The Kite Runner: Reviews by 2016 Reading Challengers

[Winter, Group Reads]

Tell us what you thought of the book! You can leave your review here. Even if you read the book outside of the group, please feel free to let us know what you thought of it.

Please make sure to mark your spoilers by typing "[spoiler]" at the start and [/spoiler] at the end but replacing the []s with <>s.

[Paul Emily]

My terrible review from when I reread this earlier in the year:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Winter, Group Reads]

Paul wrote: "My terrible review from when I reread this earlier in the year:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Thank you Paul! 3 stars isn't bad. Nice review :)

[Imbunche]

I had a problem rating this book. Maybe the hype about it made me expect too much. Admittedly it's an easy read you can get through very quickly, which might be a bit surprising if you consider what the book is about. The first half of the book wasn't bad i was kind of enjoying it even though the main character was a horrible human being who i had no warm feelings or sympathy for, it was the second half when it really took a turn for the worse. First the string of 'lucky' coincidences that the author tries to tell you are normal in Afghanistan, then a truly caricaturish meeting with an old enemy. For that scene alone i cant give this book a rating higher then two stars.
(view spoiler)[ I just don't really see redemption in this book, either. It's not like Amir at any point decides that he needs to try to fix what he did wrong. He never seems to care about what happened to Hassan except for a fleeting thought here and there. No, he is basically forced into going back to Kabul by Rahim and even then he tries to protest and only agrees when he finds out Hassan was his brother. As if what he did would be less horrible if he was just a friend. That makes the whole story really unsatisfactory for me. (hide spoiler)]

[Stephanie]

The entire first half to 2/3 of this book drove me a little crazy, and then it redeemed itself at the end. This book had so much more potential. I ended up giving it 3 stars. It was fair to middling. It never made me cry (although it did make me want to punch Amir in the face, so I had emotions) and I think it should have in places. However, by the end I was so pleased to see that Amir was being brought down a few notches I couldn't get there.

Sohrab and Hassan were the highlights of this book. I also enjoyed Rahim Khan and liked the arc of Amir and Baba's relationship. The fact that there wasn't a happy ending in this one made it better for me. It feels like a life consequence for Amir.

[Kristinita]

So, I think I had a much different reaction to this book than most others in this discussion. Maybe it's my eternal optimism, and the fact that I think people really can change if they truly want to, but I really enjoyed the book. To me, Amir's character grew and redeemed himself — of course that's not to say that I forgive him for not helping his best friend in his time of need. (view spoiler)[Once he moved to America with Baba, I could really sense a shift in him. I have not been through this situation myself, but I can understand his selfishness and anger a little when it came to Baba's feelings about Hassan. I can only imagine how terrible it must feel to see your father praise his servant's son more than his own son—though we now know that Hassan was also his son. Also the fact that he grew up thinking his father only saw him as the thing that killed his wife made me so sad for Amir. Of course Baba never said this to him, but what else could young Amir think with the lack of warmth he got from his father? (hide spoiler)]

I will say that none of the so-called "twists" really surprised me, but in this story I didn't mind.

I thought Hosseini's storytelling was great, and I really got a sense of who each character was and could clearly picture the scenery surrounding them. The "incidents", as I like to call them, really affected me, and though I didn't cry, I did feel many different and strong emotions throughout this story.

I enjoyed reading this book with everyone, and like seeing everyone's thoughts on it. I think our lives shape how we feel about and interpret what we read, and it is so interesting to see the contrasting opinions—even if mine ends up being the only one that differs haha.

[Stephanie]

Kristinita wrote: "So, I think I had a much different reaction to this book than most others in this discussion. Maybe it's my eternal optimism, and the fact that I think people really can change if they truly want t..."

I am really glad you enjoyed it so much. I know people personally who have loved this book, for me it was good, but it wasn't great, but I saw the potential for what you actually saw and there were some really powerful moments for sure. I hope you don't feel badly that your opinion differed from others who commented here. It is great to have such a positive reaction, and honestly, I really appreciate the eternal optimism. We need more of that in the world. :)

[F]

It's a shame the movie is so awful!
Big Disappointment

[Stephanie]

Frankie wrote: "It's a shame the movie is so awful!
Big Disappointment"

So did you like the book better than the movie? I didn't even know there was a movie, honestly. What did you like/dislike about each?

[F]

Stephanie (R-A) wrote: "Frankie wrote: "It's a shame the movie is so awful!
Big Disappointment"

So did you like the book better than the movie? I didn't even know there was a movie, honestly. What did you like/dislike a..."


I loved the book. Just read it this month for the readalong.
Some bits i found really predictive.

The movie was just cheesy and none of the emotions from the book are in it. The film is a bit ridiculous. And far too long. The relationships are not as strong.

[Stephanie]

Frankie wrote: "Stephanie (R-A) wrote: "Frankie wrote: "It's a shame the movie is so awful!
Big Disappointment"

So did you like the book better than the movie? I didn't even know there was a movie, honestly. Wha..."

Yeah, I am so used to the movies being worse than the books that I am really not surprised to hear you say this. It's good that you enjoyed the book though!

[Janine]

This is a very late review since I finished the book over a week ago. I've had it written for ages, but just never got around to posting it! I was really torn how to rate this (between 3 + 4 stars), but I am glad I read it and liked the writing style, so went with 4 stars.

The Kite Runner was quite the reading experience! It starts off brilliantly with the first few chapters setting the scene beautifully. Early on I was completely drawn in with conflicted feelings as to whether to rush on due to the suspense for what's to come, or slow down and savour it.

The main character, Amir, is unlikeable throughout the story, but he hits a serious low point in the middle of the book. There are some absolutely brutal, horrific scenes and Amir's treatment of Hassan is just awful. For me, Hassan was the star of the story. I cared so deeply for him, and although I didn't quite get the resolution I was hoping for, Hosseini certainly had me reacting strongly.

Near the middle of the book the pace slowed and I started to lose interest as it became somewhat predictable, with certain scenes feeling forced. However, it picked up again at the end, and I was satisfied with the ending.

This was not the perfect read for me, but I am glad I read it. It was emotion- and thought-provoking and I appreciated the glimpse into Afghanistan.

Also, interesting to hear about the movie. I wasn't sure whether to give it a go as I was put off by the potential for some of the more nasty scenes to be portrayed visually, but after your comment Frankie I think I just won't bother anyway!

[Karen]

Not my favorite book by Khaleed Hosseini, but I still love his writing style. The way he sets the scenes throughout the book, describes his characters it really brings them to life.