The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini is the author of the famous novel published in 2003, The Kite Runner. Hossein is an Afghan-American novelist, born on 1965. Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan but  when he was 15 the family moved to US and became citizens.

He write three novels and all three became bestsellers. His first novel published was "The Kite Runner"  and after followed by "A Thousand Splendid Suns." His last book "And the Mountains Echoed" was published last year. All three novels are fiction novels, that tells inspiring life changing stories. The writing style of the author, make awake your feelings. With this book I laughed and I cried.

The relationship between father and son, the importance of friendship, the past,  identity, the search for forgiveness, different social classes, religion, cultures, patriotism and citizenship are some of the most important themes in the Kite Runner. With all this ingredients it already seemed that it would be great; but what I found inside this book was better, much better.

Everything happen in the winter of 1975 in . Amir, the narrator and Hassar are two kids around 12 years. They are best friend and they been together forever. Amir is the son of baba, a rich business man. His mom dies when he born, so he spend most of his life with baba. he doesn't understand his son, who loves the literature and he gives more attention to Hassan.

But the day that in Kabul it gives rise a Kites competition. In Afghanistan the kites are really popular, so Amir and Hassan decided to sign in. This day the kids won the competition, and for first time in a long time Amir see his father proud of him.

Hassan went to take the trophy but when Amir realizes that he is taking a long time, he decides when to find out what is happening. Is at that moment when he find that Assef, a guy who always goes around Hassan, is raping him. Amir get afraid so he decides to leaves and do like if he doesn't see anything.

Later, Amir acts like if he doesn't know anything, even the next weeks he tries not be close to Hassan. Then a couple weeks after the kids won the trophy, baba's celebrate a birthday party for his son and gives to him a clock.

This clock disappears and is finally found in Hassan house. Hassan swear that he doesn't did anything, and it's true because Amir put the clock in Hassan house. Then Hassan dad decides to leave even Baba's prays them not to leave.

After Ali and Hassan leave. Baba and Amir should to leave too because the war just started and they should find a safe place. Finally they get to leave Afghanistan and go to America. There Baba's find  job and Amir graduates from High School.

Is there in America, when he is helping his dad in the job, he meet Soraya, with who he falls in love. At the first moment Soraya's dad is not 100% agree but they keep going with the relation. But baba get sick of cancer, so Amir ask the hand to Soraya´s dad and he accept.

They get married and they went to live together and try to created a family. Baba's died two weeks after the wedding.

And then is when Amir receives the calling from Rahim Kan, his dad friend. Rehim invite him to visit him in Afghanistan and he accept. When Amir meet Rahim there, this one tell him that Hassan is actually Baba´s soon. What happened was that Ali couldn't had kids, so Baba's had sexual relations with Hassan mom for give them a kid.

The other surprise that Rahim gives to Amir is that Hassan is death. he was  accused  for live in a house that wasn't his and he refused to leave, so the police kill him and his wife leaving his son orphan. Rahim asked Amir go to look for him and he finally went.

They arrived to the house where Amir son, Sohrab, supposedly lived but when arrive there the kid wasn't there. They explained that every moth a general comes and take some kids and this month the unfortunate was Soharab. They discovered that the general was Assef, who rape Hassan the day that everything changed. Amir talk with him and ask for Soharh. Assef told to Amir that they should fight and if Amir will won, he can bring Soharah with him. When Amir was almost lossing, Soharah hit Assef and then Soharah and Amir escape.

At the final of the book, Amir decides bring Soharah to USA with him, and give a new life. For Soharah was really hard to integrated to the new culture.

I started this book with some questions that I would like, one of the reasons was because I thought that an Afghan writer it was pretty far of my literary taste. But the prejudices disappears after the first ten pages. The story is gripping and shocking and reveals reality of the human heart.  For me this book became into one of that books that are unforgettable.

Sincerely I recommend to everyone to read this book, you will not regret. 

Book Review by Claudia P-M.