This book contains everything a story needs to be successful! And the main ingredient is talent. Khaled Hosseini, the author, has a natural talent to write beautifully. Every page will capture you, some swallow you in. It's not the kind of book you finish and close and go on with your day. I am honestly still wiping tears from my face. Some parts give me the chills - "Time is selfish, it keeps the details to itself", "Like the devil, cancer has many names." Maybe I am not quoting the book 100% accurately, but that's the idea of the quotes...their meanings. I am deeply moved by this book. Definitely one of the best!

What a writer. Though very sad. This story is also full of hope and redemption.

I know the author doesn't like the use of cliche's (or at least his writer character, Amir, doesn't) but I just couldn't put this book down. What a brilliant writer. I wish I could write like him. I don't know what I can say about this book that already hasn't been said. It is brilliant. And has taught me a little bit about Afghanistan that I never could quite get from our Western media. But as a Muslim American of eastern European decent who likes to read chick lit and lighter reads, it was wonderful to read about people of my own faith. I loved reading the beautiful Arabic words and being entrenched in the traditions of how we greet one another and the various customs. In Bulgaria, they also use "Kaka" (for women) and "Kako" (for men) when greeting someone older. I love these terms of endearment/respect from some of these ancient cultures ... traditions that continue. And it was nice to read a story where there weren't little inuendos against other faiths or peoples that is all over our western media and published works. It was unbiased. Just beautiful. And my heart bleeds for those who suffered under the Taliban. You have a new fan, Mr. Hosseini!

I had just finished reading his second novel, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and knew I would have to order this book also. Incredible! Both books are so beautifully written, I couldn't put them down. He brings the Afghani people to life, and brought me to tears several times. He is definitely one of the best storytellers of our time. Don't miss this book.

I've read some good books in the last several years. Lately I've read a fair amount of good novels, fiction in particular. "The Double Bind" by Chris Bohjalian, "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy and "House of Sand and Fog" by Andre Dubus are a few examples.

I didn't know what a GREAT novel was until I read "The Kite Runner".

It has been a long time, maybe the first time in fact, that for me personally a book has been so incredibly moving that it brought me to tears. I had forgotten how deeply satisfying great writing can be to read and I can only hope that I have the opportunity to read more than one novel as great as this. "The Kite Runner" is a tour de force of modern literature, one that digs deep into the soul of its characters and exposes their greatest faults and vulnerabilities for the world to see. It seeks to breach the core of human suffering, to cross-examine it and to show how in moments of weakness we revisit this suffering upon each other time and again whether it be with our words or our actions. It examines the fight against the tide of change and the hardships of war. It preaches a powerful message about integrity, about knowing and accepting the truth about ourselves and each other and the consequences we face when we dishonor that truth. Most of all, it demonstrates that the bonds of love and family yet hold strong despite the worst of circumstances.

Author Khaled Hosseini brings us all these elements in the form of Amir, a Pashtun and a Sunni Muslim whose life begins as one of privilege in Kabul, Afghanistan. Brought up with him in the same household is Hassan, a Shi'a from Hazarajat. Hassan's religious sect and place of origin make him a lower-class citizen and though he and his father Ali work as servants in Amir's house, the divisions of class are invisible to the boys and they are the best of friends. Nursed from the same woman while they were infants, the boys are told they have been bonded for life but this very bond would be tested in Amir's struggle to win his Baba's affection. Hoping to gain his father's pride through a raucous Afghan sport known as kite fighting, Amir wins the tournament but his shining moment would be forever marred by an event that he would keep secret for many years afterward. This secret would not only destroy his friendship with the staunchly loyal Hassan but it would also affect many of his personal relationships throughout his lifetime.

From the beginning, the novel paints a vivid picture of life in Afghanistan and makes of Amir a sullen and sensitive boy that suffers the constant and quiet criticism of his father. His confusion on his father's emotional distance begins transforming into resentment as he observes a special bond going on between Baba and Hassan, Baba reserving the customary suffix of endearment ("jan") for a servant instead of his own son. Their strained relationship would change once they were forced to flee Afghanistan for the US in 1981 in the wake of a Soviet invasion, followed by the ruthless sweep of the Taliban regime. Their life in America versus life in Kabul is a stinging contrast - as Afghans they were well-to-do, but as American citizens they fight borderline poverty in the small city of Fremont, CA. Though Amir manages to make a life for himself and become the writer he'd wanted to be since his childhood, the memory of Hassan haunts him in everything he does. Amir is eventually given the chance to redeem himself but by this time the reader is somewhat apathetic toward him, his cowardice and selfishness creating skepticism as to whether he has the courage needed to carry out such a task.

The revelations of this powerful story are born from a beautifully strategic storyline and the reader will become so absorbed by Hosseini's exquisite narrative that in subsequent readings of the novel, they will gain a new appreciation for his subtle foreshadowing. More than once my hand flew to my mouth in shock as I audibly murmured "Oh God, no" when the climactic moments in the novel came to pass, the realization of what was about to transpire hitting me like a ton of bricks.

Hosseini also provides an eye-opening depiction of Afghan cities under the dictatorial thumb of the Taliban, providing many factual elements including a public stoning of a man and woman claimed to be adulterers in Kabul's own soccer stadium. His inclusion of true events lend an important history lesson to his story and serve to educate those oblivious to the tyranny of a radical Islamic group and the devastation of a people and their country.

Bottom line: A five-star rating on this book simply doesn't do it justice. Were there five more stars on Amazon's rating system, I'd give it all ten and then some. "The Kite Runner" is bound to become a new classic, rivaling the works of renowned authors like John Steinbeck, Harper Lee and Ernest Hemingway. I am of the opinion that it should become required reading on high school English curriculums, as its ageless and resonating themes of family, friendship, love, loyalty, betrayal and redemption transcend the fickle and minute realm of popular fiction.

Innocence...a child's life, each day a chance to improvise
Storybooks read to the illiterate with pieces revised
Hills to climb trees to climb, dads car to go to the bizarre in
Pomegranates aroma, a true friend to find yourself in
A pledge to eat dirt or not to define who you are or not
Hazara and Suni unaware of their world as children they sing
In the end, the world always wins. That's just the way of things

A larger Afghan world of traditions bent on stature
One up over one down One man determined to rupture
A divergence of advantages mixed upon the disadvantaged
Bound together by a family in secret genetic heritage
Brute upon hero as in David and Goliath
Innocence faces brutality in a Kite Runners undoing
In the end, the world always wins. That's just the way of things

to read the complet review please go to my blog http://cigarroomofbooks.blogspot.com/2008/04/kite-runner.html

I loved this book! A story of loyalty, love, guilt, shame and jealousy all with very credible characters. Shows the best and worst of people and did not have a corny ending. That is very important to me. I don't have time to read as much as I would like so to get hold of a gem like this was a real pleasure.

If there is a book that must be read, it is this, it is this, it is this...

Wonderful book. The story is powerful and moving. The characters are vividly and realistically portrayed. You feel the pain of the hero's flaws. Hosseini's story allow you to vicariously experience life in pre- and post-war Afghanistan, as well as experience the culture shock of becoming an immigrant transplant to the US, including the subtleties of interactions among fellow transplants.

This is an immensely compelling read on so many levels, and it is one of the most enlightening books of fiction I have ever read.

This is such a well-told story, I was hooked the moment I started reading it. The story of Amir and Hassan threw multiple twists in this story that I never saw coming. It is so well-written. The backdrop of Afghanistan is extremely interesting especially to see it through the eyes of the characters that live there rather than the version of Afghanistan that we see on the news. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time!

This novel offers so much to the reader. To say it is entertaining would be to trivialize the work. The Afghan culture is one that sees little attention in American literary markets (hopefully this changes) and is often misrepresented. Hosseini enlightens readers to the culture, while also providing a story that explores universal topics that transcend cultural boundaries including love, loss, friendship, regret, grief, joy, shame, and memories that haunt and comfort. For reasons I cannot recall, I picked up this novel many times and declined to read it in favor of some other selection. I am sorry I waited so long to read it as it is wonderful and now ranks in my ten best books list. Additionally, it moved me to count my blessings, including living in a country that believes in human rights and where I live safe and free. Readers of Hosseini's novel will feel an emotional attachment to the characters, which are some of the most realistic beings in literature. It is a well written, suspenseful, intelligent, and cathartic read.

This universally-themed novel is set against war-torn Afghanistan. I admit that I didn't know much about the setting when I first started reading the book, yet the author totally drew me in and I felt like I was there with the characters. The story is heartwrenching and timeless. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down.

Found this title secondhand by accident, and I feel almost guilty I never heard of it. Though missing action, spontaneity and unpredictability, the descriptions and character development had me turning pages all damn night. Finished in one day. This and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" are must reads. Timeless, yet topical. Both taking place in Afghanistan, covering the political and catastrophic events taking place. I won't spoil the story or details, but it really draws you in with the bizarre, gritty conflicts of simple daily life struggles.

From the very first paragraph of this book, one can tell it will be impossible to put down. "I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975....Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years." These few sentances automatically catch the readers attention. The friendship that exist between Amir and Hassan, can be felt by readers throughout the beginning of the book. The words used by the author creates such vivid detail that you instantly feel as though you are part of the action. This book is a roller coaster of emotions that hits very high points along with extremely low points. This novel is definitely worth reading!

'The Kite Runner' is certainly an interesting read. It is written as if were a memoir by a man recounting his boyhood in Kabul in the 1970s and how his past catches up with him twenty years later while living in California. So convincing is this memoir format that I had to keep reminding myself 'The Kite Runner' is indeed fiction. Although the story itself is immensely readable and oftentimes heartwarming, tragic or downright horrific, ultimately the author overcooks it a bit; the story grows to become somewhat unrealistic. On the other hand the author does a masterful job in describing life in Kabul during very turbulent years and he educates the reader on various Afghan customs and prejudices.


Bottom line: entertaining and educational. Strongly recommended.

I started reading this book with high expectations. Which is too bad, because the story's good, but the writing isn't. In the end, I was disappointed.

I only now read "The Kite Runner" - after having known about it for several years. Somehow there were always other books that called out to be read first.

The problem is that building up one's expectation to something for several years is bound to end in disappointment. Expectations know no limit; real stories do.

So yes, in a way I was disappointed with the book. I thought that I'd delve deep into a wonderfully detailed yet gripping story that takes place in Afghanistan. I didn't realize that a good chunk of the novel actually takes place in America and that it doesn't convey nearly as much about Afghanistan as I had thought.

But my expectations left aside, it was still a book that merits five stars - even if the author had never completed the story and had published only the first few chapters. For those, I thought, were the best.

They reminded me of the great classics in literature in which people, places, objects, and events are laden with symbolic significance without ever telling the reader in cold prose what those things "mean." One feels the significance on a level that a non-fiction book or a mere summary of the story could never reach.

Unfortunately, the author does not maintain this level of literary excellence throughout the book. As soon as the story moves away from Afghanistan to America, away from the protagonist's childhood, much of the symbolism of the story is being left behind, and what remains is the author simply "telling" lots of things, and at times the telling turns outright dull.

But the story recovers and ends on the same significant note with which it began.

For those of you who don't know the story yet, let me not spoil it here by giving you a summary. Suffice it to say that if you like serious literature in the vein of Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse or even Dickens (to throw in a non-German), then you will be served extremely well with this book. If you are primarily looking for an exciting read or information on Afghanistan, then "The Kite Runner" is probably not best suited for the purpose.

When I decided to read The Kite Runner, I was slightly hesitant. A lot of times when things are more popular, they have trouble living up to their expectations. This wasn't the case with The Kite Runner though. This book was fast paced and hard to put down, which nearly equals a great book. The story shows the main character, Amir, grow up and develop. It's over the course of a good portion of his life, which means a lot happens in the book.
The only part I didn't like was something that happened near the end with Sohrab. If you've read the book, you probably know what I'm talking about. I felt like it was unrealistic and not needed for the plot to work out how it did. Besides that, I liked the rest of the book. I would recommend this book to mostly anyone, because it has a lot of general themes in it and most people will be able to find some way to relate to it.

I can't count the amount of times I was holding the tears back to keep from balling. Such a powerful story about sin, guilt, betrayel, and forgiveness. It's unbeleivable how the emotions toil page after page from anger to hatred to sadness and even love. This is brutal, there is no doubt, but it is a must read for anyone who appreciates humanity and the power of love.

The books begins with Amir, the son of a wealthy businessman and his very close, but poor and illiterate friend, Hassan, flying their kites. Later on Amir and his father, Baba, escape the dangerous political termoil in Afganistan and move to America. They live in San Francisco. The author of the novel lovingly describes the orange colored Golden Gate Bridge and the city's early morning fog.

Amir betrays Hassan by leading his father and Hassan's father to believe that Hassan has stolen Amir's watch. The years pass. Baba dies and Hassan disappears. Hassan's son, Sohrab, is placed in an orphanage where he is severely abused by a number of the other children. I will not say what takes place, but some of the novel's most powerfully evocative and very nearly tragic events occur in the book. Amir's great guilt over his conduct towards Hassan, leads Amir to make amends for his behavior. I will say that it involves Sohrab and Amir's great efforts to rescue him from his grave circumstances. There is enough here to make a grown man cry.

Mr. Hosseini writing is always moving and very realistic, particularly related to the friendship of the two boys and that of father, Baba, and son, Amir. The author even ties up the story by ending it the same way it began--with other boys running their kites.

The Kite Runner is a very well written novel that portrays the hardships of life growing up in the floundering world of war-time Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseini uses perfect imagery and truth to show the reader the world of his childhood. He describes everything, even (or rather especially) the parts of his life that he regrets the most. He gives the reader all the insight into his thoughts and feelings so that one feels as if they are right there with him while he experiences hate, jealousy, fear, and love. His style of revisiting scenes from his past gives one the connections to everything in his past, and the understanding of how much one small instant can affect him in such an enormous way. The way Hosseini has of describing every detail of an event with perfect clarity sets an amazing mood that, despite the tragedy and hardship in the novel, is actually extremely hopeful and determined. He reveals how good he is inside by showing everything that he has done wrong, and how remorseful he is for every moment of it. He tells it in a light that illuminates him as a coward, but by admitting this, the reader sees him as a hero. He shows that he has done so many horrible things, but he acknowledges them as that, and he feels grief and regret for every moment in which he wronged someone else. Instead of just forcing himself to forget all the things that he regrets doing, he dwells on them, and continually hopes for a way to make it all better. Hosseini truly gives the reader the feeling of living his life with him, and through his wonderful writing, he gives one the chance to experience everything he lived for.

My brother gave this book to me and urged me to read it. Although, not one of my usual choices, I got through it on the second attempt, and was glad that I did. What a beautiful place Afghanistan was before the wars and the Taliban ravaged the land and stole its identity. A beautiful story of family loyalties, friendships and youthful bliss gets blown apart as war raged and a horrific event drives a wedge right through everything that the subject 'Amir' held dear. Emigrating and starting anew in America with new hopes and dreams gets interrupted by a phone call and a return to the place he once called home to dire consequences. I was throughly engrossed in this book until the writer's return to his homeland where I found the events that unfolded to be quite cinematic. This left me somewhat disappointed as it moved towards a 'made-for-TV' movie where the plot became predictable. A fascinating and well-written story nonetheless, that I am glad to have been bullied into reading.

The book centers around an Afghan named Amir who as a child pretty much srews over his friend because of his weaknesses in Afghanastan then moves to America with his father and then lastly he has to go back to Afghanastan to save his friend's son to make up for the wrongs he has done. The first part of the book takes place in early 70's Afghanastan when it was doing pretty good and before the wars. I liked this part of the book the most because for one thing you get to see how nice Afghanastan was a few decades ago and you learn that there hasn't always been war over there or the Taliban. You don't really get to learn that much about the culture, or at least that's how I felt about it, but you get a little insight of it. Another thing is that I feel like this part of the book is more well written than the rest of the book because it seems more like an autobiographical account.

After Amir and his father move to America the story seems to lose steam and pretty much doesn't go anywhere for a while until he goes to Pakistan to meet his fathers old friend who sends him to Afghanastan to find his chilhood friend's son. I liked his visit back to Afghanastan because you get to see how horrible all the wars and the Taliban have transformed the once beautiful cities into wastlands. However during the middle part of the book there are a lot of coincidences which I was able to be okay with but with, because this is fiction, but some of them are just unbelievable. Another thing is that you could see what was going to happen way before it did.

Overall this is a decent book that gives a glimpse of Afghanastan past and present even thought the characters are ficticious and I wouldn't highly recommend it but I would recommend it if this sounds like your kind of book.

This review is for the original Kite Runner - I have not read the illustrated version:

The book is fascinating, throws you into a world that is hard to comprehend for some and yet a lot of what is being described are things everyone of us "westerners" feels and does as well.

A must read.

The book is fascinating, throws you into a world that is hard to comprehend for some and yet a lot of what is being described are things everyone of us "westerners" feels and does as well.

A must read.

Awesome book, I so wanted to take this young man outside and strangle him! The rollercoaster this story takes you on is great. I felt so much anger toward the main character. How could someone be so cold! Then sorrow when death entered the story. And the end was an wonderful release. This is a very intense read. I must say I had to put this book down several times...but only for a few minutes.

Every time i think about Amir and Hassan the hazara boy - my heart warm's up!
The emotional roller coaster that Amir rides even now makes me think that this is a memoir by Khaled and not a fiction.
the Taliban and the Afghan setting are portrayed wonderfully. Amir's insensitivity towards Hasan after his rape and the conflicts that he goes through are dumbfounding.
I am going to regret putting this out to the world but - here you go! I cried for Amir's immaturity and wept for Hassan's maturity, the phrase "For you a thousand times, Agha!" is carved on my soul for eternity.
It is a must read for friendship and loyalty from a man's perspective - and Khaled Hosseini is in my favorite writers list - with the top guns!

The Kite Runner is a moving tale of a friendship, its betrayal, and a lifetime of longing for redemption. Written by Khaled Hosseini, this story gives readers a glimpse into Afghanistan from the time before the Taliban's rule to the present. In the beginning of the novel, Amir is a grown man living in America, looking back at his childhood. As boys, Amir and Hassan are total opposites. Amir is a Sunni and the son of a privileged, socially important, respected man. Hassan's father is their Shi'a servant. However, Amir's father loves Hassan as if he is his own son, and the two boys are like brothers; they fed from the same breast as infants. As they grow, society begins to degrade Amir's integrity, and when tragedy strikes, he chooses to betray Hassan instead of doing the honorable, though unpopular, thing. This betrayal will haunt Amir for the rest of his life. He searches for some way to make it right, but when the Taliban takes over and Amir and his father move to America, he is left alone with his guilt. At this point in the book, the author brings us back to the beginning settting, and the grown Amir, still burdened by his past, is presented with an unimaginable way to redeem himself. He must travel back to the place where he betrayed Hassan and atone for his sins. Hosseini mixes brilliant foreshadowing with surprising plot progressions to give the reader a beautifully emotional novel. The Kite Runner is a wonderfully written, heart wrenching story that will leave the reader longing for more.

Having redemption as a theme of the book, this story was easily excellent. We all love stories where the protagonist makes a great error, but has an opportunity to redeem himself and succeeds. The way this book was written keeps you engaged in the story and wanting to find the resolution to Amir's mistakes. New struggles keep arising that Amir must endure and overcome in order to reach his goal of redemption.
Along with the book being action-packed and the theme being close to home with all of us, the literary devices used kept you engaged. The parallels and foils helped you see each character and each situation in the most entertaining way possible.
This was an excellent book because of the engaging story-telling skills the author has. The way the author tells the story is very smooth and thought-provoking. He doesn't spend time describing non-important things and he describes things that always contribute to your interests.
The book was great in every way i can think of and i love it.

It was interesting to read so many different takes on this book. Perhaps some of you would be willing to look at some of my realistic futuristic thriller novels such as Pluto 2550 or Adam 2552. Maybe you would love a modern political, men's adventure, romance, thriller unlike no other, which is my top selling novel, The Immortal. If you dare to see a close look at the paranormal or supernatural thrillers, you might enjoy Cast out of Paradise or Kevin and the Dead. An adventure in excitement waits for you. Incidentally, I am the author, Daniel Whittman. All of these novels and more are on amazon.com. [....]

Resisted reading this for a long time, thought it would be boring. Was I ever wrong, this is a beautiful story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

I had heard so many good things about this book and I finally picked it up. My only regret is that I didn't do so sooner. I read a lot of books and enjoy most of them, however this book has touched me more than any other book in a long time. The author writes a beautiful yet haunting tale of two children growing up in Afghanistan. We follow the main character, Amir, into adulthood, through his escape from his home country to his life and marriage in the US and back to Afghanistan where he learns the fate and secrets of his long lost friend, Hassan. Amir struggles with many emotions in this book and the author did a wonderful job portraying those emotions to the reader. I found myself attached to the characters and crying on more than one occasion. I highly recommend this novel, even if it doesn't seem like your usual type of read, I don't think you will be disappointed. I wish I had read this for as book club selection for it is extremely thought-provoking; I couldn't stop talking about it to my husband, but seeing as he hadn't read it, he couldn't relate to my enthusiasm over it!

I bought this book from amazon only last week, dont usually go for books that have been advertised to death but had a Pick Inside and liked it.

I opened the book, read the first paragraph, closed it and felt a rush of emotion and tears started rolling...

I wont say more, read it and judge for yourself... I recommend it.

Isabel

This book is a must read for everyone. I was touched beyond words. Absolutely brilliant.

I read this while in Kabul, Afghanistan with the US military a few years back. It helped me understand Afghans and their culture a little better. Of course, I read history books on the country as well, but this novel brought out the personal side better.

The main story line revolving around abuse of young boys and having them dance around for adult males like little girls in some perverted show (the protagonists half-brother was shown doing this later in the book and movie) was something that US servicemen heard of from Afghans and discussed at times. As we heard it, some war lords would take boys to abuse in this fashion. I never saw this kind of abuse first hand, but having it presented in this book by an ex-pat Afghan confirmed the claims. Very sad aspect of Afghan life for some.

The whole issue of sex and inter-gender relationships among Afghans became a subject of discussion which servicemen/women could not relate to. I personally knew Afghan males, very nice men, who because of culture could not date their "girlfriends". Instead, they were limited to secret cell phone relationships.

Our speculation was that this sort of extreme cultural restriction, where men and women couldn't associate in any way, would cause....how to say this politely....strange psychological responses, such as in some extreme cases, abuse of young boys.

The author did a good job of bringing across the main point of the book which was redemption and friendship.

And yes, the kids still fly kites from the roofs of their simple homes. Quite a sight.

I read this while in Kabul, Afghanistan with the US military a few years back. It helped me understand Afghans and their culture a little better. Of course, I read history books on the country as well, but this novel brought out the personal side better.

And yes, the kids still fly kites from the roofs of their simple homes. Quite a site. The author did a good job of bringing across the main point of the book which was redemption and friendship.

I read this book before it really became a bestseller. It was the first book I ever read away from my ususal love story. I thought I needed to "broaden my horizons" and so I did. WOW, did I! It was great! Now I read all kinds of genre. Highly recommend this book. Good look at how others live.

The Kite Runner is a book set in Afghanistan and USA. The Kite Runner is a story weaved around Amir, who is the son of a wealthy businessman, and Hassan, who is the son of Amir's Hazara servant.

In earlier years, there used to be kite flying competitions in Afghanistan that were a matter of pride for people. Amir wins a kite flying competition and Hassan is the best kite runner - a person who gets the last kite cut.

Everything is good till the Taliban takes over Afghanistan and everything turns upside down.

This is a story of friendship, loyalty, closeness, betrayal, cowardise, and love. Go ahead, this book is worth a read!

I finished the book this morning and just cried! It's an incredible book about a 2 boys, mistakes, redemption, and trying to find good in a world full of bad. I thought it was so beautiful and loved the message that you can find good even when bad things happen. It's a message of love and hope. I rented the movie first and after loving that, knew I had to read this book! It was so-so-so worth the price of the book!

I recently started a book club and this was our first pick. It could not have been a better choice. Everyone had it read in plenty of time. No complaints on the choice I made either. This book tells a very emotionally charged story. Once I started reading it, I was constantly stealing time to read, until it was finished. Hope there is a part II.

I lost a bet with my wife and was forced to read this book. Let me just say, Im very glad that my pick for the final four lost when it did, because this was the best book I had read in a long time.
What struck me most about Kite Runner is how specific and detailed the setting was-Afghanistan, a world few Americans understand. The main character's memories were vivid and enlightening, and likely not one of us born stateside can really identify with pomegraneate trees, kite running, and the threat of constant rpg fire. But the themes that cut through the book, the guilt, the redemption, the family ties, the bond of blood, this is the stuff of all people, of all races.

This book is a a fantastic piece of literature, a work that is at both educating and empowering, painful to read but healing to finish. First rate.

The book was fantastic. It is sad, yet heart warming at the same time. It addresses very real issues...and the characters are wonderfully developed. The author teaches alot through these characters...about friendship...loyalty...hate...shame...acceptance...and brotherhood. Absolutely amazing.

I read the book when it was brought into my book club. I found the wording to be easy to read and the characters highly interesting, but what I really loved was the fact that it gives people a view of a different culture and helps them understand it more. I have met so many people who see people from the middle east as just terrorists, and that is simply awful. The story is moving and it touched my heart. I would recommend it to anyone.

I bought this book because my book club chose to read and discuss it. I did not think it was the type of book I would enjoy, but I absolutely did. I will soon be reading another book by the same author and can't wait!

If you've not yet had time to read this book over the summer then I suggest you put it on your book list for the fall. It is well written, keeps the reader's attention through to the end. It is one of those books that you just can't put down. The story gives the reader an open window into the life of two young Afghanistan boys from age 12 to manhood who come from two different religions as well as economic and social classes; but develop a close bond of friend ship. Their relationship is complicated by evil cruelties and prejudices, deep kept family secrets and a betrayal that haunts until it is brought to closure by a powerful desire to make amends for a childhood injustice committed out of fear, shame, and confusion.

In Khaled Hosseini's Kite Runner we're introduced to two young boys growing up together in war-torn Afganistan. The timeline is set in the early 70s and these two yong boys are put under terrible strain by horrifing events. But it's what happens at a kite flying tournament that really pushes this friendship to its limit. Amir is the main character and the book is told from his point of view now a man. But the real heart felt moments occur when Amir returns to Afganistan to rescue his childhood bestfriend's son. Everything said about this book is true. It's heartfelt, well-written, and tear jerking. It's a great first novel by an incredibly talented author. I'd also like to recommend another incredibly talented author: Georgiou Tino if you missed his book: The Fates, I'd recommend reading it.

Fates (2nd Edition)

I just finished this book and it was EXCELLENT! It's written so well and the story itself is something that is so real and can be true. It's such a heartbreaking tale which made me cry in several occasions! I felt everything that the characters felt! This book is not for the faint hearted, there are some very serious and emotional issues that not everyone can read or handle. But even with all that, it's a moving story and well worth the read.

Just finished this book yesterday.

Great novel.
Tells of unconditional love, unwavering loyalty... and then betrayal followed by ultimate redemption.

This book can move you to tears at some point.
It's one of the stories that you'll remember for a long time.

'For you, a thousand times over'.

I found this fiction as very gripping and thoroughly enjoyed it. Only complain i have is that the lead character grew bold all of a sudden. I can accept that the lead character is faced with hostility in Afghanistan but his reaction to it is something that I don't find realistic; even for someone having strong feeling of redemption. Though in author's defence, this is not the first time I have seen in fictions where lead characters suddenly become heroes.

A tear came down when I finished this book. And, btw, I like to movie too (for different reasons).