I’ve know about The Kite Runner for some time, and I became aware of the book and film around the same time. It was never a story that I thought I would pick up, but one day I was bumming around my friend Ariana’s house, browsing her family’s bookshelves when I eventually picked up The Kite Runner and began reading.
Spoiler-Free Synopsis: “The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir’s father’s servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. In part, it is these demons and the sometimes impossible quest for forgiveness that bring him back to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule.” — Amazon.com (because frankly, I couldn’t bring myself to write this)
Characters (spoiler-free):
Amir – Upper class yahoo with severe daddy issues. Narrator, karma’s bitch, book worm, total angst-basket who stresses to the point of screwing up his only friendship. Hobbies: Self-imposed karmic hell.
Hassan – Unrealistic saintly servant child who devotes his life to Amir, his one and only friend. Hobbies: Running, knocking down neighborhood sociopath’s down a notch, martyrdom.
Baba – Stereotypical manly-man, businessman with a heart of gold, lonely widower, neighborhood titan, beloved benefactor, the object of Amir’s long-suffering attention. Hobbies: Being ashamed of his candied-ass son who READS!
Assef – Half-German (of course) neighborhood bully and sociopath. Villain, deviant, boot jack-loving. Hobbies: Rape and murder.
Ali – Baba’s childhood friend and servant. Father of Hassan.
Rahim Khan – Baba’s socially acceptable friend and business partner. Understands the non-athletic Amir.
Soraya – Amir’s wife. Also lives with regrets that makes her tainted, according to her culture. Plagued with unexplained infertility. Hobbies: Being punished by the universe.
Spoiler-Riddled Reaction:
It’s very easy to see why this book is a Bestseller, and I don’t mean that in a good way. The Kite Runner is a very clear-cut beginning, middle, end kind of book. Either author Khaled Hosseini totally knew what he was doing with the aim of a target audience and marketing skills up the wazoo or he is just that damn simple. Nothing came as a surprise to me; I saw plot points coming from a mile away; all this book lacks is a pair of binoculars to spy them with, barreling at you at top-speed. That Amir and his wife couldn’t have kids? Oh shit, who didn’t see that coming? Despite the horrors the author inflicted, this book was was epically saccharine in its melodramatic twists and soap opera servings. What rubs me the wrong way is the way karma is used in this condemning, didactic way for something a child did. A child. And even though Khan addresses this, finally, telling Amir to forgive himself because he was a scared little kid it’s more of a p.s. rather than something Amir comes to learn on his own. Amir is bullied into forgiving himself as he is bullied into making amends. Amir should come to these conclusions on his own, not be coerced in the hopes the universe will ease up on his balls. The karmic leanings, the redemption flavor, it’s all too Lifetime made for TV movie for me. Ninety percent of this book was a convenient pill too hard for me to swallow.
I felt no love for any of the characters because they were your standard Character Building Profile 101, flat and flavorless. Amir was a whiny bitch I wanted to slap, Hassan was too flawless for believability, and everyone else is too much on the sidelines to comment on. Well, I think that there are two characters with actual depth and they are Baba, Amir’s father, and Farid, a taxi driver who assists Amir in the third act, er, part of the book.
What I did enjoy, however, was the setting and the possibilities this story presented. All I have in knowledge of Afghanistan is what I have learned from media and hearsay. It’s refreshing to learn what life may have been like for the people living in this part of the world during pre-Taliban era. Getting to read about the people, the neighborhood, plants, food, smells, sights and sounds and yes, the turbulence of their nation gives a well-rounded perspective on an otherwise unjustly demonized nation. This aspect to me was worth my time reading this book, and for that fresh perspective on a culture misunderstood by the West I am glad I read it.
Clearly, I am in the minority with my less than favorable opinion of the book so there is definitely no need to argue with me if this is one of your favorite books of all time. I’m typically in the minority with these sorts of books anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret reading it, I just won’t be adding it to my Wish List anytime soon.
The Kite Runner
Overall Story: 2.5/5
Would I Recommend: I’d be honest about the pros and cons. It’s popular, but not for everyone.
Would I Buy: No
Good For: Plane rides and long trips
