The Kite Runner

This book left me with as lot of strong emotions. On the top is awe at how good the story is, how well written and how beautifully it all comes together.

There is sadness for all the children who have been—and still are—being robbed of their childhood, their families and their homes. Khaled Hosseini gives us a peak into the world that is so atrocious feels like it should exist lightyears away in the past. But in reality it existed in out lifetime and it exists still. The story references the history of Afghanistan, but doesn't dig deep. I found myself needing to consult other sources to understand the setting better.

There is wonder at the beautiful picture of Afghanistan of the boys childhood. The way it is painted makes me want to go there and see it for myself—it if still existed.

There is incomprehension of how human history births such abominations over and over and how we manage to survive as a species despite it.

And there is the warm feeling of adoration for all the sweet and innocent parts of this book, the ones filled with manifestation of love and kindness. Khaled Hosseini knew how to write this sad and terrible story in such a way that still leaves you believing in goodness of people and in love.

Read this book in one sitting. Started at 6 pm and then finished roughly at 2:30 am. Normally it takes me longer but I couldn't put the book down. It wasn't so much that I liked Amir, I could relate to him but I felt he was such a coward, and I wasn't satisfied in the end. Anyway, where do I begin? I really enjoyed the first half of the book, while Amir was a child in Afghanistan, and the foreshadowing about Hassan was obvious. Amir craving and seeking love for his father was something I could relate to, however throughout the story I felt that he never fully grew up, that despite being a man in some ways he was a foolish child. The ending was a slap in the face and I a part of me wanted more. The book was okay and I never thought I'd say this but I prefer the movie.

SO HEART-WRENCHING OMG.

I watched the movie adaptation before this, and I knew what to expect, but it was still so, so sad to read. I had to remind myself to breathe every so often because I was so stricken. I kept wondering why Khaleed Hosseini made me read such depressing stories :(

A beautiful read.