The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini : Book Review

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini : Book Review

The kite Runner is one of the best books by Khaled Hosseini and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is one of the best reads of this age. The story in general and the author’s storytelling style in particular leaves the reader both thrilled and ecstatic.

At many places, while reading the book, I had to close it and embrace the book, closing my eyes because it had stunned the soul out of me.

The story is about Amir, a young boy from Kabul of Afghanistan and his brother-like friend, Hassan, the son of his father’s servant. There used to be kite fighting competitions in Kabul once in a year, and this year Amir also is preparing to contest the competition. Hassan is a ‘Kite Runner’ whose work is to run and grab the kite which is falling after being cut from its string by another kite. Hassan runs kites for Amir and there is no one who can do this job better than he does. Amir belongs to the forward Pahtun community while Hassan is a Hazara.

The life in Kabul, as well as in whole of Afghanistan, change drastically and tragically with the blossoming of war in the country. The war also leads to worsening of relations between the Pashtun and Hazara communities, and Hassan is wildly bullied by neighbouring boys.

The story presents a clear picture of life in Afghanistan before and during the war, the growth of Taliban and Mujahideen etc. It tells a story which would have been true stories from Afghanistan of many during the time.

The narrative is fast paced and hardly boring even for a page. The plot is outstanding and the story is vivid. This book gets a five-star from me, and I recommend this book to everyone who likes reading stories dealing with cultural relations and life during the war in general and Afghanistan in particular.  

Also read: The Mine by Arnab Ray : Book Review