The Kite Runner is a gripping and emotional tale of love, betrayal and redemption.
Khaled Hosseini’s first novel is set in Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion. The trauma of war caused by the Taliban has made Afghanistan a difficult setting to create literary fiction. Therefore, its writers’ voices are usually unheard, especially in the West.
Hosseini reveals a well-overdue insight into a pre-war Afghanistan, through the lives of two young boys and their families. There was something strangely familiar in the homely description of Amir’s perspective of Kabul before the war created chaos and destruction.
Jemimah Marak, an English teacher based in Tura, currently reading the book, says, “Hosseini is a master storyteller and brings to life a story that touches the reader’s soul. He also does a beautiful job of describing the historical, social and political situation of that time.”
The friendship of two children set against the conflicts in Afghanistan draws a stark comparison between life and mere survival.
Amir, who is 12 and son to a well-loved businessman and widower Baba, and his loyal friend Hassan are obsessed with winning the local kite-fighting tournament, which is a popular pass-time for the Afghan community.
Hassan has promised that he will help Amir achieve this. However, Amir and Hassan’s relationship is a complex one. Hassan is also Amir’s servant and a member of the abused Hazara minority in Afghanistan.
Neither of the boys foresee a horrifying event which shatters their deep-rooted friendship forever. At the moment when Hassan needs Amir the most, Amir betrays him in an act of cowardice. This act of betrayal haunts Amir for the rest of his life.
When war breaks out, Amir and his father are forced to flee to America. From then on The Kite Runner becomes a quest for Amir — a search for redemption towards his old friend, Hassan.
In adulthood, Amir realises that he must return to Afghanistan to face his old mistakes and enemies if he is ever to be free from the ghosts of his past.
The book though heavily descriptive is never dull. Rapidly occurring life events experienced by Amir, constantly keeps the reader on their toes.
These range from ‘normal’ life events such as falling in love, graduating and achieving a successful career to exceptional encounters such as fleeing the hometown from war in a petrol tanker.
Hosseini skilfully makes Amir’s tale both relatable and extraordinary. After being a silent audience to Amir’s life, the reader forms a kind of attachment to the character that allows him to sympathise with Amir and feel both his pain and joy.
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons — their love, sacrifices and lies.
A sweeping story of family, love and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last 30 years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic. “I just finished the book, and found it to be wonderful! I would like to recommend this to every avid reader,” says Jemimah.
Reading suggestions
for the week:
1. Sleeping On Jupiter by Anuradha Roy
2. Collected poems by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra