Book review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

This one was on my 'To-Read' list for ages. I'm glad I finally got around to it 😊

The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini and was published in 2003 by Riverhead Books. It is a poignant tale of the improbable friendship between two Afghan boys, a traumatic betrayal and a lifelong quest for redemption. 

The novel became a bestseller after being printed in paperback and was promoted in book clubs. It appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years with over seven million copies sold in the United States. A number of adaptations were created following publication, including a 2007 film of the same name, several stage performances, and a graphic novel. The novel is also available in a multi-CD audiobook read by the author.

***Plot***

Hassan and Amir grow up together in the affluent Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul in Afghanistan. While Amir is the son of a respected Pashtun businessman and philanthropist, Hassan is the son of a Hazara servant, who has been dutifully serving Amir's family for decades. Both the motherless boys forge a close bond and are inseparable until the winter of 1975. 

Desperate to win the approval of his impassive father, twelve-year old Amir is dead set on winning the local kite flying tournament with the aid of his faithful accomplice Hassan. As far as Amir’s father is concerned, his son’s kite flying capabilities overshadow an untapped flair for writing. Amir is ecstatic when he wins the tournament and an overjoyed Hassan, who happens to be the best kite runner in the city, bolts to retrieve the fallen kite. But what happens next irrevocably changes the course of Amir and Hassan’s life. Amir makes a series of grave mistakes that rips apart the friendship and leaves him with a lifetime of all-consuming guilt and regret. 

A few years later, with Afghanistan under Soviet occupation, Amir and his father flee Kabul and eventually forge a new life in the United States. Amir  completes his education, gets married and embarks on a career as a writer. He adapts to his new life in the West but thoughts of Hassan and Ali keep tormenting him. One day, he gets a call from Pakistan from his father’s oldest friend and confidant, Rahim Khan, who is dying. 

In Pakistan, Amir learns a devastating truth that shakes the foundation of his life. He is presented with an opportunity to right the wrongs of his childhood. But to do this, Amir has to battle with the demons of his past and display the kind of courage, he has never known. 

To know if there reconciliation and redemption in Amir’s story, you will have to read the book to find out.

My thoughts....

Although The Kite Runner is Khaled Hosseini’s debut novel, I read it after reading his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. I enjoyed both of them but I’d say the latter, which is a more ambitious novel, scores slightly higher on my rating probably because it is told from a female perspective and it struck me as more profound and touching. But there is one thing I am certain of - based on what I have read so far, I am a staunch fan of Khaled Hosseini’s writing. I admire his knack for plot building, character development, foreshadowing and keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. He uses the literary devices of symbolism and imagery exceedingly well. Family is a recurring central theme of his writing and based on my own cultural background, that really appeals to me. I love how he peppers his prose with Afghan terms and phrases which lends a personal touch to the narrative. I have noticed that he does not bore the reader with pointless observations or unnecessary characters. He writes with intent which is a great quality for a writer to have. His evocative prose makes it easy for the reader to teleport into his world and connect with his characters. I also appreciate the fact that he has a balanced perspective to his writing where on one hand he exposes the political turmoil, the regressive ideologies and hypocrisy of his countrymen and the atrocities committed in his homeland while still tapping into the universal nature of humanity and paying homage to his culture. There is disapproval and disgust but also empathy and optimism in equal measure. On the downside, he does use a lot of clichés and his coincidences seem a bit too convenient but don't mind me, I'm just nitpicking here. 

The Kite Runner is, at its core, a story of friendship between two young boys but it also explores the intricate relationship between a father and son and (to a much lesser extent), the relationship between husband and wife. The Kite Runner is told from a male perspective and it comes across as sincere and introspective. It is fairly obvious that the author has drawn several parallels from his own life as a privileged youth living in pre-revolutionary Kabul who relocated to America to escape the turbulent times in his home country. 

Through the author’s eyes, we see a Kabul of a bygone era that was vastly different to what it is now. Hosseini conjures up vivid imagery of the city with the rows of abundant sour cherry trees, the vibrant bustling bazaars, historical gardens, the exhilarating kite flying tournaments, blue skies overlooking snow-capped hills and the succulent street food among others. I loved how the traditional custom of kite-flying was so beautifully woven into the story and how it formed the crux of so many defining moments in the novel. The title of the novel couldn't have been more apt. 

The main protagonist Amir is an interesting and complex character. He is a classic example to demonstrate that human beings seldom have either a black or white personality. I say seldom because the character of Hassan who has that much goodness in them could easily be considered as an outlier in the personality spectrum. Baba's character is an inwardly conflicted one. The intricacies of his precarious relationship with Amir made for absorbing reading. Baba has a lot of different shades to his personality - there is courage, conviction, compassion interspersed with impatience, restraint and deception. The truth is, we are all fallible beings with varying shades of grey in us. Cowardice is a relatable human trait as is deceit. Good people are capable of making bad choices but as the novel reminds us, there is always a way to be good again. Those whose regret drives them towards atonement can indeed be granted some degree of absolution. Amir's actions when he is younger are mostly contemptible making him an unworthy non-hero but as he grows older, we come to understand just how much of a tormented soul he is. In my opinion, Amir's personality evolution, his growing empathy and perseverance to atone for his youthful cowardice put him on the path of redemption. Other noteworthy characters in the novel are Ali, Rahim Khan and Soraya. 

‘‘I know,’ he said, breaking our embrace. ‘Inshallah, we’ll celebrate later. Right now, I’m going to run that blue kite for you,’ he said. He dropped the spool and took off running, the hem of his green chapan dragging in the snow behind him.

‘Hassan!’ I called. ‘Come back with it!’

He was already turning the street corner, his rubber boots kicking up snow. He stopped, turned. He cupped his hands around his mouth. ‘For you a thousand times over!’ he said. Then he smiled his Hassan smile and disappeared around the corner. The next time I saw him smile unabashedly like that was twenty-six years later, in a faded Polaroid photograph.”

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner puts the reader through a literary orchestra of emotions. For those who have been following the politics of the Afghanistan, to see the transformation of an impoverished albeit peaceful country to the hotbed of international terrorism it has become is heartbreaking. Through the story, the author shines light into the changing faces of Afghan politics, the culture and the status of women in society. The blatant discrimination between the ill-perceived 'respectable' Pashtun and the 'lowly' Hazara can be compared to other shameful examples, not just in history but also in the 21st century and this serves as an important reminder of the consequences of intolerance and bigotry. The sections of the book that provide graphic details about the persecution of ethnic minorities and atrocities committed by the Taliban are very hard to read. And needless to say, since becoming a mother, reading about any crime committed against a child has amplified the feeling of anguish and revulsion a hundred-fold. This novel is a real tear-jerker and it took me a few days to come back from the place I had never been to but lived through the pages of the book.  

I like that the author didn't take the easy way out with the denouement. He could have neatly tied up all the loose ends and presented it to the readers in a feel-good way but he didn't do that. The ending of the novel struck me as quite realistic because, like the author himself puts it - 'life isn't like a Hindi film'. 

A compelling narrative with memorable characters, powerful depictions of shame and remorse and a touching quest for redemption against a backdrop of the tumultuous history of Afghanistan. 

My rating for this novel is,

Recommended.

Have you read The Kite Runner? What did you think? Leave a comment to let me know. 

Cheers,

Megha