About the Book:

An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from the final days of Afghanistan’s monarchy to the atrocities of the present.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runneris a beautifully crafted novel set in a country in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption. And it is also about the power of fathers over sons — their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

The first Afghan novel to be written in English, The Kite Runnertells a sweeping story of family, love, and friendship against a backdrop of history that has not been told in fiction before, bringing to mind the large canvasses of the Russian writers of the nineteenth century. But just as it is old-fashioned in its narration, it is contemporary in its subject — the devastating history of Afghanistan over the past thirty years. As emotionally gripping as it is tender, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful debut.

Book Review:  ★★★★★★

This is an intense book, with a fantastic story to tell.  I picked it up originally because the title and the cover looked interesting.  (I know — don’t judge a book by its cover.)  But in this case, the judgment more than paid off.  I could not put this book down.  I staid up till 3:00 in the morning because I just couldn’t break away from the intensity of the story.

The character development in this book is very profound, and demonstrates what true writing really is. The characters are amazingly easy to identify with, and yet very complex.  And the changes that are seen throughout the course of the story are both dramatic, and significant.  Never have I read a book with such incredible character development.  And while it is sad — and even leans towards the depressing, the power of the story is such that the reader just has to know what happens with the characters.  I found myself relating to the characters, and looking on them as friends — Mr. Hosseini has truly demonstrated himself a master of character presentation.

The beauty of the land of Afghanistan, as well as the difficulties of the country through the changes of power are very moving, and is brought to life through this book. I, like most Americans probably knew very little about this amazing country, and its history prior to reading this book.  However, following my introduction through this story, I have found that I will frequently seek out stories that deal with this country, its history, and the struggles that the people have gone through.  The turmoil during the governmental changes, and the oppression that existed was eloquently presented in this book.  I just can’t say enough good about the beauty that I found about the Afghan people, and their country — through this book.

I would highly recommend this reading.  It is intense, and painful — but it is also real and beautiful.  One of my favorite books — and one that I recommend frequently to others.

Tags: Family, Friendship, Historical Fiction, Loss, Love, Prejudice, Suffering, Survivor

Category: Fiction, Historical Fiction