The Kite Runner in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Aug 18, 2007 Kristen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, history, drama

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really don't know how to review this book. On the one hand, I think it was very good and something that everyone should read. On the other hand, I think it was a terrible book and shouldn't take up space on the shelf.

To start, I did really enjoy reading about pre-Soviet rule Afghanistan. I thought the culture was shown to be rich and complex, and it was interesting to learn a bit about it. Of course, I'm the first to admit that I don't know a thing about Afghani culture, so Hosseini could hav I really don't know how to review this book. On the one hand, I think it was very good and something that everyone should read. On the other hand, I think it was a terrible book and shouldn't take up space on the shelf.

To start, I did really enjoy reading about pre-Soviet rule Afghanistan. I thought the culture was shown to be rich and complex, and it was interesting to learn a bit about it. Of course, I'm the first to admit that I don't know a thing about Afghani culture, so Hosseini could have glamorized or demonized the hell out of them and I wouldn't know the difference. But it seemed like an honest depiction, given that he was both kind and critical in various places.

Hosseini's writing style bugged me a bit. I didn't mind just the straight descriptions of dialogue. But it was distracting when he'd toss in a random Farsi word, then translate it, then go back to what he was saying. Either stick to English, or use some Farsi but assume that we're intelligent enough to figure out the meaning from context.

I hate Amir. I don't know if Hosseini was trying to make his readers sympathize with Amir or what. If so, he shouldn't. It's hard to sympathize with a person who is such a coward and does such underhanded things. If we are supposed to sympathize with him for his feelings of guilt and self-loathing after the way he acted, it isn't going to happen. At least, not with me. I tried to be forgiving. I really did. Like when Hassan was being raped, as horrible as it is, I can sort of understand why Amir didn't try to help. He was just a child, and he was outnumbered in more ways than one. It doesn't make it right that he didn't try to help anyway. But it's at least a little bit understandable. But not to help Hassan after the fact, or to tell his father and Ali what happened, is despicable. All his other actions after that can be seen as sociopathic.

If, on the other hand, Hosseini was trying to portray Amir as a man who is tormented by his actions, or inaction, it is a little easier to swallow. I like the idea that Amir saw his pain and guilt as his due, his penance for lack of a better term, for being such a yellow-bellied loser. Similarly, his beating at the hands of Assaf could be viewed as something long due, and he walked into it with his eyes open. He deserved it and he knew it.

But nothing can atone for going back on his promise to Sohrab. You just do NOT make a promise to a child and then go back on it. Not for any reason. You especially don't do it if the child in question has been sexually abused and is rightfully in mortal fear of his life if you go back on your promise. I think Sohrab should have able to find a long-lost cousin or something who was better to stay with than Amir. It would have been a deus ex machina, but the book was full of unlikely coincidences anyway, so what's one more?

Also? I **hated** how Soraya just gave up on trying to engage Sohrab when he came to America. The child was traumatized and depressed! Let's give up on him instead of getting him into counseling and continuing to try to show him he's loved and wanted! Jesus. She didn't deserve to have babies of her own. That was Darwinism at its finest right there.

Given how much I couldn't stand Amir, I think the book ended on a strangely hopeful note. I hope, for Sohrab's sake, that things will get better and that Amir and Soraya turn out to be good parents to him rather than continuing the craptacular job they'd done by the end of the book. I like to think that maybe Amir got a spine beat into him at last, and that he will be a good person now and be to Sohrab what he should have been to Hassan. I suppose it's better late than never. ...more

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Aug 31, 2007 Janel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I could not put this book down. I read it while I was on vacation in Italy and I would get back to my hotel each night exhausted and then stay up reading this book. The writing is outstanding and transported me to a whole other world.

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Sep 24, 2007 Maya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Excellent. Purposefully stark storytelling gives it a fable-life feel. I learned a lot about Afghanistan. Very sad though. Made me appreciate my lot in life.

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