I wanted to like this Book! I was left in confusion for long time after I turned over the last page of this book. I was left incomplete, disturbed as Afghanistan… My attempt to pen down my journey through ‘The Kite Runner’.
A shattering story of betrayal and redemption starts with the glimpse of life in Afghanistan before the Russian invasion. Its utilitarian prose portraits the Kabul, a lively city where schoolboys recited Sufi poetry and secular businessmen thrived. The inhumanity of the Class System of different forms would have shaken the history of every nation in the world. I have read few breathtaking books choosing this as a theme, as this book does; the story of Barrier between the Pashtuns and the Hazaras with its emotional insight. The story continues with the Russian invasion and the horrific realities of the war. When Taliban took over, Afghanistan lost its freedom again! Heartrending truth of Taliban ruled, turbulent recent Afghanistan is compelling. The political, social and cultural view of turmoil in modern-day Afghanistan flows into your veins. At the same time book develops characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate within you long after the story ends.
Khaled Hosseini accomplishes what very few contemporary novelists are able to do in his debut novel! The novel starts strongly with a strong quote “There is a way to be good again”, as you go on every page has got beautifully crafted thoughts which strikes your emotions strongly. My emotions were going haywire. Hosseini offers sometimes tragic, sometimes fun filled, sometimes emotional, but always heartfelt view of a fascinating land. The way Hosseini uses the story of great warriors Rostam and Sohrab in this book is amazing. This book is about friendship, discrimination, jealousy, bravery, cowardness, betrayal, self-loathing, love, family, emotions, redemption, retribution, acceptance, disloyalty, forgiveness and much more. An unseen country becomes visual with the details captured in every frame. Hosseini works as an artist, the frame being Sun rise, Kabul Market, Kite fights in winter or Taliban ruled Afghanistan.
Being close to the reality is the strength as well as the limitation of this book. The book might mislead a reader who has not read the modern history of Afghanistan, if he believes this as a memoir. The first half of the book is so realistic that, implausible turns and twists in the second half disturbs the flow of reading. It is hard to accept few dramatic plots towards the end, even though this is a fiction. I agree, strong emotional impact being the strength of the book throughout, but in few places importance given to create this emotional impact compromises with the strong story built. Towards the end Hosseini tries to answer every mistake made, which becomes visible and looses the depth it carried. The last few pages would have been better, that’s where ‘The Kite Runner’ falls short of becoming a legendary book.
A shattering story of betrayal and redemption set in war-torn Afghanistan. As emotionally gripping as it is tender, ‘The Kite Runner’ is an unusual and powerful debut… A must Read… I bet you will like it…
I repeat, I wanted to like this Book!Cheers!
Kiran
