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Writer's pictureDawn Dagger

Book Review: The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini

** Warning, this review does contain small spoilers**

The Kite Runner is the story of Amir, a Sunni Muslim, who struggles to find his place in the world because of the aftereffects and fallout from a series of traumatic childhood events. An adult Amir opens the novel in the present-day United States with a vague reference to one of these events, and then the novel flashes back to Amir’s childhood in Afghanistan. In addition to typical childhood experiences, Amir struggles with forging a closer relationship with his father, Baba; with determining the exact nature of his relationship with Hassan, his Shi’a Muslim servant; and eventually with finding a way to atone for pre-adolescent decisions that have lasting repercussions. Along the way, readers are able to experience growing up in Afghanistan in a single-parent home, a situation that bears remarkable similarities to many contemporary households.

*sighs* Where do I… where do I even begin with this story?

Okay, so, The Kite Runner is a dark, ‘young adult’ novel about a boy who lives in Afghanistan in the 70’s, and follows his life as things start to turn bad in his country. The book begins with Hassan and Amir, and their adventures in Afghanistan. At first, the book is okay.

At first being until the seventh page.

The seventh page is one of many instances in the book where they use disgusting language, and this includes sexual references and cursing. The entire two paragraphs is bad, with this being one of the less offensive sentences; “I knew your mother, did you  know that? I knew her real good. I took her from behind by that creek over there.” Among other words and phrases, the ‘F’ word is used multiple times in a single conversation, and it wasn’t really necessary.

Throughout the book there is also graphic violence, multiple rapes or suggestions of rapes (including a man with an underage child), multiple attempts at and successful suicides, and self harm. In fact, the rape and suicide, as well as the graphic killing, is so often used throughout the book, that you are desensitized by the end of it. And, unfortunately to me, it seemed that having someone raped was the Hosseini got over writers block if he was stuck in a place.

Khaled Hosseini is a good writer. He can write well, with vivid imagery, wonderful story-telling techniques, and an enjoyable author voice, he definitely isn’t lacking in how to write. He lacks in the actual story. His vivid imagery was put to a negative use, making the book frustrating and slightly sickening to read.

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His set up of the book also leaves things to be desired. He starts with Amir in 2001, ‘the present’, and flashes back to him when he was a young boy. After a 1/4 of the book being about young Amir and his adventures and tragedies with Hassan, his best friend, it just suddenly cuts to them in a truck escaping Afghanistan. The transition was most likely meant to be jarring and surprising, but instead it was jarring and felt unnatural. The time skips around a bit more after that, and finally settles on adult Amir. At this point in the book, the only two people I cared about were Baba, his father, and Rahim Khan, his father’s business partner. I absolutely despised Amir because of what he did as a child, and this made it hard to read a book where the main character was the person I hated most.

Why did I hate Amir so much? Well, this is where the spoilers come in.

During an Afghan event called ‘kite running’, Hassan and Amir get separated and Hassan gets attacked by a bully German kid. Amir is rich, and his father can get anyone in trouble. But, instead of counting on this or standing up for the person who loved him most (Hassan was more family than Baba was), he watched Assef, the bully, rape Hassan. He did nothing, then acted like he saw nothing, told no one, and got mad at Hassan for still trying to be his friend. Amir is repeatedly abuse to Hassan afterwards (and even before), punishing him by being cruel or saying nasty things, making fun of him, and relishing in Amir’s own mental dominance over Hassan. The biggest issue I have with Amir not helping Hassan is that for the rest of the book he complained about how guilty he was, and how awful he felt, but always got angry when his Baba mentioned Hassan, and also did not do anything to try and make up for it, not at least until the last 1/4 of the book.

Again, unfortunately, the last 1/4 of the book is where ends up getting a little interesting to read.

Some may say all of the things I had problems with were okay because ‘growth’ and that famous word…

Themes.

The issue with that argument is that there really were none! The only things I pulled from the book is that if you have an issue, it goes away quite quickly for you, if you pretend no one else matters you’ll be successful, and if you ignore guilt for long enough and then make up for something you allowed to happen, you’re a hero.

Maybe, just maybe I’m being a bit cynical, but I really disliked this book.

I also did not find this book relatable in any way other than my two friends having mental breakdowns because of the graphic stuff happening in the book that had happened to them.

I enjoyed some quotes, and some of the book really was decent. The book did a good job of implementing Afghan language and customs, as well as the state of the country, and it could have been very informative and even an enjoyable read but it… just… wasn’t.

I believe this is the worst book I have ever read or been forced to read, and therefore, I give it a


/ 10

(In other words, a 1/10)

I know a lot of people did enjoy the book… Where you some of them? Did you enjoy it, and why? Did you not, and agree more with me? Make sure you comment that as well! Don’t forget to like and subscribe to my newsletter, as well as follow my blog, for updates on when I post!

Did you enjoy reading my rant? Make sure you check out my last book review, over Babymouse, Tales from the Locker! 

Check out my last blog post, ‘Blood‘, if you haven’t had a chance to as well!

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