴蹖趩 賵賯鬲 亘賴 禺丕賳賴 賳賲蹖丌賲丿貙 賴賲蹖卮賴 蹖 禺丿丕 鬲賳賴丕蹖蹖 卮丕賲 賲蹖禺賵乇丿賲貨 賵賯鬲蹖 賲蹖丌賲丿 禺丕賳賴貙 丕夭 芦毓賱蹖禄 賲蹖倬乇爻蹖丿賲 亘丕亘丕 讴噩丕 亘賵丿賴責 賴乇 趩賳丿 禺賵丿賲 禺賵亘 賲蹖丿丕賳爻鬲賲 讴賴 爻乇 爻丕禺鬲賲丕賳 亘賵丿賴貙 爻乇讴卮蹖 亘賴 丕蹖賳貙 賳馗丕乇鬲 亘賴 丌賳貨 賲诏乇 丕蹖賳 讴丕乇賴丕 丨丕賱 賵 丨賵氐賱賴 賳賲蹖禺賵丕爻鬲責 丕夭 鬲賲丕賲 丌賳 亘趩賴 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 丿丕卮鬲 亘乇丕蹖卮丕賳 倬乇賵乇卮诏丕賴 賲蹖爻丕禺鬲 賲鬲賳賮乇 亘賵丿賲貨 诏丕賴蹖 賵賯鬲賴丕 丌乇夭賵 賲蹖讴乇丿賲貙 讴丕卮 賴賲賴 蹖 丌賳賴丕 亘丕 倬丿乇 賵 賲丕丿乇賴丕蹖卮丕賳 賲乇丿賴 亘賵丿賳丿貨 亘丕亘丕 诏賮鬲 芦丕诏乇 賲乇丿蹖 乇丕 亘讴卮蹖貙 蹖讴 夭賳丿诏蹖 乇丕 賲蹖丿夭丿蹖貨 丨賯 夭賳卮 乇丕 丕夭 丿丕卮鬲賳 卮賵賴乇 賲蹖丿夭丿蹖貙 噩賯 亘趩賴 賴丕蹖卮 乇丕 丕夭 丿丕卮鬲賳 倬丿乇 賲蹖丿夭丿蹖貨 賵賯鬲蹖 丿乇賵睾 賲蹖诏賵蹖蹖貙 丨賯 讴爻蹖 乇丕 丕夭 丿丕賳爻鬲賳 丨賯蹖賯鬲 賲蹖丿夭丿蹖.貨 賵賯鬲蹖 鬲賯賱亘 賲蹖讴賳蹖貙 丨賯 乇丕 丕夭 丕賳氐丕賮 賲蹖丿夭丿蹖貙 賲蹖賮賴賲蹖責) 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳 讴鬲丕亘
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 19/05/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Published in 2003 by Riverhead Books.
It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan.
The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan's monarchy through the Soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕蹖 趩丕倬 卮丿賴 丿乇 丕蹖乇丕賳: 芦亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭禄貨 芦亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 倬乇丕賳禄貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 禺丕賱丿 丨爻蹖賳蹖貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 禺賵丕賳卮 丿乇 賲丕賴 賲丕乇爻 爻丕賱 丿賵賴夭丕乇賵倬賳噩 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 禺丕賱丿 丨爻蹖賳蹖貨 賲鬲乇噩賲 夭蹖亘丕 诏賳噩蹖貨 倬乇蹖爻丕 爻賱蹖賲丕賳夭丕丿賴 丕乇丿亘蹖賱蹖貙 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賲乇賵丕乇蹖丿貙 1383貙 丿乇 422氐貨 卮丕亘讴9645881927貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 - 爻丿賴 21賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲賴丿蹖 睾亘乇丕卅蹖貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳卮乇 賴賲乇丕賴貙 1384貙 丿乇 456氐貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 倬乇丕賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲賳蹖跇賴 卮蹖禺 噩賵丕丿蹖貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 倬蹖讴丕賳貙 1385貙 丿乇 383氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9789643284953貨
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毓賳賵丕賳: 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 氐丿蹖賯賴 丕亘乇丕賴蹖賲蹖貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丿丕蹖乇賴貙 1387貙 丿乇 393氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9789646939694貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲跇诏丕賳 丕丨賲丿蹖貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 亘賴夭丕丿貙 1388貙 丿乇 331氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9789642569410貨
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毓賳賵丕賳: 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻賲蹖賴 蹖丿丕賱賱賴蹖貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 卮賴乇夭丕丿貙 1389貙 丿乇 376氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786001710421貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 乇賯蹖賴 賮蹖乇賵夭蹖貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 賯賲貙 乇禺 賲賴鬲丕亘 乇丕鬲丕貙 1392貙 丿乇 338氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786007076026貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 丨爻蹖賳 亘禺卮蹖貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丌賵丕蹖 賲讴鬲賵亘貙 1393貙 丿乇 368氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786007364055貨
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕夭 夭亘丕賳 芦丕賲蹖乇禄 乇賵丕蹖鬲 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 芦丕賲蹖乇禄 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 丕蹖 丕賴賱 芦丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳禄 賵 丕夭 鬲亘丕乇 丕蹖賱 芦倬卮鬲賵賳禄 賵 爻丕讴賳 芦讴丕賱蹖賮乇賳蹖丕禄 賴爻鬲賳丿貙 讴賴 亘乇丕蹖 賳噩丕鬲 蹖讴 亘趩賴貙 乇丕賴蹖 芦丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳禄 賲蹖鈥屫促堎嗀� 丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳蹖 讴賴 丿乇 鬲丨鬲 丨丕讴賲蹖鬲 芦胤丕賱亘丕賳禄 丕爻鬲貙 賵 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 丿卮賵丕乇鬲乇蹖賳 丿賵乇丕賳賴丕蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺 趩賳丿 賴夭丕乇 爻丕賱賴鈥� 蹖 禺賵蹖卮 乇丕 爻倬乇蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 賵 亘賴 亘賴丕賳賴 蹖 賴賲蹖賳 爻賮乇 芦丕賲蹖乇禄 亘賴 芦丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳禄貙 丕蹖卮丕賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 夭賳丿诏蹖鈥� 禺賵蹖卮 乇丕 賳蹖夭 亘乇丕蹖 禺賵丕賳卮诏乇 亘丕夭诏賵蹖蹖鈥� 賲蹖讴賳賳丿
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳 讴鬲丕亘: (賳丕乇丕丨鬲 卮丿賳 丕夭 蹖讴 丨賯蹖賯鬲 亘賴鬲乇 丕夭 鬲爻讴蹖賳 蹖丕賮鬲賳 亘丕 蹖讴 丿乇賵睾 丕爻鬲
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丨爻賳 丕蹖賳胤賵乇蹖 亘賵丿貨 賱毓賳鬲蹖 丌賳賯丿乇 亘蹖 睾賱 賵 睾卮 亘賵丿 讴賴 倬蹖卮 丕賵 丌丿賲 賴賲蹖卮賴 丨爻 賲蹖讴乇丿 乇蹖丕讴丕乇 丕爻鬲
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亘丕亘丕 诏賮鬲: 芦禺賵亘賴.禄 丕賲丕 賳诏丕賴卮 丨蹖乇丕賳 亘賵丿貨 芦禺亘 賴乇趩蹖 賲賱丕 蹖丕丿鬲 丿丕丿賴 賵賱 讴賳貙 賮賯胤 蹖讴 诏賳丕賴 賵噩賵丿 丿丕乇丿 賵丕賱爻賱丕賲貨 丌賳 賴賲 丿夭丿蹖 丕爻鬲 - 丕賱亘鬲賴 亘乇禺蹖 賴賲 丌賳 蹖讴 诏賳丕賴 乇丕 丿乇賵睾诏賵蹖蹖 賲蹖丿丕賳賳丿貨 賴乇 诏賳丕賴 丿蹖诏乇蹖 賴賲 賳賵毓蹖 丿夭丿蹖 丕爻鬲貨 賲蹖賮賴賲蹖 趩蹖 賲蹖诏賵蹖賲責禄 賲丕蹖賵爻丕賳賴 丌乇夭賵 讴乇丿賲 賵 诏賮鬲賲 讴丕卮 賲蹖賮賴賲蹖丿賲貨 賵 诏賮鬲賲 芦賳賴 亘丕亘丕 噩賵賳禄貨 賳賲蹖鈥屫堌ж池� 丿賵亘丕乇賴 賳丕丕賲蹖丿卮 讴賳賲.貨 亘丕亘丕 亘丕 亘蹖 丨賵氐賱诏蹖 丌賴蹖 讴卮蹖丿貨 亘丕 丕蹖賳讴丕乇 丿賵亘丕乇賴 丿賱賲 乇丕 爻賵夭丕賳丿貙 趩賵賳 丕賵 丕氐賱丕賸 丌丿賲 亘蹖 丨賵氐賱賴 丕蹖 賳亘賵丿貨 蹖丕丿賲 丌賲丿 讴賴 鬲丕 賴賵丕 鬲丕乇蹖讴 賳賲蹖卮丿貙 賴蹖趩 賵賯鬲 亘賴 禺丕賳賴 賳賲蹖丌賲丿貙 賴賲蹖卮賴 蹖 禺丿丕 鬲賳賴丕蹖蹖 卮丕賲 賲蹖禺賵乇丿賲貨 賵賯鬲蹖 賲蹖丌賲丿 禺丕賳賴貙 丕夭 芦毓賱蹖禄 賲蹖倬乇爻蹖丿賲 亘丕亘丕 讴噩丕 亘賵丿賴責 賴乇 趩賳丿 禺賵丿賲 禺賵亘 賲蹖丿丕賳爻鬲賲 讴賴 爻乇 爻丕禺鬲賲丕賳 亘賵丿賴貙 爻乇讴卮蹖 亘賴 丕蹖賳貙 賳馗丕乇鬲 亘賴 丌賳貨 賲诏乇 丕蹖賳 讴丕乇賴丕 丨丕賱 賵 丨賵氐賱賴 賳賲蹖禺賵丕爻鬲責 丕夭 鬲賲丕賲 丌賳 亘趩賴 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 丿丕卮鬲 亘乇丕蹖卮丕賳 倬乇賵乇卮诏丕賴 賲蹖爻丕禺鬲 賲鬲賳賮乇 亘賵丿賲貨 诏丕賴蹖 賵賯鬲賴丕 丌乇夭賵 賲蹖讴乇丿賲貙 讴丕卮 賴賲賴 蹖 丌賳賴丕 亘丕 倬丿乇 賵 賲丕丿乇賴丕蹖卮丕賳 賲乇丿賴 亘賵丿賳丿貨 亘丕亘丕 诏賮鬲 芦丕诏乇 賲乇丿蹖 乇丕 亘讴卮蹖貙 蹖讴 夭賳丿诏蹖 乇丕 賲蹖丿夭丿蹖貨 丨賯 夭賳卮 乇丕 丕夭 丿丕卮鬲賳 卮賵賴乇 賲蹖丿夭丿蹖貙 噩賯 亘趩賴 賴丕蹖卮 乇丕 丕夭 丿丕卮鬲賳 倬丿乇 賲蹖丿夭丿蹖貨 賵賯鬲蹖 丿乇賵睾 賲蹖诏賵蹖蹖貙 丨賯 讴爻蹖 乇丕 丕夭 丿丕賳爻鬲賳 丨賯蹖賯鬲 賲蹖丿夭丿蹖.貨 賵賯鬲蹖 鬲賯賱亘 賲蹖讴賳蹖貙 丨賯 乇丕 丕夭 丕賳氐丕賮 賲蹖丿夭丿蹖貙 賲蹖賮賴賲蹖責) 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳 讴鬲丕亘
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 19/05/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
January 5, 2023
Khaled Hosseini - image from The Washington Post
This is a wonderful, moving novel set in the Afghanistan of the early 70鈥檚 and of today, about a young boy and his friend growing up in Kabul. Amir desperately wants his father鈥檚 approval, but Baba is not quick to give it. He is a rich man, brimming with macho vibrancy, while his son is a different sort altogether. Amir is fast friends with Hassan, the son of his father鈥檚 servant. They are as close as brothers. But, beset by bullies, an event occurs that changes Amir鈥檚 life. There is much death and horror in this portrait of a tortured country. But there is also emotional richness, and a look into the inner life. By the end of the book there was not a dry eye in the house. It is recommended unreservedly. A wonderful tale, movingly told.
December 11, 2024
鉃�
3.75/5 stars
鈥淐hildren aren鈥檛 coloring books. You don鈥檛 get to fill them with your favorite colors"
I had very like very high expectations from this book but guess what it failed to deliver now before you come at my neck give me a minute to explain myself! so i went in with high expectations bc i loved the thousand splendid suns so much like literally I was bawling my eyes out and another reason why i had such high hopes bc everyone and their mother's love this book and I was so ready to be heartbroken, and while the book did evoke sadness, it wasn鈥檛 in the way I expected.
I'm not saying this book wasn't sad or heartbreaking bc we all know it was i just feel i couldn't connect that much with the characters and moreover i have never read about a main character that is this questionable like no matter how hard I tried i just couldn't find myself to even give a fuck about Amir..
鉃� ABOUT THE BOOK :-
This book follows the story of two friends, Amir and Hassan, who have spent their entire childhood together. Amir is the son of one of Kabul鈥檚 wealthiest businessmen, while Hassan is the son of a servant who works for Amir's father.
Amir and Hassan grew up together in Kabul, sharing a close bond and a love for kite running. Their favorite pastime takes a serious turn when Amir becomes determined to win the local kite-fighting tournament to win his father's approval. With Hassan's unwavering support, Amir achieves victory, but this triumph comes at a devastating cost. What happens after the competition shatters not only their moment of joy but also their lifelong friendship. The trust between them is broken, and the events of that single day drastically alter the course of their lives as they grapple with the consequences.
"But we were kids who had learned to crawl together, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either"
鉃� ABOUT THE CHARACTERS :-
鈺扳揽鉃� AMIR
"Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba"
I鈥檝e rarely encountered a protagonist I disliked as much as Amir, the narrator of this story. His younger self was not only spoiled and self-centered but also completely unethical. The way he treated Hassan was heartbreaking and infuriating. His betrayal toward his best friend was so painful, it stayed with me long after I finished reading. How could he just stand by and let that happen? Worse, how could he think of Hassan as 鈥渏ust a Hazara鈥� and justify his actions like that? It was shocking and, honestly, disappointing.
Amir鈥檚 guilt and the way his past haunted him throughout his life were well deserved. After what he did, it was only right that he carried that burden. His entire journey in the book is shaped by his deep remorse, and while he eventually did the right thing by seeking redemption, I couldn鈥檛 bring myself to fully forgive him. If only he had intervened when Hassan needed him most. If only he had treated Hassan with kindness after the incident.
But no, he didn鈥檛 stop there. Instead, Amir added insult to injury by falsely accusing Hassan of theft, lying to his father and everyone else. Who does that to someone they once considered their best friend? Even though Amir鈥檚 later actions were a step toward making amends, it鈥檚 hard to overlook the deep damage he caused. Without a doubt, Amir remains one of the most questionable characters I鈥檝e ever read about.
鈺扳揽鉃� HASSAN
"I have been dreaming a lot lately, Amir agha. Some of them are nightmares, like hanged corpses rotting in soccer fields with bloodred grass. I wake up from those short of breath and sweaty. Mostly, though, I dream of good things, and praise Allah for that. I dream that Rahim Khan sahib will be well. I dream that my son will grow up to be a good person, a free person, and an important person. I dream that lawla flowers will bloom in the streets of Kabul again and rubab music will play in the samovar houses and kites will fly in the skies. And I dream that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you."
God bless his kind and innocent soul! Hassan was truly an angel, and I still can鈥檛 comprehend how he managed to forgive Amir. But somehow, he did, and my admiration and love for his character will never fade. Hassan鈥檚 loyalty, kindness, and pure heart made him one of the most unforgettable characters I鈥檝e ever read. His only flaw, if you could call it that, was that he was too good for the cruel, violent world he lived in.
He deserved so much more than life gave him. When I learned about Sohrab's suffering, I was beyond heartbroken. I was devastated. It was like another betrayal of Hassan鈥檚 memory, and I can only imagine how much pain he would have felt knowing what happened to his son. I felt a deep sadness for both of them, knowing that despite all the love and goodness in Hassan, the world failed him in so many ways.
鈺扳揽鉃� BABA
"The problem, of course, was that Baba saw the world in black and white. And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You can鈥檛 love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little"
Baba was definitely a flawed character, but despite his shortcomings, I couldn't help but love him for it. There was so much good in him, yet he had his fair share of bad traits too. For someone who was often described as seeing the world in black and white, he himself was filled with shades of grey, and that made him both likeable and frustrating at the same time. He was such a contradictory person, and after learning about his secret, I finally understood why he was the way he was.
Even with all his flaws, Baba always tried to be a righteous man, and at his core, he had a good heart. His complexities made him feel incredibly real, and I admired that, despite everything, he truly cared about doing the right thing in the end.
鈺扳揽鉃� SOHRAB
"I miss Father, and Mother too,And I miss Sasa and Rahim Khan sahib. But sometimes I鈥檓 glad they鈥檙e not 鈥� they鈥檙e not here anymore.鈥�
鈥淲丑测?鈥�
鈥淏ecause I don鈥檛 want them to see me鈥� I鈥檓 so dirty. I鈥檓 so dirty and full of sin.鈥�
This boy completely shattered my heart, and I honestly don鈥檛 know how to begin picking up the pieces. He was only ten years old! How can anyone justify hurting a child? The things that Assef did to him were unspeakable, and I am beyond grateful that Sohrab managed to escape from his clutches. That particular chapter was truly horrifying, I felt physically ill while reading it. Just imagining that monster having his hands on Sohrab makes my stomach turn.
Sohrab deserved so much more than the life he was handed. He didn鈥檛 just deserve a better childhood, he deserved the chance to simply be a child, free from fear and pain. The fact that he was robbed of that innocence is utterly heartbreaking. It devastates me to think of everything he went through, and my heart aches for the little boy who deserved a life filled with love and happiness. He deserved to laugh, to play, and to feel safe, everything that should come with being a child. The trauma he endured will haunt me, and I鈥檒l never stop feeling sorrow for what he suffered.
鈥� This book made me feel so much, I loved it and hated it all at once. It was a literal rollercoaster of emotions. What I truly cherished, though, was the ending, my precious boy finally got the beautiful, sweet conclusion he deserved. That hopeful, amazing, and beautiful ending was everything! It absolutely killed me, and I can鈥檛 help but think of that sweet, gentle, and shy boy who finally found a glimmer of hope amidst all the pain.
鉃� "Overall, if you鈥檙e looking for a book that will break your heart, shatter your soul, and make you sob at ungodly hours, then this is definitely your catch" 馃拰
鉃� QUOTES :-
鈿� "People say that eyes are windows to the soul. Never was that more true than with Ali, who could only reveal himself through his eyes."
鈿� "And that鈥檚 the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too."
鈿� "When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife鈥檚 right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone鈥檚 right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing.鈥�
鈿� 鈥淭ell him he鈥檚 wrong. War doesn鈥檛 negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace.鈥�
鈿� 鈥淚t may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir,鈥�
鈿� "That there are bad people in this world, and sometimes bad people stay bad. Sometimes you have to stand up to them. What you did to that man is what I should have done to him all those years ago. You gave him what he deserved, and he deserved even more.鈥�
鈿� "For you, a thousand times over"
-藡藦鉁勨揽鈹堚揽鈹�
陹梆煂封姽 啵� pre-read review 岑抚。饜
Just finished a thriller that shook me to my core鈥攖ime for a good cry! 馃槶馃馃徎
鈥淐hildren aren鈥檛 coloring books. You don鈥檛 get to fill them with your favorite colors"
I had very like very high expectations from this book but guess what it failed to deliver now before you come at my neck give me a minute to explain myself! so i went in with high expectations bc i loved the thousand splendid suns so much like literally I was bawling my eyes out and another reason why i had such high hopes bc everyone and their mother's love this book and I was so ready to be heartbroken, and while the book did evoke sadness, it wasn鈥檛 in the way I expected.
I'm not saying this book wasn't sad or heartbreaking bc we all know it was i just feel i couldn't connect that much with the characters and moreover i have never read about a main character that is this questionable like no matter how hard I tried i just couldn't find myself to even give a fuck about Amir..
鉃� ABOUT THE BOOK :-
This book follows the story of two friends, Amir and Hassan, who have spent their entire childhood together. Amir is the son of one of Kabul鈥檚 wealthiest businessmen, while Hassan is the son of a servant who works for Amir's father.
Amir and Hassan grew up together in Kabul, sharing a close bond and a love for kite running. Their favorite pastime takes a serious turn when Amir becomes determined to win the local kite-fighting tournament to win his father's approval. With Hassan's unwavering support, Amir achieves victory, but this triumph comes at a devastating cost. What happens after the competition shatters not only their moment of joy but also their lifelong friendship. The trust between them is broken, and the events of that single day drastically alter the course of their lives as they grapple with the consequences.
"But we were kids who had learned to crawl together, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either"
鉃� ABOUT THE CHARACTERS :-
鈺扳揽鉃� AMIR
"Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba"
I鈥檝e rarely encountered a protagonist I disliked as much as Amir, the narrator of this story. His younger self was not only spoiled and self-centered but also completely unethical. The way he treated Hassan was heartbreaking and infuriating. His betrayal toward his best friend was so painful, it stayed with me long after I finished reading. How could he just stand by and let that happen? Worse, how could he think of Hassan as 鈥渏ust a Hazara鈥� and justify his actions like that? It was shocking and, honestly, disappointing.
Amir鈥檚 guilt and the way his past haunted him throughout his life were well deserved. After what he did, it was only right that he carried that burden. His entire journey in the book is shaped by his deep remorse, and while he eventually did the right thing by seeking redemption, I couldn鈥檛 bring myself to fully forgive him. If only he had intervened when Hassan needed him most. If only he had treated Hassan with kindness after the incident.
But no, he didn鈥檛 stop there. Instead, Amir added insult to injury by falsely accusing Hassan of theft, lying to his father and everyone else. Who does that to someone they once considered their best friend? Even though Amir鈥檚 later actions were a step toward making amends, it鈥檚 hard to overlook the deep damage he caused. Without a doubt, Amir remains one of the most questionable characters I鈥檝e ever read about.
鈺扳揽鉃� HASSAN
"I have been dreaming a lot lately, Amir agha. Some of them are nightmares, like hanged corpses rotting in soccer fields with bloodred grass. I wake up from those short of breath and sweaty. Mostly, though, I dream of good things, and praise Allah for that. I dream that Rahim Khan sahib will be well. I dream that my son will grow up to be a good person, a free person, and an important person. I dream that lawla flowers will bloom in the streets of Kabul again and rubab music will play in the samovar houses and kites will fly in the skies. And I dream that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you."
God bless his kind and innocent soul! Hassan was truly an angel, and I still can鈥檛 comprehend how he managed to forgive Amir. But somehow, he did, and my admiration and love for his character will never fade. Hassan鈥檚 loyalty, kindness, and pure heart made him one of the most unforgettable characters I鈥檝e ever read. His only flaw, if you could call it that, was that he was too good for the cruel, violent world he lived in.
He deserved so much more than life gave him. When I learned about Sohrab's suffering, I was beyond heartbroken. I was devastated. It was like another betrayal of Hassan鈥檚 memory, and I can only imagine how much pain he would have felt knowing what happened to his son. I felt a deep sadness for both of them, knowing that despite all the love and goodness in Hassan, the world failed him in so many ways.
鈺扳揽鉃� BABA
"The problem, of course, was that Baba saw the world in black and white. And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You can鈥檛 love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little"
Baba was definitely a flawed character, but despite his shortcomings, I couldn't help but love him for it. There was so much good in him, yet he had his fair share of bad traits too. For someone who was often described as seeing the world in black and white, he himself was filled with shades of grey, and that made him both likeable and frustrating at the same time. He was such a contradictory person, and after learning about his secret, I finally understood why he was the way he was.
Even with all his flaws, Baba always tried to be a righteous man, and at his core, he had a good heart. His complexities made him feel incredibly real, and I admired that, despite everything, he truly cared about doing the right thing in the end.
鈺扳揽鉃� SOHRAB
"I miss Father, and Mother too,And I miss Sasa and Rahim Khan sahib. But sometimes I鈥檓 glad they鈥檙e not 鈥� they鈥檙e not here anymore.鈥�
鈥淲丑测?鈥�
鈥淏ecause I don鈥檛 want them to see me鈥� I鈥檓 so dirty. I鈥檓 so dirty and full of sin.鈥�
This boy completely shattered my heart, and I honestly don鈥檛 know how to begin picking up the pieces. He was only ten years old! How can anyone justify hurting a child? The things that Assef did to him were unspeakable, and I am beyond grateful that Sohrab managed to escape from his clutches. That particular chapter was truly horrifying, I felt physically ill while reading it. Just imagining that monster having his hands on Sohrab makes my stomach turn.
Sohrab deserved so much more than the life he was handed. He didn鈥檛 just deserve a better childhood, he deserved the chance to simply be a child, free from fear and pain. The fact that he was robbed of that innocence is utterly heartbreaking. It devastates me to think of everything he went through, and my heart aches for the little boy who deserved a life filled with love and happiness. He deserved to laugh, to play, and to feel safe, everything that should come with being a child. The trauma he endured will haunt me, and I鈥檒l never stop feeling sorrow for what he suffered.
鈥� This book made me feel so much, I loved it and hated it all at once. It was a literal rollercoaster of emotions. What I truly cherished, though, was the ending, my precious boy finally got the beautiful, sweet conclusion he deserved. That hopeful, amazing, and beautiful ending was everything! It absolutely killed me, and I can鈥檛 help but think of that sweet, gentle, and shy boy who finally found a glimmer of hope amidst all the pain.
鉃� "Overall, if you鈥檙e looking for a book that will break your heart, shatter your soul, and make you sob at ungodly hours, then this is definitely your catch" 馃拰
鉃� QUOTES :-
鈿� "People say that eyes are windows to the soul. Never was that more true than with Ali, who could only reveal himself through his eyes."
鈿� "And that鈥檚 the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too."
鈿� "When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife鈥檚 right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone鈥檚 right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing.鈥�
鈿� 鈥淭ell him he鈥檚 wrong. War doesn鈥檛 negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace.鈥�
鈿� 鈥淚t may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir,鈥�
鈿� "That there are bad people in this world, and sometimes bad people stay bad. Sometimes you have to stand up to them. What you did to that man is what I should have done to him all those years ago. You gave him what he deserved, and he deserved even more.鈥�
鈿� "For you, a thousand times over"
-藡藦鉁勨揽鈹堚揽鈹�
陹梆煂封姽 啵� pre-read review 岑抚。饜
Just finished a thriller that shook me to my core鈥攖ime for a good cry! 馃槶馃馃徎
November 7, 2018
鈥榝or you, a thousand times over.鈥�
no words can describe the heaviness i am feeling in my heart right now.
i will never re-read this as it is too emotionally devastating (i genuinely cant remember the last time a book made me cry so much), but i know it is a story that will stay will me for the rest of my life. of that, i have no doubt.
also, john, thanks for recommending this book, but i will be sending you my bill for all the therapy i will need after this.
鈫� 5 stars
no words can describe the heaviness i am feeling in my heart right now.
i will never re-read this as it is too emotionally devastating (i genuinely cant remember the last time a book made me cry so much), but i know it is a story that will stay will me for the rest of my life. of that, i have no doubt.
also, john, thanks for recommending this book, but i will be sending you my bill for all the therapy i will need after this.
鈫� 5 stars
August 25, 2024
We travel back to early 1970s Afghanistan, to Kabul, where we meet Amir, a young boy whose only source of happiness is tied to his father鈥檚 approval and his best friend, Hassan鈥攖he son of his father鈥檚 servant.
As the monarchy in Afghanistan comes under threat from the Russian invasion, the lives of these boys will never be the same.
This is one of the darkest, most powerful, and heart-wrenching stories you will ever read. At times, the events are so difficult to absorb that you may need to close the book, take a break, and gather your composure before continuing. The cruelty, injustice, and tragedies shake you to your core, cutting deeply, as if tiny shards of glass are lodged beneath your skin.
I don鈥檛 think anyone could finish this book without shedding tears. This is my third time reading it, and I still cannot stop crying!
Definitely a MUST-READ鈥攑owerful, provocative, dark, sad, and heartbreaking. It鈥檚 brilliantly written and the author鈥檚 finest work!
As the monarchy in Afghanistan comes under threat from the Russian invasion, the lives of these boys will never be the same.
This is one of the darkest, most powerful, and heart-wrenching stories you will ever read. At times, the events are so difficult to absorb that you may need to close the book, take a break, and gather your composure before continuing. The cruelty, injustice, and tragedies shake you to your core, cutting deeply, as if tiny shards of glass are lodged beneath your skin.
I don鈥檛 think anyone could finish this book without shedding tears. This is my third time reading it, and I still cannot stop crying!
Definitely a MUST-READ鈥攑owerful, provocative, dark, sad, and heartbreaking. It鈥檚 brilliantly written and the author鈥檚 finest work!
March 30, 2018
鈥漌hen you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife鈥檚 right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone鈥檚 right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing.鈥�
I鈥檓 going to be honest with you. To read this book was a constant struggle, not because I didn鈥檛 like the writing style, not because it was bad and not because it was boring. No, if anything 鈥淭he Kite Runner鈥� was so hard to read because it was so exceptionally painful.
This book made me so sad! I felt helpless and angry and there were times I actually was more than just tempted to stop reading. Some of the chapters were just too hard to bear and the book touched me in a way I can鈥檛 even describe. It did something with me鈥� and I鈥檓 still not sure whether this was good or bad.
All I know is that the injustice in this book made me furious and that I just have to think about it and already feel sick to my stomach again. There were so many serious topics in this book but I think what really got to me was the central theme of violence, injustice and abuse. To read 鈥淭he Kite Runner鈥� was so devastating and nerve-racking I actually couldn鈥檛 read more than two chapters a day. It was so upsetting that I found it difficult to motivate myself to read it and even though this was such a painful read, I still wanted to know what would happen next.
Amir鈥檚 and Hassan鈥檚 story was so horrible, appalling, powerful and beautiful at the same time. It left me completely broken and raw and I think my emotions are still all over the place. So if my review sounds a little incoherent and illogical you can blame it on the book hangover I'm currently suffering from. XD
鈥滲ut we were kids who had learned to crawl together, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either.
The plot:
Amir and Hassan are best friends who grew up together and live in Kabul. They do almost everything together and one of their favourite hobbies is kite running. One day there is a local kite-fighting tournament Amir is determined to win and with the help of Hassan he is even able to achieve his goal. The victory of the tournament comes with a high price though and in the end their moment of happiness isn鈥檛 only short lived but also comes to an abrupt end. What happens after the competition destroys their lifelong friendship and shakes the foundations of their trust, the course of their lives changing as they try to deal with the repercussions of a single day.
鈥滻t may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir," he said.
The characters:
Beware there are plenty of spoilers lying ahead of you!!!
Amir:
鈥滻 pretended I was reading from the book, flipping pages regularly, but I had abandoned the text altogether, taken over the story, and made up my own. Hassan, of course, was oblivious to this. To him, the words on the page were a scramble of codes, indecipherable, mysterious. Words were secret doorways and I held all the keys.鈥�
Puh, what to say about him? I think I never disliked a protagonist as much as I disliked the narrator of this story. I just couldn鈥檛 stand his younger self and I thought he wasn鈥檛 just egoistic but also spoiled and more than just unethical. The way Amir treated Hassan made me sick and his betrayal towards his best friend hurt so much! I mean how could he let this happen? How could he stand aside without intervening? How could he even think that Hassan is 鈥渏ust a Hazara鈥�?! I don鈥檛 understand it and if I鈥檓 entirely honest I really think that it was good he felt bad throughout the entire book! His past haunted him and in the end it actually made him a better person. A person that stood up to bad people and a person I was finally able to forgive. It was a long journey for Amir but he eventually did the right thing and when I read the finial sentences of this book I was even proud of him. XD
鈥滻t鈥檚 all right.鈥� I turned to the general. 鈥淵ou see, General Sahib, my father slept with his servant鈥檚 wife. She bore him a son named Hassan. Hassan is dead now. That boy sleeping on the couch is Hassan鈥檚 son. He鈥檚 my nephew. That鈥檚 what you tell people when they ask.鈥�
They were all staring at me.
鈥淎nd one more thing, General Sahib,鈥� I said. 鈥淵ou will never again refer to him as a 鈥楬azara boy鈥� in my presence. He has a name and it鈥檚 Sohrab.鈥�
I waited 331 pages for that to happen!!! XD
Hassan:
鈥漈hen Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead. 鈥楾here,鈥� he croaked, red dipping down his face like blood. 鈥楢re you satisfied? Do you feel better?鈥� He turned around and started down the hill.鈥�
God bless his kind and innocent soul!!! This boy was an angel and I don鈥檛 even know how he was able to forgive Amir. As it seems he managed to do it though and my deep respect and love for his character will never cease. I loved Hassan with all my heart and I think his only flaw was that he was just too good to live in this sick and violent world. He would have deserved so much more than life gave him and when I found out about Sohrab鈥檚 ordeal I was more than just heartbroken. I was devastated!!! I know Hassan must have turned over in his grave and I felt so, so, so damn sorry for what happened to both of them.
Baba:
鈥漈he problem, of course, was that Baba saw the world in black and white. You can鈥檛 love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little.
Baba definitely was a very flawed character but I still couldn鈥檛 help but had to love him for it. There was so much good in him, yet he also had his bad sides. For a person that was described as seeing the world in black and white he actually was all different kinds of grey and in some way that made him extremely likeable and disagreeable at the same time. *lol* I think he was a very contradictory person and after finding out about his secret I was finally able to understand why. Still, I loved that despite everything he tried to be a righteous man and when it comes down to it he certainly had his heart in the right place.
鈥滱sk him where his shame is.鈥�
They spoke. 鈥淗e says this is war. There is no shame in war.鈥�
鈥淭ell him he鈥檚 wrong. War doesn鈥檛 negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace.鈥�
鈥滱nd now, fifteen years after I鈥檇 buried him, I was learning that Baba had been a thief. And a thief of the worst kind, because the things he鈥檇 stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor. His nang. His namoos.鈥�
Sohrab:
This boy B.R.O.K.E my heart and I don鈥檛 even know how I鈥檓 supposed to pick up the pieces. He was just ten!! Damn it!! I don鈥檛 understand how people can hurt children and I can鈥檛 even鈥� *argharghsdfjklmno* I hate what Assef did to him and I鈥檓 so glad Sohrab got away from his clutches! Chapter 22 was so horrible to read鈥� It made me sick to my stomach and I swear I was tempted to throw the book against a wall鈥� Urgh鈥� just to think about his hands on Sohrab鈥� My heart aches so much for that little boy!!! He deserved a better childhood than that! Damn no!! He actually deserved a childhood to begin with!!!!
鈥滻 miss Father, and Mother too,鈥� he croaked. 鈥淎nd I miss Sasa and Rahim Khan sahib. But sometimes I鈥檓 glad they鈥檙e not 鈥� they鈥檙e not here anymore.鈥�
鈥淲丑测?鈥� I touched his arm. He drew back.
鈥淏ecause 鈥撯€� he said, gasping and hitching between sobs, 鈥渂ecause I don鈥檛 want them to see me鈥� I鈥檓 so dirty.鈥� He sucked in his breath and let it out in a long, wheezy cry. 鈥淚鈥檓 so dirty and full of sin.鈥�
And OMG that beautiful ending! That hopeful, amazing and beautiful ending! It killed me, it was the death of me, it was the final nail in my coffin!!! That sweet and gentle and shy boy!!!! XD I already get emotional just thinking about it! *blinking away tears*
The bottom line:
I hated the book! I loved the book!
I hated the injustice, the pain Ali, Hassan and Sohrab had to go through, I hated the way the Taliban treated everyone they considered to be wrong and different, I hated to read about the destruction of Amir鈥檚 hometown, I hated the violence, I hated the war, I hated to read about the many orphans, the hungry children on the street. I hated the way Amir acted when he was younger!!!
鈥漇he had a large purple bruise on her leg for days but what could I do except stand and watch my wife get beaten? If I fought, that dog would have surely put a bullet in me, and gladly! Then what would have happened to my Sohrab?鈥�
But I loved the details about Afghan culture, I admired the bravery of Hassan and Baba, my heart sang whenever they tried to be righteous and good. In a world that had gone to hell they still tried to be decent, they still tried everything possible to stand up for their people, to do the right thing. They still had values and they didn鈥檛 just believe in them, they also acted according to them!!!
So yes, for me 鈥淭he Kite Runner鈥� was a very powerful book. It pushed my boundaries and forced me to fight through it! It made me think about unpleasant things, it forced me to see the bad and ugly things our world is made of, but it also showed me the good in people and their kindness!
If you can live with a broken heart and are able to deal with the pain, this book his highly recommended. If you鈥檙e one of the faint-hearted you better give it a wide berth.
As for me, I definitely will never re-read this book ever again! I鈥檓 kind of proud that I accomplished to read it though! XD
鈥滷or you, a thousand times over.鈥�
I鈥檓 going to be honest with you. To read this book was a constant struggle, not because I didn鈥檛 like the writing style, not because it was bad and not because it was boring. No, if anything 鈥淭he Kite Runner鈥� was so hard to read because it was so exceptionally painful.
This book made me so sad! I felt helpless and angry and there were times I actually was more than just tempted to stop reading. Some of the chapters were just too hard to bear and the book touched me in a way I can鈥檛 even describe. It did something with me鈥� and I鈥檓 still not sure whether this was good or bad.
All I know is that the injustice in this book made me furious and that I just have to think about it and already feel sick to my stomach again. There were so many serious topics in this book but I think what really got to me was the central theme of violence, injustice and abuse. To read 鈥淭he Kite Runner鈥� was so devastating and nerve-racking I actually couldn鈥檛 read more than two chapters a day. It was so upsetting that I found it difficult to motivate myself to read it and even though this was such a painful read, I still wanted to know what would happen next.
Amir鈥檚 and Hassan鈥檚 story was so horrible, appalling, powerful and beautiful at the same time. It left me completely broken and raw and I think my emotions are still all over the place. So if my review sounds a little incoherent and illogical you can blame it on the book hangover I'm currently suffering from. XD
鈥滲ut we were kids who had learned to crawl together, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either.
The plot:
Amir and Hassan are best friends who grew up together and live in Kabul. They do almost everything together and one of their favourite hobbies is kite running. One day there is a local kite-fighting tournament Amir is determined to win and with the help of Hassan he is even able to achieve his goal. The victory of the tournament comes with a high price though and in the end their moment of happiness isn鈥檛 only short lived but also comes to an abrupt end. What happens after the competition destroys their lifelong friendship and shakes the foundations of their trust, the course of their lives changing as they try to deal with the repercussions of a single day.
鈥滻t may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir," he said.
The characters:
Beware there are plenty of spoilers lying ahead of you!!!
Amir:
鈥滻 pretended I was reading from the book, flipping pages regularly, but I had abandoned the text altogether, taken over the story, and made up my own. Hassan, of course, was oblivious to this. To him, the words on the page were a scramble of codes, indecipherable, mysterious. Words were secret doorways and I held all the keys.鈥�
Puh, what to say about him? I think I never disliked a protagonist as much as I disliked the narrator of this story. I just couldn鈥檛 stand his younger self and I thought he wasn鈥檛 just egoistic but also spoiled and more than just unethical. The way Amir treated Hassan made me sick and his betrayal towards his best friend hurt so much! I mean how could he let this happen? How could he stand aside without intervening? How could he even think that Hassan is 鈥渏ust a Hazara鈥�?! I don鈥檛 understand it and if I鈥檓 entirely honest I really think that it was good he felt bad throughout the entire book! His past haunted him and in the end it actually made him a better person. A person that stood up to bad people and a person I was finally able to forgive. It was a long journey for Amir but he eventually did the right thing and when I read the finial sentences of this book I was even proud of him. XD
鈥滻t鈥檚 all right.鈥� I turned to the general. 鈥淵ou see, General Sahib, my father slept with his servant鈥檚 wife. She bore him a son named Hassan. Hassan is dead now. That boy sleeping on the couch is Hassan鈥檚 son. He鈥檚 my nephew. That鈥檚 what you tell people when they ask.鈥�
They were all staring at me.
鈥淎nd one more thing, General Sahib,鈥� I said. 鈥淵ou will never again refer to him as a 鈥楬azara boy鈥� in my presence. He has a name and it鈥檚 Sohrab.鈥�
I waited 331 pages for that to happen!!! XD
Hassan:
鈥漈hen Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead. 鈥楾here,鈥� he croaked, red dipping down his face like blood. 鈥楢re you satisfied? Do you feel better?鈥� He turned around and started down the hill.鈥�
God bless his kind and innocent soul!!! This boy was an angel and I don鈥檛 even know how he was able to forgive Amir. As it seems he managed to do it though and my deep respect and love for his character will never cease. I loved Hassan with all my heart and I think his only flaw was that he was just too good to live in this sick and violent world. He would have deserved so much more than life gave him and when I found out about Sohrab鈥檚 ordeal I was more than just heartbroken. I was devastated!!! I know Hassan must have turned over in his grave and I felt so, so, so damn sorry for what happened to both of them.
Baba:
鈥漈he problem, of course, was that Baba saw the world in black and white. You can鈥檛 love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little.
Baba definitely was a very flawed character but I still couldn鈥檛 help but had to love him for it. There was so much good in him, yet he also had his bad sides. For a person that was described as seeing the world in black and white he actually was all different kinds of grey and in some way that made him extremely likeable and disagreeable at the same time. *lol* I think he was a very contradictory person and after finding out about his secret I was finally able to understand why. Still, I loved that despite everything he tried to be a righteous man and when it comes down to it he certainly had his heart in the right place.
鈥滱sk him where his shame is.鈥�
They spoke. 鈥淗e says this is war. There is no shame in war.鈥�
鈥淭ell him he鈥檚 wrong. War doesn鈥檛 negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace.鈥�
鈥滱nd now, fifteen years after I鈥檇 buried him, I was learning that Baba had been a thief. And a thief of the worst kind, because the things he鈥檇 stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor. His nang. His namoos.鈥�
Sohrab:
This boy B.R.O.K.E my heart and I don鈥檛 even know how I鈥檓 supposed to pick up the pieces. He was just ten!! Damn it!! I don鈥檛 understand how people can hurt children and I can鈥檛 even鈥� *argharghsdfjklmno* I hate what Assef did to him and I鈥檓 so glad Sohrab got away from his clutches! Chapter 22 was so horrible to read鈥� It made me sick to my stomach and I swear I was tempted to throw the book against a wall鈥� Urgh鈥� just to think about his hands on Sohrab鈥� My heart aches so much for that little boy!!! He deserved a better childhood than that! Damn no!! He actually deserved a childhood to begin with!!!!
鈥滻 miss Father, and Mother too,鈥� he croaked. 鈥淎nd I miss Sasa and Rahim Khan sahib. But sometimes I鈥檓 glad they鈥檙e not 鈥� they鈥檙e not here anymore.鈥�
鈥淲丑测?鈥� I touched his arm. He drew back.
鈥淏ecause 鈥撯€� he said, gasping and hitching between sobs, 鈥渂ecause I don鈥檛 want them to see me鈥� I鈥檓 so dirty.鈥� He sucked in his breath and let it out in a long, wheezy cry. 鈥淚鈥檓 so dirty and full of sin.鈥�
And OMG that beautiful ending! That hopeful, amazing and beautiful ending! It killed me, it was the death of me, it was the final nail in my coffin!!! That sweet and gentle and shy boy!!!! XD I already get emotional just thinking about it! *blinking away tears*
The bottom line:
I hated the book! I loved the book!
I hated the injustice, the pain Ali, Hassan and Sohrab had to go through, I hated the way the Taliban treated everyone they considered to be wrong and different, I hated to read about the destruction of Amir鈥檚 hometown, I hated the violence, I hated the war, I hated to read about the many orphans, the hungry children on the street. I hated the way Amir acted when he was younger!!!
鈥漇he had a large purple bruise on her leg for days but what could I do except stand and watch my wife get beaten? If I fought, that dog would have surely put a bullet in me, and gladly! Then what would have happened to my Sohrab?鈥�
But I loved the details about Afghan culture, I admired the bravery of Hassan and Baba, my heart sang whenever they tried to be righteous and good. In a world that had gone to hell they still tried to be decent, they still tried everything possible to stand up for their people, to do the right thing. They still had values and they didn鈥檛 just believe in them, they also acted according to them!!!
So yes, for me 鈥淭he Kite Runner鈥� was a very powerful book. It pushed my boundaries and forced me to fight through it! It made me think about unpleasant things, it forced me to see the bad and ugly things our world is made of, but it also showed me the good in people and their kindness!
If you can live with a broken heart and are able to deal with the pain, this book his highly recommended. If you鈥檙e one of the faint-hearted you better give it a wide berth.
As for me, I definitely will never re-read this book ever again! I鈥檓 kind of proud that I accomplished to read it though! XD
鈥滷or you, a thousand times over.鈥�
February 3, 2023
Two little friends, an unspeakable secret, and a quest for redemption.
"Amir" and "Hassan" are two little boys living in the peaceful Afghanistan of 1975, before the russian invasion, and the subsequent civil wars. Amir is the spoiled son of a wealthy and prominent merchant. Hassan is the cleft lipped son of an inferior caste, and a servant in the house they both live in. During their childhood they become fervent competitors in kite fighting tournaments, and unquestionable friends. Until one fateful day a traumatic event starts gradually separating them forever apart. Decades later, the dark secret that separated them so many years ago starts re-emerging. A secret that ends revealing long forgotten family betrayals, wars, and ethnic differences that led two little inseparable boys into very different life paths.
A novel about the inherent strengths and weaknesses in each person, the guilts, and the terrible consequences of trying to endure them, or avoid them.
Highly recommendable, very powerful, inexplicably painful. There are books that tell an unique unforgettable story, but there are a few special ones that also have the exceptional quality of transmitting something immensely valuable about the culture of a foreign country; beyond the deeply ideological differences, pros and cons you may find with such society. And, like I hold "Shantaram" as an unequalled novel about indian culture, I will hold "Kite Runner" as an inestimable novel about afghan. And I remain hopeful of ever finding books like these two, regarding any foreign culture.
Few times I suffered so much with a book, but the level of suffering is a good measure of how much you strongly and deeply connected with said book. An infinity of quotes and moments to remember.
Still remaining, the movie.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2003] [371p] [Historical] [Highly Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Dos peque帽os amigos, un secreto inconfesable, y una cruzada por la redenci贸n.
Amir y Hassan son dos peque帽os ni帽os viviendo en la pac铆fica Afganist谩n de 1975, antes de la invasi贸n rusa y las subsiguientes guerras internas. Amir es el hijo mimado de un prominente y rico se帽or comerciante, Hassan el hijo de labio leporino de una casta inferior y sirviente de la casa en la que ambos viven. Durance la infancia se vuelven fervientes competidores en torneos de lucha de barriletes y amigos incuestionables. Hasta que un fat铆dico d铆a un hecho traum谩tico termina gradualmente separ谩ndolos para siempre. D茅cadas despu茅s, el oscuro secreto que los separ贸 tantos a帽os atr谩s vuelve a resurgir. Un secreto que termina revelando olvidadas traiciones familiares, guerras y diferencias 茅tnicas que llev贸 a dos peque帽os ni帽os inseparables por muy diferentes caminos de vida.
Una novela sobre la fortaleza y la debilidad inherente en cada persona, sobre la culpa, y las terribles consecuencias de tratar de sobrellevarla, o evadirla.
Muy recomendable, muy fuerte, inexplicablemente doloroso. Hay libros que cuentan una historia 煤nica e inolvidable, pero existen algunos muy especiales que adem谩s tienen la excepcional cualidad de trasmitir algo inestimable sobre la cultura de otro pa铆s; m谩s all谩 de las profundas diferencias ideol贸gicas, pros y contras que uno pueda ver en dicha sociedad. Y as铆 como estimo a Shantaram como una novela inigualable sobre la cultura india, tendr茅 a Kite Runner como un fruto inestimable de la cultura afgana. Y me mantengo esperanzado de encontrarme alguna vez con otras novelas como 茅stas dos, sobre cualquier cultura extranjera.
Pocas veces sufr铆 tanto con un libro, pero la medida del sufrimiento es una buena medida de lo profundamente que conectaste y te lleg贸 determinado libro. Infinindad de frases y momentos para el recuerdo.
Queda pendiente la pel铆cula.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2003] [371p] [Hist贸rica] [Altamente Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
"Amir" and "Hassan" are two little boys living in the peaceful Afghanistan of 1975, before the russian invasion, and the subsequent civil wars. Amir is the spoiled son of a wealthy and prominent merchant. Hassan is the cleft lipped son of an inferior caste, and a servant in the house they both live in. During their childhood they become fervent competitors in kite fighting tournaments, and unquestionable friends. Until one fateful day a traumatic event starts gradually separating them forever apart. Decades later, the dark secret that separated them so many years ago starts re-emerging. A secret that ends revealing long forgotten family betrayals, wars, and ethnic differences that led two little inseparable boys into very different life paths.
A novel about the inherent strengths and weaknesses in each person, the guilts, and the terrible consequences of trying to endure them, or avoid them.
Highly recommendable, very powerful, inexplicably painful. There are books that tell an unique unforgettable story, but there are a few special ones that also have the exceptional quality of transmitting something immensely valuable about the culture of a foreign country; beyond the deeply ideological differences, pros and cons you may find with such society. And, like I hold "Shantaram" as an unequalled novel about indian culture, I will hold "Kite Runner" as an inestimable novel about afghan. And I remain hopeful of ever finding books like these two, regarding any foreign culture.
Few times I suffered so much with a book, but the level of suffering is a good measure of how much you strongly and deeply connected with said book. An infinity of quotes and moments to remember.
Still remaining, the movie.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2003] [371p] [Historical] [Highly Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Dos peque帽os amigos, un secreto inconfesable, y una cruzada por la redenci贸n.
Amir y Hassan son dos peque帽os ni帽os viviendo en la pac铆fica Afganist谩n de 1975, antes de la invasi贸n rusa y las subsiguientes guerras internas. Amir es el hijo mimado de un prominente y rico se帽or comerciante, Hassan el hijo de labio leporino de una casta inferior y sirviente de la casa en la que ambos viven. Durance la infancia se vuelven fervientes competidores en torneos de lucha de barriletes y amigos incuestionables. Hasta que un fat铆dico d铆a un hecho traum谩tico termina gradualmente separ谩ndolos para siempre. D茅cadas despu茅s, el oscuro secreto que los separ贸 tantos a帽os atr谩s vuelve a resurgir. Un secreto que termina revelando olvidadas traiciones familiares, guerras y diferencias 茅tnicas que llev贸 a dos peque帽os ni帽os inseparables por muy diferentes caminos de vida.
Una novela sobre la fortaleza y la debilidad inherente en cada persona, sobre la culpa, y las terribles consecuencias de tratar de sobrellevarla, o evadirla.
Muy recomendable, muy fuerte, inexplicablemente doloroso. Hay libros que cuentan una historia 煤nica e inolvidable, pero existen algunos muy especiales que adem谩s tienen la excepcional cualidad de trasmitir algo inestimable sobre la cultura de otro pa铆s; m谩s all谩 de las profundas diferencias ideol贸gicas, pros y contras que uno pueda ver en dicha sociedad. Y as铆 como estimo a Shantaram como una novela inigualable sobre la cultura india, tendr茅 a Kite Runner como un fruto inestimable de la cultura afgana. Y me mantengo esperanzado de encontrarme alguna vez con otras novelas como 茅stas dos, sobre cualquier cultura extranjera.
Pocas veces sufr铆 tanto con un libro, pero la medida del sufrimiento es una buena medida de lo profundamente que conectaste y te lleg贸 determinado libro. Infinindad de frases y momentos para el recuerdo.
Queda pendiente la pel铆cula.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2003] [371p] [Hist贸rica] [Altamente Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
January 18, 2008
i really wanted to like this novel. judging from its thousands of 'five-star reviews' hailing it as the one of the 'best books ever written,' i'm in the minority when i state that this novel, while well-intentioned, just left a little bit of sour taste in my mouth.
my problems with the novel are as follows: first of all the writing itself is so ham-fistened, heavy-handed, distracting and otherwise puzzling that by the midway point, i seriously considered chucking the book against the wall. each page of the novel has at least 5-10 incomplete sentences. i'm all for experimental and fractered prose--but it's important for authors to use it judiciously. hosseini, unfortunately, beats it to death. a lot of his language is cliched, too, which is funny considering there's a passage in the book about a writing teacher who warns the narrator, amir, about using cliches. i don't know if that was supposed to be funny or not, but it made me laugh (and what was worse was the san francisco's chronicle's glowing review on the book's cover and the san francisco chronicle's glowing review of amir's novel--coincidence?).
the author's use of farsi--especially in the dialogue--was equally distracting. my point is that no one speaks the way his characters speak. people don't switch back and forth between languages while speaking, and if they do, they certainly don't speak 1/2 the sentence in english, say one word in farsi, then traslate the farsi word to english, then finish the sentence in english, when they're presumably speaking farsi to begin with. i didn't pick up this book for a crash course in colloquial farsi. after 370 pages, i was frustrated--and annoyed.
hosseini's plot often borders on the ridiculous. the'twists' are just TOO coincidental--and not surprising at all (except in how contrived they are). for example, in a devasted kabul, amir sees a homeless man in the street. the homeless man, of course, was a former university professor who just happened to teach with amir's long deceased mother. what a coincidence! what makes it worse, is that the narrator, amir then explains that while that may, in fact, seem like a coincidence, it happens in afghanistan happens all the time. of course it does. in another example, amir's former nemesis, assaf (now a taliban crony), beats up amir and amir ends up with a scar above his lip, just like his dear friend hassan, who was born with cleft-pallet. oh, the coincidence! (and the fact that amir even runs into assef again is ridiculous). another example: amir and his wife aren't able to have children, and of course they find an orphan boy who happens to be extended family and they adopt him. what a coincidence! and after amir returns to afghanistan he doesn't call home to his dutiful wife for over a month. i kept wondering 'when's he gonna call home?' and any plot advanced by a series of 'tragedies,' (and in this book they are legion) shows little more than the writer's inability to craft a meaningful and interesting plot. not only is it pretty poor form, it's also highly manipulative and condescending. i found myself continually frustrated by hosseini's apparent distrust of the reader. we don't have to be told how and when to interpret metaphors. and if i read one more book where the protagonist is a writer or professor, i'm gonna ram my head into a metal post.
i don't want to sound like a misanthrope or jaded literature reader because i'm certainly not. this novel just left me wanting so much more in terms of plot and characterization. having said that, however, the novel could be important in that shows the cruelty of the taliban. much of what hosseini writes about is important, especially for us westerners unfamiliar with the breadth and scope of the afghani tragedy.
in the end, it was worth the $2.00 i paid for it.
my problems with the novel are as follows: first of all the writing itself is so ham-fistened, heavy-handed, distracting and otherwise puzzling that by the midway point, i seriously considered chucking the book against the wall. each page of the novel has at least 5-10 incomplete sentences. i'm all for experimental and fractered prose--but it's important for authors to use it judiciously. hosseini, unfortunately, beats it to death. a lot of his language is cliched, too, which is funny considering there's a passage in the book about a writing teacher who warns the narrator, amir, about using cliches. i don't know if that was supposed to be funny or not, but it made me laugh (and what was worse was the san francisco's chronicle's glowing review on the book's cover and the san francisco chronicle's glowing review of amir's novel--coincidence?).
the author's use of farsi--especially in the dialogue--was equally distracting. my point is that no one speaks the way his characters speak. people don't switch back and forth between languages while speaking, and if they do, they certainly don't speak 1/2 the sentence in english, say one word in farsi, then traslate the farsi word to english, then finish the sentence in english, when they're presumably speaking farsi to begin with. i didn't pick up this book for a crash course in colloquial farsi. after 370 pages, i was frustrated--and annoyed.
hosseini's plot often borders on the ridiculous. the'twists' are just TOO coincidental--and not surprising at all (except in how contrived they are). for example, in a devasted kabul, amir sees a homeless man in the street. the homeless man, of course, was a former university professor who just happened to teach with amir's long deceased mother. what a coincidence! what makes it worse, is that the narrator, amir then explains that while that may, in fact, seem like a coincidence, it happens in afghanistan happens all the time. of course it does. in another example, amir's former nemesis, assaf (now a taliban crony), beats up amir and amir ends up with a scar above his lip, just like his dear friend hassan, who was born with cleft-pallet. oh, the coincidence! (and the fact that amir even runs into assef again is ridiculous). another example: amir and his wife aren't able to have children, and of course they find an orphan boy who happens to be extended family and they adopt him. what a coincidence! and after amir returns to afghanistan he doesn't call home to his dutiful wife for over a month. i kept wondering 'when's he gonna call home?' and any plot advanced by a series of 'tragedies,' (and in this book they are legion) shows little more than the writer's inability to craft a meaningful and interesting plot. not only is it pretty poor form, it's also highly manipulative and condescending. i found myself continually frustrated by hosseini's apparent distrust of the reader. we don't have to be told how and when to interpret metaphors. and if i read one more book where the protagonist is a writer or professor, i'm gonna ram my head into a metal post.
i don't want to sound like a misanthrope or jaded literature reader because i'm certainly not. this novel just left me wanting so much more in terms of plot and characterization. having said that, however, the novel could be important in that shows the cruelty of the taliban. much of what hosseini writes about is important, especially for us westerners unfamiliar with the breadth and scope of the afghani tragedy.
in the end, it was worth the $2.00 i paid for it.
October 1, 2016
4.5 stars!
Oh, my heart. This was heartbreaking and beautifully written!
Oh, my heart. This was heartbreaking and beautifully written!
February 2, 2024
before: the lady at the bookstore was like "this book is gonna break your heart, darling" and I was thinking "lady, don't threaten me with a good time 馃槏馃槏馃槏"
after: me, proceeds to stare at my wall for 13 hours
after: me, proceeds to stare at my wall for 13 hours
January 22, 2023
Abuse, caste system, and invasion long time effects
Described in explicit detail
That麓s one of the reasons the book first had problems with all audiences, Westerners, and different fractions of the Afghan people. It麓s just totally in your face and doesn麓t care about genre conventions regarding violence and especially sexual explicitness. The fact that that麓s unacceptable in non democratic Afghan parties is understandable. But that first world people had problems with some heavy stuff is one more ridiculous overkill, especially because it uses the described atrocities to
Denounce invasions, hierarchies, and sexual abuse
The cruelty of war is the most obvious problem everyone agrees upon, but what about status? No matter if it麓s in a feudal medieval state, a caste system, or defined by socioeconomic power and thereby worth, dividing people by giving them different social positions is a game as old as time. And it works so well, everyone high in the ranks will use her/his big influence to concrete this power for eternity and all others are busy fighting to reach the top or just somehow survive. Thereby, they aren麓t able to work together and realize the immense influence they could have as united citizens of a country or people of the world, and instead
Help the 1 percent become even mightier
The Western US and EU model of doing as if there is a democracy and equality, while it麓s in reality just an oligarchy of international megacorporations, military industrial complexes, and public private partnerships controlling all governments except for the rare eco social Nordic model ones, is even more ludicrous than pure caste systems. At least they honestly say that they believe in the hereditary, faith fueled, or traditional different worth of people. One of the most disturbing real life manifestations of this is how they deal with
Strong sexual predators
Everyone else is prey and they exactly know that nothing can happen to them. In industrialized countries, there is at least a small chance of a metoo wave and many speaking up after one dared to do so, although victim blaming, slut shaming, and perpetrator protection are often louder than the cries of the rape victims. In caste systems, it麓s simply a kind of inherent right of alphas to do whatever their fetish is with everyone else in alphabetic order. All these elements are united
To describe the unnatural friendship
Of a high and a low ranking kid of a society. Besides great characterizations, the invasion pimping the plot, a detailed description of the Afghan society, and the mentioned deeper messages, innuendos, and connotations, their life is the essence of this outstanding novel. And there is no room for unrealistic fairytale tropes, happy endings, or justice in a country so grim, gruesome, and sadistic. The essence of the world humans love to create so much with
Superpowers playing chess with weaker nations
No matter which country in the Southern hemisphere, Middle East, and Central Asia, they are all victims of neocolonialism, sometimes full scale military invasions and occupations, and everything the WTO, World Bank, and IMF throw at them in economic warfare experiments. But guess what, hypocritical and bigoted Europeans and US Americans prefer to be sad about the terrible things described in novels showing the consequences of exploitation, than to realize that their political and economic system is the reason for all the suffering.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
Described in explicit detail
That麓s one of the reasons the book first had problems with all audiences, Westerners, and different fractions of the Afghan people. It麓s just totally in your face and doesn麓t care about genre conventions regarding violence and especially sexual explicitness. The fact that that麓s unacceptable in non democratic Afghan parties is understandable. But that first world people had problems with some heavy stuff is one more ridiculous overkill, especially because it uses the described atrocities to
Denounce invasions, hierarchies, and sexual abuse
The cruelty of war is the most obvious problem everyone agrees upon, but what about status? No matter if it麓s in a feudal medieval state, a caste system, or defined by socioeconomic power and thereby worth, dividing people by giving them different social positions is a game as old as time. And it works so well, everyone high in the ranks will use her/his big influence to concrete this power for eternity and all others are busy fighting to reach the top or just somehow survive. Thereby, they aren麓t able to work together and realize the immense influence they could have as united citizens of a country or people of the world, and instead
Help the 1 percent become even mightier
The Western US and EU model of doing as if there is a democracy and equality, while it麓s in reality just an oligarchy of international megacorporations, military industrial complexes, and public private partnerships controlling all governments except for the rare eco social Nordic model ones, is even more ludicrous than pure caste systems. At least they honestly say that they believe in the hereditary, faith fueled, or traditional different worth of people. One of the most disturbing real life manifestations of this is how they deal with
Strong sexual predators
Everyone else is prey and they exactly know that nothing can happen to them. In industrialized countries, there is at least a small chance of a metoo wave and many speaking up after one dared to do so, although victim blaming, slut shaming, and perpetrator protection are often louder than the cries of the rape victims. In caste systems, it麓s simply a kind of inherent right of alphas to do whatever their fetish is with everyone else in alphabetic order. All these elements are united
To describe the unnatural friendship
Of a high and a low ranking kid of a society. Besides great characterizations, the invasion pimping the plot, a detailed description of the Afghan society, and the mentioned deeper messages, innuendos, and connotations, their life is the essence of this outstanding novel. And there is no room for unrealistic fairytale tropes, happy endings, or justice in a country so grim, gruesome, and sadistic. The essence of the world humans love to create so much with
Superpowers playing chess with weaker nations
No matter which country in the Southern hemisphere, Middle East, and Central Asia, they are all victims of neocolonialism, sometimes full scale military invasions and occupations, and everything the WTO, World Bank, and IMF throw at them in economic warfare experiments. But guess what, hypocritical and bigoted Europeans and US Americans prefer to be sad about the terrible things described in novels showing the consequences of exploitation, than to realize that their political and economic system is the reason for all the suffering.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
June 30, 2021
丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳 丿賵亘丕乇賴 鬲賳賴丕爻鬲
夭賳 鬲賳賴丕爻鬲
賵 丕賳爻丕賳 趩賴 丌爻丕賳 丿乇 禺賵賳 禺賵丿 賲蹖鈥屫嘿勜�...
丌乇丕賲卮 倬蹖趩丕賳丿賳 倬蹖趩 夭賳丿诏蹖 丿乇 倬丕蹖蹖賳 鬲乇蹖賳 丨丿 丕爻鬲
爻讴賵鬲 禺丕賲賵卮 讴乇丿賳 丌賳 倬蹖趩 丕爻鬲. 亘爻鬲賳 丌賳 丕爻鬲貙 亘爻鬲賳 鬲賲丕賲 丌賳
鬲賲丕賲 爻鬲丕乇诏丕賳 丌爻賲丕賳 亘乇丕蹖 讴鬲丕亘 賴丕蹖蹖 賲孬賱 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭 貙 賴賲爻丕蹖賴 賴丕 賵 ... 讴賴 丕夭 賵丕賯毓蹖丕鬲 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲乇丿賲 賵 丿乇丿賴丕蹖卮丕賳 賲蹖 诏賵蹖賳丿 讴賲 丕爻鬲 賵 鬲賵賴蹖賳 丌賲蹖夭
丕蹖賳 倬賳噩 爻鬲丕乇賴 賴賲 亘賴 爻乇賳賵卮鬲 賲賳 丿趩丕乇 卮丿賴 丕賳丿 賵 丕夭 倬爻 鬲毓乇蹖賮 亘丕丿亘丕丿讴 亘丕夭 亘乇 賳賲蹖 丌蹖賳丿
丕賵賱蹖賳 亘丕乇 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 亘賵丿 讴賴 丕爻賲 赖夭丕乇赖 乇賵 丕夭 爻乇亘丕夭蹖 丕賮睾丕賳蹖 卮賳蹖丿賲 賵 丕賵賱 賮讴乇 讴乇丿賲 丨鬲賲丕 賳丕爻夭丕 蹖丕 賮丨卮蹖 禺蹖賱蹖 夭卮鬲蹖 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丕賵 亘丕 鬲賲爻禺乇 丨爻賳 乇丕 亘丕 丕蹖賳 丕爻賲 氐丿丕 賲蹖夭賳丿
亘丕 禺賵丿賲 賲蹖 诏賮鬲賲 丕诏乇 丕蹖賳 賵丕賯毓蹖鬲 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮丿 赖夭丕乇赖 賴丕 趩胤賵乇 鬲賵賳爻鬲賳 丿乇 趩賳蹖賳 賮囟丕蹖 鬲丨賯蹖乇丌賲蹖夭蹖 夭賳丿诏蹖 讴賳賳
噩丕蹖蹖 讴賴 丨鬲蹖 讴賵丿讴丕賳 乇丕 賴賲 亘禺丕胤乇 賳跇丕丿卮丕賳 鬲賲爻禺乇 賲蹖 讴賳賳丿
賲蹖乇丕孬 丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳
亘蹖丕 賮乇囟 讴賳蹖賲 讴賴 倬丿乇 賵 賲丕丿乇 亘趩賴 夭賳丿賴 賳賲丕賳丿賴 丕賳丿.丨鬲蹖 丿乇 丕蹖賳 丨丕賱 丕丿丕乇賴 -
賲賴丕噩乇鬲 賮讴乇 賲蹖 讴賳丿 亘賴鬲乇 丕爻鬲 亘趩賴 乇丕 亘賴 讴爻蹖 亘丿賴丿 讴賴 賲賯蹖賲 讴卮賵乇 夭丕丿诏丕賴 丕賵爻鬲.鬲丕 賲蹖乇丕孬卮 倬丕賲丕賱 賳卮賵丿
讴丿丕賲 賲蹖乇丕孬責 胤丕賱亘丕賳 賴乇 賲蹖乇丕孬蹖 乇丕 讴賴 丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳 丿丕卮鬲賴 丕夭 -
亘蹖賳 亘乇丿賴.丿蹖丿蹖丿 讴賴 亘丕 賲噩爻賲賴 毓馗蹖賲 亘賵丿丕 丿乇 亘丕賲蹖丕賳 趩賴 讴乇丿賳丿責
丕夭 丕蹖賳 毓讴爻 賵丨卮鬲賳丕讴 鬲乇 噩賲賱賴 夭蹖乇 亘賵丿
賲蹖賳.丌蹖丕 乇丕賴 亘賴鬲乇蹖 丕夭 丕蹖賳 亘乇丕蹖 賲乇诏 丕賮睾丕賳 賴丕 賴爻鬲責
丕賲丕 趩蹖夭丕蹖蹖 讴賴 賮讴乇賲 乇丕 賲卮睾賵賱 讴乇丿賳丿
:卮蹖毓賴 亘賵丿賳 赖夭丕乇赖 賴丕 賵 爻賳蹖 亘賵丿賳 倬卮鬲賵 賴丕
蹖丕丿賲賴 鬲賵 賵蹖讴蹖 倬丿蹖丕 賵 禺賵丿 讴鬲丕亘 禺賵丕賳丿賲 讴賴 倬卮鬲賵賴丕 爻賳蹖 賵 赖夭丕乇赖 賴丕 卮蹖毓賴 賴爻鬲賳丿 賵 丨鬲蹖 胤丕賱亘丕賳 丿乇 卮賴乇 賲夭丕乇 卮乇蹖賮貙 赖夭丕乇赖 賴丕 乇丕 亘賴 噩乇賲 賲匕賴亘卮賵賳 賯鬲賱 毓丕賲 讴乇丿賳丿
丕賲丕 丿乇 讴鬲丕亘 "丕賲蹖乇" 讴賴 倬卮鬲賵 亘賵丿 丕夭 诏匕丕卮鬲賳 賲賴乇 丿乇 賳賲丕夭 賲蹖 诏賮鬲 賵 "丨爻賳" 讴賴 赖夭丕乇赖 亘賵丿 賳賲蹖 诏匕丕卮鬲 倬賳噩 賳賲丕夭卮 賯囟丕 卮賵丿
丨爻賳 賴賷趩賵賯鬲 倬賳噩 賵毓丿賴 賳賲丕夭卮 賯囟丕 賳賲賷 卮丿貙丨鬲賷 賵賯鬲賷 亘丕夭賷 賲賷 賰乇丿賷賲貙毓匕乇禺賵丕賴賷 賲賷賰乇丿貙丕夭 趩丕賴 丨賷丕胤 丌亘 賲賷 賰卮賷丿貙賵囟賵 賲賷 诏乇賮鬲 賵 鬲賵賷 賰賱亘賴 賳丕倬丿賷丿 賲賷卮丿
丕賲蹖乇 賴賲 亘丕 禺賵丿 賲蹖 诏賵蹖丿:丿乇 丨賯蹖賯鬲 蹖丕丿賲 賳賲蹖 丌賲丿 讴賴 丌禺乇蹖賳 亘丕乇 讴蹖 爻乇 亘賴 賲購賴乇 诏匕丕卮鬲賴 丕賲
賴賲丕賳胤賵乇 讴賴 賲蹖 丿丕賳蹖丿 爻賳蹖 賴丕 賲賴乇 賳賲蹖 诏匕丕乇丿 賵 卮蹖毓蹖丕賳 賴賲 賮賯胤 爻賴 賳賲丕夭 乇丕 亘氐賵乇鬲 丨丕囟乇賴 賲蹖 禺賵丕賳賳丿
賳賲蹖丿丕賳賲 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 丕夭 丕蹖賳 鬲囟丕丿 賲蹖禺賵丕爻鬲 賳讴鬲賴 丕蹖 亘诏賵蹖丿 蹖丕 賮賯胤 丕卮鬲亘丕賴蹖 賲乇鬲讴亘 卮丿賴 亘賵丿
:趩卮賲丕賳 爻亘夭 赖夭丕乇赖 賴丕
丿賵爻鬲蹖 賲蹖 诏賮鬲 趩卮賲丕賳 爻亘夭 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 馗丕賴乇蹖 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丌乇蹖丕蹖蹖 賴丕 亘賵丿賴
禺丕賱丿 丨爻蹖賳蹖 毓賱丕賯賴 夭蹖丕丿蹖 亘賴 诏賮鬲賳 丿乇亘丕乇賴 趩卮賲丕賳 爻亘夭 赖夭丕乇赖 賴丕 丿丕卮鬲
...丕夭 賲丕丿乇 丨爻賳 诏乇賮鬲賴 鬲丕 夭賳 丨爻賳 賵
賲蹖 诏賵蹖賳丿 赖夭丕乇赖 賴丕 亘禺丕胤乇 趩卮賲丕賳 亘丕丿丕賲蹖 卮丕蹖丿 丕夭 賳爻賱 賲睾賵賱 賴丕 亘丕卮賳丿
丕賲丕 卮丕蹖丿 賴賲蹖賳 趩卮賲丕賳 爻亘夭 丿賱蹖賱 亘乇 乇丿 丕蹖賳 賳馗乇蹖賴 亘丕卮丿 賵 賳卮丕賳 亘丿賴丿 讴賴 丕蹖賳 賲乇丿賲丕賳 噩夭賵 讴賴賳 鬲乇蹖賳 賲乇丿賲丕賳 爻乇夭賲蹖賳 丕賮睾丕賳爻鬲丕賳 亘丕卮賳丿
丨丕賱丕 丕氐賱丕 丨爻丕亘 讴賳蹖賲 賯丿賲鬲卮丕賳 亘賴 100 爻丕賱 賴賲 賳乇爻丿 賵 賲匕賴亘卮丕賳 賴賲 賲鬲賮丕賵鬲 亘丕 丿蹖诏乇丕賳 亘丕卮丿
丌蹖丕 亘賴 丕蹖賳 丿賱丕蹖賱 賲爻禺乇賴貙 亘丕蹖丿 賳爻賱 丌賳賴丕 乇丕 賳丕亘賵丿 讴乇丿!責
趩賵賳 賲丕賳賳丿 賲丕 賳賲丕夭 賳賲蹖 禺賵丕賳賳丿 賵 禺賵賳 賲賱鬲蹖 亘蹖诏丕賳賴 丿乇 乇诏 賴丕蹖卮丕賳 丿乇 诏乇丿卮 丕爻鬲責
January 14, 2024
Evocative, invigorating, heart-wrenching, riveting, realistic, poignant, complex, brilliant, emotional, gripping, intriguing. I can use many more words to describe this book. Still, I will feel that it is not enough.
The story of the extraordinary friendship between Amir and Hassan told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan will incontrovertibly move your heart and bring some tears to your eyes. If you are a person who reads only 5-6 books a year, this one should be at the top of your reading list.
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
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February 6, 2016
I liked this book a lot. Due to the uncomfortable nature of the story told, I'll probably never read it again, but I'm glad that I did read it once. I saw it as the story of one not very likeable boy growing up in a soon to be war torn region and his eventual struggle for redemption.
I was quite surprised to see how popular some of the negative reviews of this book were and I'd like to comment on a few of the comments they contained.
One condemnatory critic said "This is the sort of book White America reads to feel worldly." Ah, if only that were truer. In a study done not long ago, over half of American adult men, when asked, admitted to having read NO books in the last year. Personally, as a white American, this book made me grateful that I grew up where I did, and once again reminded me of how good I've had it, and how little I really know about life outside these insular, isolationist, United States.
Another critic claimed that this book "...portrays Afghanistan as backward" Personally I thought that it portrayed it as a war torn, deeply wounded country that was at one time a bit like our ante-bellum south. It was made quite clear that we saw pre-soviet Afghanistan through the eyes of a doubly privileged class, the rich child.
Another critic claimed "The members of the servant and poorer classes are consistently portrayed as saintly, absurdly self-sacrificing, one-dimensional characters." Yes, that's true. But the viewpoint is a that of an over-privileged, rich, selfish child. Given the ante-bellum south atmosphere that our protagonist sees, it's a wonder that the epithet "uncle Tom" wasn't used.
Finally one critic complained "The book fails exactly where it most needs to succeed - in the depiction of the Taliban." Personally, I felt that while that need may be great, I didn't see that as the purpose of this book.
I saw this book as the story of one man's journey toward redemption against a background of a troubled heritage. I sometimes recall doing things as a child that now makes me wonder about myself, and while I like to think I've become a better human being, I sometimes shudder at the savage, thoughtless child that was once under this skin. For the personal perspective alone, I think this book is a worthwhile, if sometimes uncomfortable, read. If you let it, it may make you a better person.
I was quite surprised to see how popular some of the negative reviews of this book were and I'd like to comment on a few of the comments they contained.
One condemnatory critic said "This is the sort of book White America reads to feel worldly." Ah, if only that were truer. In a study done not long ago, over half of American adult men, when asked, admitted to having read NO books in the last year. Personally, as a white American, this book made me grateful that I grew up where I did, and once again reminded me of how good I've had it, and how little I really know about life outside these insular, isolationist, United States.
Another critic claimed that this book "...portrays Afghanistan as backward" Personally I thought that it portrayed it as a war torn, deeply wounded country that was at one time a bit like our ante-bellum south. It was made quite clear that we saw pre-soviet Afghanistan through the eyes of a doubly privileged class, the rich child.
Another critic claimed "The members of the servant and poorer classes are consistently portrayed as saintly, absurdly self-sacrificing, one-dimensional characters." Yes, that's true. But the viewpoint is a that of an over-privileged, rich, selfish child. Given the ante-bellum south atmosphere that our protagonist sees, it's a wonder that the epithet "uncle Tom" wasn't used.
Finally one critic complained "The book fails exactly where it most needs to succeed - in the depiction of the Taliban." Personally, I felt that while that need may be great, I didn't see that as the purpose of this book.
I saw this book as the story of one man's journey toward redemption against a background of a troubled heritage. I sometimes recall doing things as a child that now makes me wonder about myself, and while I like to think I've become a better human being, I sometimes shudder at the savage, thoughtless child that was once under this skin. For the personal perspective alone, I think this book is a worthwhile, if sometimes uncomfortable, read. If you let it, it may make you a better person.
October 24, 2019
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini ( Berliani M. Nugrahani, Translator) is a 2004 Riverhead Books publication.
Earlier this year I read Moloka'i by Alan Brennert, another book, like this one, written back in 2004. It seemed I was the only person in the world who had not read the book, and once I鈥檇 finished reading it, I wondered why it had taken me so long to read it. This got me to thinking about all the books that I鈥檇 intended to read, but never got around to. So, despite my strong feelings about making reading resolutions, I vowed to read more books 鈥榯he entire world has read but me鈥�. Other than Moloka鈥橧, I have also read 鈥楾he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥�, and now- 鈥淭he Kite Runner鈥�.
The Kite Runner has over 68,000 reviews on 欧宝娱乐, so I鈥檓 not going to recap the synopsis, nor am I going to break down all the various ways in which this book touched me in one way or another, or analyze all the important messages in the story, as I don鈥檛 think I can add anything more to what has already been said.
However, I couldn鈥檛 simply leave a rating and felt compelled to add a few personal remarks about my experience with this novel- but I鈥檒l keep it brief.
First of all- why on earth did I wait so long to read this book?
This story is an incredible gut-punching- heart-wrenching, powerful and very thought-provoking family saga.
The juxtaposition between the two boys and the separate paths on which they embark is tragic, but eventually leads to long overdue penance and justice, as well as redemption and forgiveness. This riveting drama is very reflective, and handled with crisp precision, evoking a myriad of emotions. While the story is deeply depressing and so very sad, it is also an uplifting, inspirational story of a personal reckoning and redemption, which is the part of the story I鈥檒l always carry with me.
I鈥檓 so very glad I took the time to finally sit down and read this book! Although the book is fifteen years old now, it still has the same profound resonance it did when first published. I鈥檓 still hugging my box of tissues!
Amazing storytelling, amazing book- One I will never forget!
Earlier this year I read Moloka'i by Alan Brennert, another book, like this one, written back in 2004. It seemed I was the only person in the world who had not read the book, and once I鈥檇 finished reading it, I wondered why it had taken me so long to read it. This got me to thinking about all the books that I鈥檇 intended to read, but never got around to. So, despite my strong feelings about making reading resolutions, I vowed to read more books 鈥榯he entire world has read but me鈥�. Other than Moloka鈥橧, I have also read 鈥楾he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥�, and now- 鈥淭he Kite Runner鈥�.
The Kite Runner has over 68,000 reviews on 欧宝娱乐, so I鈥檓 not going to recap the synopsis, nor am I going to break down all the various ways in which this book touched me in one way or another, or analyze all the important messages in the story, as I don鈥檛 think I can add anything more to what has already been said.
However, I couldn鈥檛 simply leave a rating and felt compelled to add a few personal remarks about my experience with this novel- but I鈥檒l keep it brief.
First of all- why on earth did I wait so long to read this book?
This story is an incredible gut-punching- heart-wrenching, powerful and very thought-provoking family saga.
The juxtaposition between the two boys and the separate paths on which they embark is tragic, but eventually leads to long overdue penance and justice, as well as redemption and forgiveness. This riveting drama is very reflective, and handled with crisp precision, evoking a myriad of emotions. While the story is deeply depressing and so very sad, it is also an uplifting, inspirational story of a personal reckoning and redemption, which is the part of the story I鈥檒l always carry with me.
I鈥檓 so very glad I took the time to finally sit down and read this book! Although the book is fifteen years old now, it still has the same profound resonance it did when first published. I鈥檓 still hugging my box of tissues!
Amazing storytelling, amazing book- One I will never forget!
May 19, 2020
Amir, a little boy growing up in the early 1970's in Kabul the capital of Afghanistan, has the idyllic life a wealthy father Baba, a widower the mother died giving birth to Amir he believes the father hates him for that, in the most beautiful house some say in the city, a great friend Hassan the son of Ali, a servant and loyal to the family. Baba and Ali had been friends too in childhood strange since Hassan's father is just a Hazara (Mongol), Hassan's promiscuous mother had left them to join a group of dancers , a detested minority in the country hated and persecuted by the dominant Pashtuns, they call themselves the real Afghans...But the world never stays the same always moving forward for better or worse and it gets much much worse, King Zahir Shah, peaceful, forty year reign is ended overthrown, by his disloyal cousin Daoud Khan, making himself the President of the Republic whatever that is ...The communist kill the usurper the Russians invade and forty bloody years later the wars continue... Amir and Hassan are inseparable constantly playing together , walking to the top of the nearby hill as Baba's son reads to Hassan an illiterate, making up stories also to trick his friend, he does that often to the always amiable boy, flying kites in the blue skies their great passion together. Hassan saves the cowardly Amir from the local bully Assef, half - German with blond hair and evil eyes , brass knuckles in his pocket a crazed sadist, he enjoys inflicting major damage to his victims yet will not challenge the Hazaras powerful slingshot. Pahim Khan is Baba's, wise best friend and business partner, frequent visitor and knows all the dark secrets that even Amir doesn't. Kind to the lonely boy, while the disappointed cold father, at six foot five, strong as an ox too brave sometimes during bad situations, he wrestled a bear once and lived to boast about his victory sees his child, a weak boy a bookworm can he really be his son ? In the neighborhood kite contest Amir with the help of Hassan wins, defeats dozens of opponents the proud father looks glowingly from above on his rooftop , with Pahim Khan this is his son at last. But while the incomparable kite runner Hassan, follows the last blue kite slowly falling (a symbol of an era soon gone) , that was downed by Amir to insure victory and get the souvenir, a horrible event occurs in a dirty alley witnessed by timid Amir , it will ensure a lifetime of pain remorse and unforeseen consequences. A terrific tale of redemption, a child's view of the world turned sideways shattered into many pieces that will never be the same, but still life must go on people are complicated and reality is hidden from most of us .
July 19, 2017
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'The Kite Runner' had been sitting on my TBR list for years. I kept putting it off because while I was sure that it would be a fantastic book, it isn't the type of smutty romance that I usually read. I knew that I'd have to be in the right kind of mood to read it. Finally, I found myself wanting to read something a little different to break me out of a reading rut and I downloaded the Audible version of 'The Kite Runner' and started listening.
As expected, this book was nothing like my usual love stories. This book is the type of book that makes you think about your life and reevaluate your values and what you think you know. It is the type of book that makes you question what you'd do in a given situation if the tables were turned.
If you're like me, and have always been blessed to live in a country where you've never experienced the brutality and terror of warfare firsthand, this book serves as a reminder of how lucky you truly are. As a woman, and a mother of two daughters, I cannot begin to express how grateful I am that I was born in a country where women are treated as equals. Sure, there are still some inequalities. However, when I think of how women are treated in many other regions of the world, I am incredibly thankful to have the freedoms that I do.
I won't rehash this story, because it's been done a million times already and I don't think there's anything I could say that hasn't been said already. However, I will say that this was a wonderful book. It was grim, brutal and depressing, but also beautiful at times. It was emotional and infuriating, but you can't say that you didn't "feel" while reading this one. I experienced a full range of emotions.
In the end, it grounded me and put all of my petty gripes into perspective. We all need to be reminded of how blessed we are at times. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for an emotional and enlightening story.
'The Kite Runner' had been sitting on my TBR list for years. I kept putting it off because while I was sure that it would be a fantastic book, it isn't the type of smutty romance that I usually read. I knew that I'd have to be in the right kind of mood to read it. Finally, I found myself wanting to read something a little different to break me out of a reading rut and I downloaded the Audible version of 'The Kite Runner' and started listening.
As expected, this book was nothing like my usual love stories. This book is the type of book that makes you think about your life and reevaluate your values and what you think you know. It is the type of book that makes you question what you'd do in a given situation if the tables were turned.
If you're like me, and have always been blessed to live in a country where you've never experienced the brutality and terror of warfare firsthand, this book serves as a reminder of how lucky you truly are. As a woman, and a mother of two daughters, I cannot begin to express how grateful I am that I was born in a country where women are treated as equals. Sure, there are still some inequalities. However, when I think of how women are treated in many other regions of the world, I am incredibly thankful to have the freedoms that I do.
I won't rehash this story, because it's been done a million times already and I don't think there's anything I could say that hasn't been said already. However, I will say that this was a wonderful book. It was grim, brutal and depressing, but also beautiful at times. It was emotional and infuriating, but you can't say that you didn't "feel" while reading this one. I experienced a full range of emotions.
In the end, it grounded me and put all of my petty gripes into perspective. We all need to be reminded of how blessed we are at times. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for an emotional and enlightening story.
May 22, 2023
I loved A thousand Splendid Suns and I was expecting to have the same feelings for The Kite Runner. Unfortunately, it did not happen. Maybe I was more interested in the subject of women's rights in Afghanistan and it made my sympathies with the main characters. I was moved by the women's struggle whereas the story of Amir failed to impress me.
I have to be honest. I despised Amir from the first page and my feelings did not changed throughout the book. I know it should not be a reason for not appreciating a book and I agree with that when I read a literature masterpiece such as Hunger, The Trial or Crime and Punishment. However, here is not the case. In Khaled Hosseini books, if you are not touched by the characters, the magic of the book is gone as he manipulates you into feeling in a certain way and cry your eyes out at the end. It worked with A thousand Splendid Suns. No so much here. Maybe the timing was wrong.
Even if I hated the MC I still enjoyed Khaled Hosseini writing style.
I have to be honest. I despised Amir from the first page and my feelings did not changed throughout the book. I know it should not be a reason for not appreciating a book and I agree with that when I read a literature masterpiece such as Hunger, The Trial or Crime and Punishment. However, here is not the case. In Khaled Hosseini books, if you are not touched by the characters, the magic of the book is gone as he manipulates you into feeling in a certain way and cry your eyes out at the end. It worked with A thousand Splendid Suns. No so much here. Maybe the timing was wrong.
Even if I hated the MC I still enjoyed Khaled Hosseini writing style.
August 8, 2018
賴賱 鬲毓賱賲 賷丕 氐丿賷賯賶 賴匕丕 丕賱賳賵毓 賲賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丕鬲 丕賱鬲賶 賱丕 鬲爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱賮乇丕乇 賲賳賴丕 責 .. 賰賱賲丕 丨丕賵賱鬲 丕賱丕亘鬲毓丕丿 貙 鬲丿賳賵 賴賶 賲賳賰 .. 鬲丨丕賵賱 賳爻賷丕賳賴丕 貙 賮鬲鬲丿丕賮毓 賰賱 鬲賮丕氐賷賱賴丕 賮賶 匕丕賰乇鬲賰 貙 賰賲丕 賯乇兀鬲賴丕 .
" 廿賳賴丕 賯氐丞 賱丕 鬲賳爻賶 貙 鬲馗賱 賲毓賰 賱爻賳賵丕鬲 .. 廿賳賴丕 賯賵賷丞 賱丨丿 噩毓賱 賰賱 賲丕 賯乇兀鬲賴 亘毓丿賴丕 貙 賵賱賮鬲乇丞 胤賵賷賱丞 貙 賷亘丿賵 亘賱丕 胤毓賲 "
廿夭丕亘賷賱 兀賱賱賷賳丿賶
賴賱 鬲毓乇賮賴 責
丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 兀賳賰 賱賲 鬲毓乇賮賴 亘毓丿 賵賱賳 鬲毓乇賮賴 賲丕 賱賲 鬲賯乇兀 賴匕賴 丕賱乇丕卅毓丞 .
" 賱兀噩賱賰 兀賱賮 賲乇丞 賵賲乇丞 "
廿丨爻丕爻 睾乇賷亘 賷賳鬲丕亘賳賶 毓賳丿 賯乇丕亍丞 賴匕賴 丕賱噩賲賱丞貙 丨丕賱賴 賲賳 丕賱賮乇丨貙 賵乇睾亘丞 賮賶 丕賱亘賰丕亍 .. 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 賱丕 兀毓乇賮 賲丕 賴賵 卮毓賵乇賶 丨賷賳賴丕
丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱丕賵賱 賮賷賴丕 賮賵賯 丕賱賲賲鬲丕夭 .. 兀賲丕 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賶 賮賱賲 賷賰賳 毓賱賶 賳賮爻 丕賱賯丿乇 貨 賱賰賳賴 乇丕卅毓 兀賷囟丕賸 .
乇賵丕賷丞 鬲賯鬲乇亘 賲賳 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 賰孬賷乇丕賸 .. 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 丕賱鬲賶 賳丿乇賰賴丕 賱賰賳 賱丕 賳毓賽 亘鬲賮丕氐賷賱賴丕 .
乇賵丕賷丞 匕丕鬲 賯賷賲丞 兀丿亘賷丞 毓丕賱賷丞 .
乇賵丕賷丞 爻賷禺賱丿賴丕 丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺 .
乇賵丕賷丞 鬲馗賱 毓丕賱賯丞 賮賶 丕賱丕匕賴丕賳 .. 賮廿賳賴丕 賰鬲亘鬲 賱鬲亘賯賶 .
" 廿賳賴丕 賯氐丞 賱丕 鬲賳爻賶 貙 鬲馗賱 賲毓賰 賱爻賳賵丕鬲 .. 廿賳賴丕 賯賵賷丞 賱丨丿 噩毓賱 賰賱 賲丕 賯乇兀鬲賴 亘毓丿賴丕 貙 賵賱賮鬲乇丞 胤賵賷賱丞 貙 賷亘丿賵 亘賱丕 胤毓賲 "
廿夭丕亘賷賱 兀賱賱賷賳丿賶
賴賱 鬲毓乇賮賴 責
丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 兀賳賰 賱賲 鬲毓乇賮賴 亘毓丿 賵賱賳 鬲毓乇賮賴 賲丕 賱賲 鬲賯乇兀 賴匕賴 丕賱乇丕卅毓丞 .
" 賱兀噩賱賰 兀賱賮 賲乇丞 賵賲乇丞 "
廿丨爻丕爻 睾乇賷亘 賷賳鬲丕亘賳賶 毓賳丿 賯乇丕亍丞 賴匕賴 丕賱噩賲賱丞貙 丨丕賱賴 賲賳 丕賱賮乇丨貙 賵乇睾亘丞 賮賶 丕賱亘賰丕亍 .. 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 賱丕 兀毓乇賮 賲丕 賴賵 卮毓賵乇賶 丨賷賳賴丕
丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱丕賵賱 賮賷賴丕 賮賵賯 丕賱賲賲鬲丕夭 .. 兀賲丕 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賶 賮賱賲 賷賰賳 毓賱賶 賳賮爻 丕賱賯丿乇 貨 賱賰賳賴 乇丕卅毓 兀賷囟丕賸 .
乇賵丕賷丞 鬲賯鬲乇亘 賲賳 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 賰孬賷乇丕賸 .. 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 丕賱鬲賶 賳丿乇賰賴丕 賱賰賳 賱丕 賳毓賽 亘鬲賮丕氐賷賱賴丕 .
乇賵丕賷丞 匕丕鬲 賯賷賲丞 兀丿亘賷丞 毓丕賱賷丞 .
乇賵丕賷丞 爻賷禺賱丿賴丕 丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺 .
乇賵丕賷丞 鬲馗賱 毓丕賱賯丞 賮賶 丕賱丕匕賴丕賳 .. 賮廿賳賴丕 賰鬲亘鬲 賱鬲亘賯賶 .
December 22, 2007
I found this book a failure of courage and imagination -- all the more upsetting for the author's astute sense of detail and wonderful psychological depth. But ask yourself this: if the Taliban are real humans than why are they not represented as such? No doubt we will all love the movie as well.
If you want to read a book on Afghanistan, I recommend Jason Elliot's .
Below is my complete review:
I started out loving this book. Hosseini is dead on target in his depiction of children's psychology, the non-contractual relationships between master and servant, and in his weaving of the threads between trauma, memory, and denial.
Further, Hosseini captures the feel of life in a Third World country. His depiction of Afghanistan confirms my own short travels in Afghanistan during the 1970s. Indeed, I was becoming ever more excited with the possibility of teaching this book in my new course on Afghanistan. But alas.
The book fails exactly where it most needs to succeed - in the depiction of the Taliban. When we do not have an archive, or the possibility of getting at the facts and narratives of a part of history, fiction can be used creatively and responsibly in order to construct something real. Take, for example, the extraordinary slave narrative written by Guy Endore -- . After years of research, Endore writes a history of a slave engaged in rebellion just prior to the Haitian Revolution.
Hosseini has the skills but not the courage nor the empathy/sympathy to portray the Taliban as historical, sociological, economic, modern creations. Discounting and trivializing his own skills, he characterizes the Taliban in the easiest way -- as simple, cartoonish, evil. He thereby does nothing to enlighten us. Worse, he panders to a sleepwalking liberal public who happily accept his vision as a seemingly authentic reflection of their own myopia.
Most everyone is satisfied: the U.S. public for having read about a country they destroyed -- feeling all the better at having disposed of evil; the publishers for their timely profit; and Hosseini for having expressed his romantic sense of loss.
At least V.S. Niapaul is honest about his hatred for his own people. Hosseini's twist is less forgivable -- he gives aide to the very people whose malice, neglect, ignorance, and misunderstanding of Afghan people is one key factor in the destruction of this beautiful land and vital people.
A failure of imagination is often the result of a failure in will, in courage, in politics. Hosseini traps himself in the politics of nostalgia.
(For a similar review with a more academic bent, please see:
If you want to read a book on Afghanistan, I recommend Jason Elliot's .
Below is my complete review:
I started out loving this book. Hosseini is dead on target in his depiction of children's psychology, the non-contractual relationships between master and servant, and in his weaving of the threads between trauma, memory, and denial.
Further, Hosseini captures the feel of life in a Third World country. His depiction of Afghanistan confirms my own short travels in Afghanistan during the 1970s. Indeed, I was becoming ever more excited with the possibility of teaching this book in my new course on Afghanistan. But alas.
The book fails exactly where it most needs to succeed - in the depiction of the Taliban. When we do not have an archive, or the possibility of getting at the facts and narratives of a part of history, fiction can be used creatively and responsibly in order to construct something real. Take, for example, the extraordinary slave narrative written by Guy Endore -- . After years of research, Endore writes a history of a slave engaged in rebellion just prior to the Haitian Revolution.
Hosseini has the skills but not the courage nor the empathy/sympathy to portray the Taliban as historical, sociological, economic, modern creations. Discounting and trivializing his own skills, he characterizes the Taliban in the easiest way -- as simple, cartoonish, evil. He thereby does nothing to enlighten us. Worse, he panders to a sleepwalking liberal public who happily accept his vision as a seemingly authentic reflection of their own myopia.
Most everyone is satisfied: the U.S. public for having read about a country they destroyed -- feeling all the better at having disposed of evil; the publishers for their timely profit; and Hosseini for having expressed his romantic sense of loss.
At least V.S. Niapaul is honest about his hatred for his own people. Hosseini's twist is less forgivable -- he gives aide to the very people whose malice, neglect, ignorance, and misunderstanding of Afghan people is one key factor in the destruction of this beautiful land and vital people.
A failure of imagination is often the result of a failure in will, in courage, in politics. Hosseini traps himself in the politics of nostalgia.
(For a similar review with a more academic bent, please see:
March 24, 2019
鈥淭here are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood.鈥�
I鈥檝e read books before with an unreliable narrator and also read accounts of cowardice and shame. Amir, the first-person protagonist and narrator from Hosseini鈥檚 2003 novel, filled me with such disgust and loathing that I almost put the book down at 25%.
My doctor would say that Amir suffered from AWDD 鈥� Ass whooping deficiency disorder and I would enthusiastically second that diagnosis.
That said, I invite everyone to read the book and see how it all plays out.
鈥淭here is a way to be good again...鈥�
The poet Galway Kinnell once wrote that there are some regrets we can never be rid of. He was right in so many ways. An inability to forgive ourselves for past moments of cowardice, shame and inaction are the most troubling and relentless sorrows we can face as humans wandering around on this poor earth. We can forgive others, even those who have harmed us greatly, but looking ourselves in the eye and offering absolution can be an act beyond so many of us.
I took my time getting to this book for a great many reasons and now that I have finally read it, I am so glad. This book moved me. Hosseini was able to pluck heart strings of emotion that I had thought silent and stolid. The themes of loyalty, friendship, devotion countered with betrayal, animosity and selfishness were plaintive notes played out in a literary orchestra of human sentiment.
鈥淚 wondered if that was how forgiveness budded; not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.鈥�
We follow a distorted tale of mistakes and timidity towards an ultimate chance at redemption. Amir鈥檚 is an understood but still contemptuous plight of lost opportunity. Shielded by cultural, social and religious privilege, his regrettable acts of pusillanimity are displayed against the heroic and admirable examples of his steadfast friend Hassan and his intrepid father. Hosseini paints us a picture of an evolving and destabilizing Afghanistan, tortured for years with Soviet occupation and then granted only the briefest of reprieves before falling to the theocratic and brutal rule of the Taliban. Amir鈥檚 journey is one of deliverance and redemption.
Hosseini鈥檚 skill and adept description of a modern day caste system where an invisible division existed between the favored Pashtun and the disadvantaged Hazara may be a tale of Afghanistan, but this abstract and superficial distinction can also be a universal cautionary story about racism, intolerance and bigotry.
Beautifully written and told with compassion, empathy and with a skilled writer鈥檚 eye for detail and expression, this can also be a painful book to read. Not for everyone, but for those who can endure what is at times heartbreaking the reward is as magnificent as is this work.
鈥淔or you, a thousand times over鈥澨�
I鈥檝e read books before with an unreliable narrator and also read accounts of cowardice and shame. Amir, the first-person protagonist and narrator from Hosseini鈥檚 2003 novel, filled me with such disgust and loathing that I almost put the book down at 25%.
My doctor would say that Amir suffered from AWDD 鈥� Ass whooping deficiency disorder and I would enthusiastically second that diagnosis.
That said, I invite everyone to read the book and see how it all plays out.
鈥淭here is a way to be good again...鈥�
The poet Galway Kinnell once wrote that there are some regrets we can never be rid of. He was right in so many ways. An inability to forgive ourselves for past moments of cowardice, shame and inaction are the most troubling and relentless sorrows we can face as humans wandering around on this poor earth. We can forgive others, even those who have harmed us greatly, but looking ourselves in the eye and offering absolution can be an act beyond so many of us.
I took my time getting to this book for a great many reasons and now that I have finally read it, I am so glad. This book moved me. Hosseini was able to pluck heart strings of emotion that I had thought silent and stolid. The themes of loyalty, friendship, devotion countered with betrayal, animosity and selfishness were plaintive notes played out in a literary orchestra of human sentiment.
鈥淚 wondered if that was how forgiveness budded; not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.鈥�
We follow a distorted tale of mistakes and timidity towards an ultimate chance at redemption. Amir鈥檚 is an understood but still contemptuous plight of lost opportunity. Shielded by cultural, social and religious privilege, his regrettable acts of pusillanimity are displayed against the heroic and admirable examples of his steadfast friend Hassan and his intrepid father. Hosseini paints us a picture of an evolving and destabilizing Afghanistan, tortured for years with Soviet occupation and then granted only the briefest of reprieves before falling to the theocratic and brutal rule of the Taliban. Amir鈥檚 journey is one of deliverance and redemption.
Hosseini鈥檚 skill and adept description of a modern day caste system where an invisible division existed between the favored Pashtun and the disadvantaged Hazara may be a tale of Afghanistan, but this abstract and superficial distinction can also be a universal cautionary story about racism, intolerance and bigotry.
Beautifully written and told with compassion, empathy and with a skilled writer鈥檚 eye for detail and expression, this can also be a painful book to read. Not for everyone, but for those who can endure what is at times heartbreaking the reward is as magnificent as is this work.
鈥淔or you, a thousand times over鈥澨�
Read
June 14, 2008After pondering long and hard, I'm going to try now to articulate just what it was about this book that sucked so much, why it has offended me so greatly, and why its popularity has enraged me even more. This book blew so much that I've been inspired to start my own website of book reviews for non-morons. So let us explore why.
First, let's deal with the writer himself. Hosseini's father worked for Western companies while in Afghasnistan. While daddy (who I am guessing, from Hosseini's tragic account of the "fictional" father, never accepts his son) worked and got wealthy, normal Afghans lived their lives. When war broke out, Hosseini's father was offered a safe position in Iran. Just before the revolution in Iran, his father was offered another job in Paris, before finally taking the family to the USA.
That's fine ... some of us are lucky in life. Others are not. What bothers me, though, is that The Kite Runner is so obviously what Hosseini WISHES had happened.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Hassan character really did exist in some form or another. Surely Hosseini had a friend/sometimes playmate/servant who was left behind while Hosseini's powerful family escaped. Surely, Hosseini feels guilty for leaving his homeland by simple privilege while the less fortunate were left behind to fight the Soviets, the Mujahideen, and then the Taliban. And surely, Hosseini wishes he were some flawed hero that didn't simply get lucky. He wishes he'd majored in English, as the protagonist does, and published fiction books instead of becoming a run-of-the-mill doctor; he wishes his father had depended upon him in the USA as happens in the book, instead of getting by just fine as a rich exile with a daddy-doesn't-love-me complex; he wishes he could go back to Afghanistan, risking his life to make ammends for his shitty and cowardly past, instead of remaining a wealthy outsider living happily in the USA.
Hosseini is simply some guy who feels guilty about having escaped what so many of his fellow countrymen couldn't, and he makes up for it in fantasy in a million ways: accepting his fallen father, marrying an "unsuitable" woman, listening to a voice from the past, saving the son of his friend he watched being raped decades before (when he was too selfish to intervene), stomaching the live stoning of a burka-clad woman and her adulterous lover, taking a beating from an old enemy/Taliban child molestor, giving $2000 to a poor smuggler who tries to feed his kids on $3 a week, and saving a 12 year-old from suicide. If Hosseini REALLY did all this, what a hero he would be. Instead, he just makes it up and calles it a novel ... and people devour this shit with tears, labeling it as "inspirational" and "moving."
What really bothers me? Besides all of the contrived and predictable plot twists?? What really disturbs me is that people not only eat this shit up, but they also call it "literature," award it, and give this guy money and license to write another book.
For lack of better words ... WTF?!!!??! Has everyone just gone STUPID?!!?!?
I could go on about how the writing sucks, especially when the author admits to using cliches (elephant in the room, dark as night, thin as a rake, et fucking c) but I won't.
Why? A couple of reasons:
1) If you liked this book, a part of you is sick, and a larger part of you is an idiot
2) I could write a 100-page thesis about how much this book blew monkey chunks, but it's not worth my time
3) This shit sells, and Hosseini, between his stupid book and movie deals, is an even richer man than he was before ... which in the end, makes him smarter than you, me, and everyone else .... He understands the market and fed it back to us. We probably deserve it.
First, let's deal with the writer himself. Hosseini's father worked for Western companies while in Afghasnistan. While daddy (who I am guessing, from Hosseini's tragic account of the "fictional" father, never accepts his son) worked and got wealthy, normal Afghans lived their lives. When war broke out, Hosseini's father was offered a safe position in Iran. Just before the revolution in Iran, his father was offered another job in Paris, before finally taking the family to the USA.
That's fine ... some of us are lucky in life. Others are not. What bothers me, though, is that The Kite Runner is so obviously what Hosseini WISHES had happened.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Hassan character really did exist in some form or another. Surely Hosseini had a friend/sometimes playmate/servant who was left behind while Hosseini's powerful family escaped. Surely, Hosseini feels guilty for leaving his homeland by simple privilege while the less fortunate were left behind to fight the Soviets, the Mujahideen, and then the Taliban. And surely, Hosseini wishes he were some flawed hero that didn't simply get lucky. He wishes he'd majored in English, as the protagonist does, and published fiction books instead of becoming a run-of-the-mill doctor; he wishes his father had depended upon him in the USA as happens in the book, instead of getting by just fine as a rich exile with a daddy-doesn't-love-me complex; he wishes he could go back to Afghanistan, risking his life to make ammends for his shitty and cowardly past, instead of remaining a wealthy outsider living happily in the USA.
Hosseini is simply some guy who feels guilty about having escaped what so many of his fellow countrymen couldn't, and he makes up for it in fantasy in a million ways: accepting his fallen father, marrying an "unsuitable" woman, listening to a voice from the past, saving the son of his friend he watched being raped decades before (when he was too selfish to intervene), stomaching the live stoning of a burka-clad woman and her adulterous lover, taking a beating from an old enemy/Taliban child molestor, giving $2000 to a poor smuggler who tries to feed his kids on $3 a week, and saving a 12 year-old from suicide. If Hosseini REALLY did all this, what a hero he would be. Instead, he just makes it up and calles it a novel ... and people devour this shit with tears, labeling it as "inspirational" and "moving."
What really bothers me? Besides all of the contrived and predictable plot twists?? What really disturbs me is that people not only eat this shit up, but they also call it "literature," award it, and give this guy money and license to write another book.
For lack of better words ... WTF?!!!??! Has everyone just gone STUPID?!!?!?
I could go on about how the writing sucks, especially when the author admits to using cliches (elephant in the room, dark as night, thin as a rake, et fucking c) but I won't.
Why? A couple of reasons:
1) If you liked this book, a part of you is sick, and a larger part of you is an idiot
2) I could write a 100-page thesis about how much this book blew monkey chunks, but it's not worth my time
3) This shit sells, and Hosseini, between his stupid book and movie deals, is an even richer man than he was before ... which in the end, makes him smarter than you, me, and everyone else .... He understands the market and fed it back to us. We probably deserve it.
May 31, 2024
讴賮 乇丕賴乇賵蹖 爻乇丿 賲丿乇爻賴 乇丕賴賳賲丕蹖蹖 賲蹖鈥屬嗀簇池� 賵 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 賲蹖鈥屫堎嗀�. 诏丕賴蹖 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 丕賳賯丿乇 賲丨讴賲 賲蹖鈥屭辟佖� 讴賴 噩丕蹖 丿爻鬲鈥屬囏з� 乇賵蹖 讴鬲丕亘 賲蹖 鈥屬呝堎嗀�. 丕賵賳 乇賵夭賴丕 亘蹖卮鬲乇 賵賯鬲鈥屬囏� 丨爻 禺賮賴 卮丿賳 丿丕卮鬲賲 賵 賲乇蹖囟 賴賲 亘賵丿賲. 讴鬲丕亘鈥屬囏� 乇賵 賲孬賱 蹖讴 倬鬲賵 亘丕 禺賵丿賲 賲蹖鈥屫ㄘ必� 鬲丕 丌乇賵賲賲 讴賳賳丿 賵 亘蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇蹖丕囟蹖 賵 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲 賲禺賮蹖卮賵賳 賲蹖鈥屭┴必�
蹖丕丿賲賴 賵賯鬲蹖 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 賲蹖鈥屫堎嗀� 丿蹖诏賴 丕賵賳噩丕 賳亘賵丿賲. 亘丕 丕賲蹖乇 賵 丨爻賳 亘丕夭蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賵 丨爻丕丿鬲 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賵 賯乇亘丕賳蹖 賲蹖鈥屫簇� 賵 賮乇丕乇 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賵 噩亘乇丕賳 賲蹖鈥屭┴必�. 賴蹖趩賵賯鬲 鬲噩乇亘賴鈥屰� 禺賵丕賳丿賳 丕蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇賵 賳賲蹖鈥屫堎嗁� 賮乇丕賲賵卮 讴賳賲 賵 亘毓丿 丕夭 丕蹖賳 賴賲賴 爻丕賱 賴賳賵夭 丕賳诏丕乇 丿蹖乇賵夭 鬲賲賵賲卮 讴乇丿賲. 亘毓囟蹖 讴鬲丕亘鈥屬囏� 乇賵蹖 賵噩賵丿 丌丿賲 亘乇丕蹖 賴賲蹖卮賴 禺胤 賲蹖鈥屫з嗀ж操嗀�
丕蹖 讴丕卮 丕賱丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫堎嗀池� 亘乇丕蹖 丕賵賱蹖賳 亘丕乇 亘禺賵賳賲卮
酃酃.郾.鄯
蹖丕丿賲賴 賵賯鬲蹖 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇賵 賲蹖鈥屫堎嗀� 丿蹖诏賴 丕賵賳噩丕 賳亘賵丿賲. 亘丕 丕賲蹖乇 賵 丨爻賳 亘丕夭蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賵 丨爻丕丿鬲 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賵 賯乇亘丕賳蹖 賲蹖鈥屫簇� 賵 賮乇丕乇 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賵 噩亘乇丕賳 賲蹖鈥屭┴必�. 賴蹖趩賵賯鬲 鬲噩乇亘賴鈥屰� 禺賵丕賳丿賳 丕蹖賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇賵 賳賲蹖鈥屫堎嗁� 賮乇丕賲賵卮 讴賳賲 賵 亘毓丿 丕夭 丕蹖賳 賴賲賴 爻丕賱 賴賳賵夭 丕賳诏丕乇 丿蹖乇賵夭 鬲賲賵賲卮 讴乇丿賲. 亘毓囟蹖 讴鬲丕亘鈥屬囏� 乇賵蹖 賵噩賵丿 丌丿賲 亘乇丕蹖 賴賲蹖卮賴 禺胤 賲蹖鈥屫з嗀ж操嗀�
丕蹖 讴丕卮 丕賱丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫堎嗀池� 亘乇丕蹖 丕賵賱蹖賳 亘丕乇 亘禺賵賳賲卮
酃酃.郾.鄯
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