Point of View question

[Allie:)]

Currently I am reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The story is told from the point of view of a boy named Amir. Amir has just turned twelve years old and lives in Afghanistan during the 1970’s. The story so far is about flashbacks from his past… some of them he regrets. The story is told in first person because the author uses “I” to be Amir. I believe the author chose a twelve year old boy to tell the story because it shows us he is still young and innocent. The author can describe flashbacks from Amir’s past, but still have many years of growing up to write about. It also shows a child’s view on growing up without a mother and other struggles and hardships Amir has to encounter. A drawback would defiantly be the fact that Amir is growing up around the time the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. You need to know a bit of history to understand what is happening. The author is not a part of the story. In this story “I” is Amir not Khaled Hosseini, the author. This book is good and it keeps getting better.

[Avalon]

I agree that the selection of a 12 year old boy, is of consequence. It keeps the opinion pure, untainted and honest, in a way that a mature individual cannot. Do you find the story hard to read at times? I found so and had to put it down and return, after time away. Have you read Purple Hibiscus? Is also an interesting read but I also had the same experience. It was to difficult to read all at once.

[Karen]

"The Kite Runner" is a beautiful book. I was so touched at the end, I actually had tears.