Book Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Real characters and vivid writing

Cons: Predictable and slow story; not a culturally rich as I hoped

The Bottom Line:

Great characters and

Writing hide a simple plot

Book still worth reading

A Little Too Obviously a First Novel

When I read Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, I was mesmerized by the book and decided as soon as I finished to read The Kite Runner as well. I'm sorry to say this one betrays its status as a debut novel.

Amir is a boy growing up in 1970's Afghanistan. His mother died in childbirth, and he is being raised by his father. His constant companion during his childhood is his father's servant's son. Also motherless, Hassan and Amir are mostly inseparable, although Amir will push Hassan to the background when other friends are around. Hassan, on the other hand, is loyal to a fault, willing to do anything that Amir cooks up.

Then, during the winter of 1975, personal tragedy strikes the boys when Amir witnesses an unspeakable act being done to Hassan. Racked with guilt, Amir pushes Hassan away.

Years later, Amir has managed to forget about his past. Now living in America, he thinks it is all behind him. But when his past comes calling, what will he do?

One of the things that was special about author Khaled Hosseini's second book was his description of life in Afghanistan over the course of 50 years. I felt like a got a glimpse into a different history and culture. I always love learning something while I read fiction (although I do keep in mind that it is fiction). Here, that part was missing. Half the book takes place in San Francisco. Even though our narrator is a different ethnicity, it still felt far too familiar to me to have the same insight. Some of the later sections did give some insight into the Afghanistan of a few years ago, but it wasn't as much as I was looking for.

This book is a story of remorse, redemption, and forgiveness, or at least it tries to be. The ending was a bit too quick to truly make it emotionally satisfying. The story is also part character study. As such, I expected it to be slower then my normal diet of popular mysteries. The problem was, it was predictable. I was usually a step or two ahead of the story waiting for it to catch up. This got especially bad in the second half. I was quite tempted to just skim ahead, and I probably could have and not missed a thing.

What this book does exceptionally well is characters. Every character is real, which makes the pain and heartache also real. The tangled relationships brought many characters into the mix. Each one felt believable to me. I identified with qualities in both Hassan and Amir, making me care about the outcome. The boys' fathers, while not perfect, were relatable. And I think I fell in love with Amir's wife myself.

The writing is exceptional as well. The parts set in Afghanistan are easy for a Westerner to follow. The words flow, making it easy to get lost in the world and making the pain that much more real.

A word of warning. This book does involve sexual abuse. It is not graphic, but it is rather disturbing. That's one reason why I put off reading it for so long. So if that bothers you, know what you are getting into before you pick it up.

I'm glad I read The Kite Runner because I have heard so much about it. But I found it a little too obviously a debut novel with plenty of kinks to be worked out. Considering how much better I found his second novel, I plan to keep reading his books, hoping the trend continues.