The Kite Runner in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Dec 12, 2014 Nadine in NY Jones rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: authors-i-don-t-ever-want-to-read-a, everyone-loved-it-except-me, fiction, only-reading-because-of-the-buzz, lotsa-buzz, audio

This book is a long, wordy, depressing slog. I imagine the appeal is the same as pressing a bruise. Oh, that hurt. Let me try it again. Yep, still hurts. It's books like this that are the reason I tend to avoid long time best sellers; pressing the bruise over and over holds little appeal for me. It doesn't help that the author is not a very captivating reader ... he is very flat.

To sum it up: I really hated this book. At first, I was thinking maybe 3 stars ... The writing was wordy and the narr This book is a long, wordy, depressing slog. I imagine the appeal is the same as pressing a bruise. Oh, that hurt. Let me try it again. Yep, still hurts. It's books like this that are the reason I tend to avoid long time best sellers; pressing the bruise over and over holds little appeal for me. It doesn't help that the author is not a very captivating reader ... he is very flat.

To sum it up: I really hated this book. At first, I was thinking maybe 3 stars ... The writing was wordy and the narrator and all other characters were not appealing, but the story and setting were interesting. The narrator became progressively more unlike able and wordy, so I knocked it down to two stars ... And then, AND THEN, Amir starting bowing to the west and praying in the hospital allah allah allah, and I was so disgusted I nearly threw up. And I figured out why this book has been so popular - oh! oh! the spiritual awakening! but OF COURSE! He's without religion his entire life, a self-centered little punk who sits around brooding about how selfish and awful he is, while he continues on, and then SUDDENLY he has an awakening, prays to god, and voila! all is forgiven!

I had a little party in my head when I finally got to the end. HoooooooRAY!

This is my third audio book, and I'm still of two minds as to whether I actually like audio books. Additionally, I am generally predisposed to dislike any book that gets as much hype as this book! So, I am trying to be open minded here, but this book is starting out with me with two strikes against. Three strikes, really: it is read by the author, and unfortunately his voice and inflection pattern reminds me of NPR commentator Andrei Codrescu (whom I never particularly enjoyed). And then my kids pointed out that he sounds like Jonathan (from the TV show Buffy), well, Jonathan with an accent .... So now I keep picturing Superstar-Jonathan leaning back in his desk chair at the mansion, faking an accent, telling this story. This is not helping me like this any!

Not even halfway through and I was able to summarize this book in one sentence: people are assholes, and sometimes they regret their actions. Yes, its set in Afghanistan, and was published just when we were busy attacking Afghanistan ... but I don't feel like I'm really learning anything about a foreign culture. It's written as if it's the US, with foreign words. some mud shacks, and way more racism than I'm used to. And lots of shit. Not a chapter goes by in which we aren't told about shit, or feces, or dung (it really irritates me that he's not consistent with the word he chooses - some chapters, it smells like shit; other chapters, it smells like feces; and still others, he smells dung. Surely the smell is the same?) ...more

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Aug 05, 2010 Mia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-books

Put this book off forever, too many people had recommended it. Finally picked it up and I'm glad I did. It was a fascinating look into a world and culture that I know nothing about. Engrossing and compelling. ...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Leanne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

After the first evening of reading this book, my boyfriend asked me what I thought and I said "well, the protagonist isn't very likable is he?" And anyone who knows me well knows that I do not enjoy stories about unlikable characters, no matter how good the book/movie/tv show is or whether the reason for the character being unlikable is a good one (think Seinfeld or the Office). Anyway, I didn't totally hate the book but I also didn't really like it in particular. The character started out as an ...more

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Oct 08, 2007 Lori rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was hard to get into, and I don't recommend listening to it, but I found that by the end it really affected me, (It helped that there was actual action as opposed to just background wetting!) ...more

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