There are many people like Hassan in this world, in different countries: disadvantaged, humble, and powerless. But they have enormous power over our hearts when their stories are told. I am glad Hassan's was. Also check out this powerful one: When Rape Flowers Bloom

I rarely have difficulty getting through a book. I can usually read a novel within a few days, no problem. This story was so BORING it took me forever! (I had to force myself to pick it back up every few days.) I would only recommend this book to someone I didn't like.

The structure of this story should be familiar to readers of Charles Dickens, John Irving, or Patrick Dilloway. It starts off with a young boy who grows into a man and then deals with some of his lingering issues. The only difference is that instead of taking place in London or New England or Iowa, it's taking place in Afghanistan.

Amir's mother died in child birth, something his father (referred to as Baba) seems to hold against him. As much as Amir would like them to be close, Baba always seems disappointed in him. They live in a well-off neighborhood in Kabul in the '60s and '70s, back when Afghanistan was still a monarchy.

Amir's best friend is his servant Hassan. Hassan is an outcast not only because of his harelip and occupation, but also because he's a Hazara or someone with Mongol blood to give him a more Eastern appearance. Despite this, Amir and Hassan are as close as brothers, in large part because they suckled at the same breast.

Then after a kite fighting tournament to which the title refers, something terrible happens that creates a rift between Amir and Hassan. Not long after, they're separated when the Soviets begin moving in, setting off political chaos that remains to the date of this review. Amir and his father go to America, while Hassan and his father stay in Afghanistan.

Over the ensuing 25 years, Amir becomes a man and finds a wife, but he never forgets Hassan or the moment of cowardice that ruined their friendship. The only way for him to redeem himself--to be good again as a friend says--is to go back and face his demons.

This is definitely a book that came along at the right time. With the 9/11 attacks planned by terrorists sheltering in Afghanistan and the subsequent US invasion, the American public was obviously hungry for any insight into Afghanistan and its people and Islam. And the author doesn't disappoint here. The problem the US faces, as did the Soviets and British before them, is that Afghans are reckless and not prone to following rigid rules, as Hosseini describes during the kite fighting. And it has its own melting pot of cultures that to outsiders would seem trivial but to them (as demonstrated by the very different lives of Amir and Hassan) are extremely important.

There isn't a lot I can say negatively about this book. My main complaint was that the ending was so obvious. It's the kind of ending where you know what's going to happen 50-100 pages in advance, so you wonder why it takes Amir so long to figure it out. I won't say what exactly, but if you read the book you might see what I'm talking about.

Other than that I only have a couple of nitpicks. One is that after Amir gets into his fight and gets his jaw wired shut, he mentions that his voice sounds like Al Pacino in "The Godfather." I assume he meant Marlon Brando with the cotton stuffed in his cheeks. Maybe this was intentional to show Amir's incomplete grasp of American cinema. Or it's an oversight. Not a big deal, but a little jarring considering "The Godfather" is one of the 10 greatest American films ever so you'd think an author would be able to keep track of who played what character.

The only other thing is I found it a little odd and creepy that Amir romanticizes a woman's unibrow and big nose. Maybe it helps if you're from Afghanistan on that score.

Anyway, this overall is a good book. I wouldn't put it up there with Dickens or Irving's best works, but it's close. Generally though it follows the same pattern of following the main character from pretty much birth to present, so that even though it focuses on a different culture it should seem pretty familiar. If you're looking for a similar book that's a bit more challenging, check out "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie.

That is all.

This book was among those that my wife was reading for the United Methodist Women's yearly reading. I thought that it might be ok but certainly not that interesting.

I was wrong! This book catches you by the collar and moves you through it. The brotherhood of two boys and then a tragic event which b reaks up the closeness of them.

Don't want to tell you too much about the book, but it is a powerful read. If you want a book that will grab you, and emotionally wear you down, this is the book for you.

I enjoyed it, but was almost crying at the end.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'

I am a highschool student at BCHS in the Bronx. Before reading this book I was not fully aware of too much history about Afghanistan. The book started a little slow, but it was very well wriitten. As the book progressed it took many twists and turns that were somewhat unexpected but very captivating. By the time the book reached its final climax I was very satisfied, but the way the book ended was a little short. After reading this book I was able to have a more understanding perspective of the world around us, outside of America, especially in Afghanistan. I would reccomend this book.

Don't buy the hype. This is one of the most overrated books that I have read.
It seems the author has read lots of Dickens, superficially I might add, and has seen too many bollywood movies. The bad characters are really bad and good ones really good. Bad things really keep happening to Hassan and then his son, Sohrab, who's very young but talks like teenager from California where he ends up eventually. The most annoying thing when author tries give 'insights into life' with deep sounding sentences. In the second the book gets utterly predictable.
I wonder whether this book would have seen the light of day if there was no 9/11.

Here is woe. And more woe. And the person who started the woe, a childhood bully, grows up to put the whole society in woe. Wow.

The Kite Runner is a novel filled with love, loss, betrayal, jealousy, and lies. It is an eye opening read, and one with many things to take into account. For one, it is hard to decided what you think of the narrator Amir. I wasn't so sure about him in the beginning. He was a horrible friend to Hassan, but he was treated horribly by his father, and Amir was just a kid when he did what he did to Hassan. It is hard to dislike Amir though. He knows when he is wrong, he never tries to defend himself when talking of what he did to Hassan, if anything he shines an even worse light onto himself. I found him a reliable narrator for the most part although his guilty conscience got in the way at times.
The character I had the most trouble with was Hassan. He was to good to be true. No person is a loyal or self-sacrificing as Hassan. His character was an interesting one that would have been great if developed more fully, but it was not, and therefore it rendered him an improbable character that the author did not sell very well. If Hassan's character had been more cultivated, if the reasons for his loyalty were explained, it would have helped the novel immensely.
I do have to say that The Kite Runner was beautifully written, and made you felt like you were right there with Amir flying the kite, or playing with Hassan. For the most part the characters were well developed, and you were able to get a clear view of them but you were also allowed the space to decide how you felt about a particular character. A prime example of this is Baba. Amir worshiped him, craved for his love and respect. However I hated Baba. I felt he was too critical of Amir, and even after Rahim Kahn shines light onto why he Baba behave the way he did I still disliked him. He was nothing but a coward and a hypocrite, in my eyes. He treated Amir like dirt, and he let his other son be a servant. He talked of theft being the only sin, and everything was just a variation of theft, but he took away both his son's right to the truth of were they came from. He never showed Amir the love he deserved. Amir was just a child, he did not have any control over what circumstances he was born into and neither did Hassan. If you really think about it Baba is inadvertently responsible for almost every major conflict in the novel. If Amir had not believed that winning the kite fighting tournament would win Baba's love he might not have cared so much about winning and Hassan would never have been raped.
Overall this was a truly eye opening novel into the life, culture and beliefs of the Afghani people.
I highly recommend this novel.

After the main character's loyal, humble, happy, innocent friend is raped by 3 other boys-while his cowardly and selfish "friend" watches-I just couldn't read any more. The main character was utterly dispicable and, from the reviews I've read, never redeems himself. This book was just depressing and horrible. I for one hope no one else fills their mind with this disturbing garbage.

I know a bit about the countries over there that are mentioned in this book.I understand why he uses the characters like he has.He is a very good writer.This is one story that stuck in my mind.It accurately shows how our inner feelings can be held in,etc.Good book.

I'm usually one to enjoy the written word, held in my hands. I've had bad experiences with audio books as either I don't care for the reader's voice, tone, inflections, or pacing, but after checking this book out of the library and having time getting into it, I decided to get the audio version. Glad I did. I was pleasantly surprised and found that I loved being read to, at least this particular book. I suppose my try on the audio version was due to the first time novelist's popularity and I plan to see the movie. Either way you slice it, can't go wrong with the audio.

neither good nor bad. i found the first half a little slow in building the plot while the second half was more enjoyable.

This book was awful. Something bad happened in every chapter. Even the ending was bad. IF you want to feel sad or bad read this book. I am disgusted that schools require children to read this book of sadness

Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is a book about fathers and the desperate need that sons have for their approval. It is a book that touches our hearts as it describes the pain of children who live without the loving guidance of a father figure. Set in Afghanistan, Hosseini's story outlines the childhood experiences of two boys Hassan and Amir. Hassan is the son of Ali- the servant of Amir's wealthy father Baba. Both boys find joy in the playing together. Yet behind Hassan's happy exterior lies a life of hurt and shame- a life scarred by the absence of his mother who ran off as a prostitute when he was born. Amir has likewise lost his mother although, perhaps less traumatizing, she died while giving birth.

Growing up amidst Baba's reputation- a man who not only built an orphanage but who commands respect in Afghanistan's social circles- Amir yearns desperately for his father's attention. Indeed he occasionally overhears Baba's conversations with his close friend Rabim in which he expresses just how much he wished Amir had been different- more like him, sharing in his interests and enjoying his activities. On one occasion Baba even scoffs at Amir's growing talent for story writing showing little regard for his son's writing abilities.

Both Amir and Hassan are seemingly unbothered by the ethnic divide that separates them- Amir a Pashtun and Hassan a Hazara. Amir enjoys reading to Hassan who, illiterate as he is, relies on Amir's story telling as his only source of information. Over time Amir becomes jealous of Hassan and the apparent affection that his own father Baba holds for him. So Amir seizes his opportunity to gain his father's attention in the annual kite flying contest. Determined to win, Amir enters the competition and flies his kite with skill and resolve until finally his is the only one left in the air. Turning to Baba he at last receives the recognition and the respect that he needs from his father.

From that moment on Amir's life takes a downward turn. He witnesses Hassan getting raped by a gang of boys who see in his lower social status an opportunity to demonstrate their own power. Filled with intense guilt and shame for not having done anything to help and no longer able to cope with his presence, Amir distances himself from Hassan and eventually frames him, falsely identifying him as the thief who has stolen money and a watch that he received from his father. With theft as the `unforgivable sin' of their culture, Ali realizes that there is no other option but to leave his master's household with Hassan.

With the increasingly tense political situation in Afghanistan which is now under Russian occupation, Baba and Amir are forced to flee the country. They escape in the most undignified of ways, traveling in the back of a truck with many others who have taken their last bid for freedom on a dangerous journey to Pakistan. Baba and Amir eventually end up in Freemont California where they struggle to make ends meet in a small one-bedroom apartment surviving with only Baba's meager salary from working at a local gas station and small earnings from sales at a local flea market.

For a short while life get better for Amir. He falls in love with Soraya- the daughter of one of Baba's Afghan acquaintances. But the sudden discovery that Baba has lung cancer temporarily overwhelms him as he comes to terms with his father's impending death. Eager to see his son marry Soraya, Baba ends up investing almost all of his life savings on the traditional Afghan wedding ceremony and watches with pride as his son graces the audience-packed room with his new bride.

Many years later, Amir is stunned by the revelation that Hassan was in fact his half brother and that Hassan had a son called Sohrab who now lives in an orphanage in the Afghan town of Peshwar. When Amir sets off on a perilous journey to find his nephew, he finds a country torn apart by years of civil war and a cynicism amongst his own people that has left them suspicious of anything and anyone including him. Memories of his childhood come flooding back as he revisits the places in the town of Peshwar that he knew as a child- the streets, the soccer pitch, even his own home. Eventually Amir finds Sohrab and is granted permission to bring him back to America.

Hosseini has written a masterful novel filled with intrigue and suspense, bringing the individual threads of the story to its climactic ending. Throughout the story, he does a phenomenal job of showing the vulnerability of childhood. Perhaps most importantly, Hosseini reveals how critical the love of a father is for the development of a child's own sense of self-worth. As he so poignantly demonstrates honesty is an integral part of such love. Without it something is stolen away forever.

I really enjoyed this book, for its value in learning a bit more about Afghanistan and its people as well as for the story. It is a very personal story about a wealthy Afghan boy, with intriguing characters that go through a disturbing chain of events along with their country. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading A Thousand Splendid Suns.

I absolutely loved this book from the first page to the last. It is beautifully written. I learned so much about a misunderstood country. I was haunted by the characters' trials. I was inspired by their choices. It is just a great read - A Thousand Splendid Suns is also great. I would give this book the edge between the two, but both are well worth your time. You won't want to put them down. I don't reread many books, but I would this one!

Eight years ago when I read The Kite Runner, I loved it, even after hearing a list of its flaws pointed out by my fellow book club members. After reading it now, eight years later, I still like it, but no so much. Biased at the start by certain knowledge I didn't have the first time and being the parent of a son near the age of the two main characters whose pre-teen lives were changed "in the winter of 1975," I was bothered much more than before by: the amount of violence, profanity and coincidental history-repeating-itself happenings.

The Kite Runner, set in Afghanistan, is the story of a life-altering experience involving two childhood friends, Amir (the narrator) and his nearly the same-aged servant/playmate, Hassan (the kite runner). Several coincidental incidents seem contrived, including: that Amir grows up with a servant/friend just as his father did; the repeated appearance of a particularly rotten person (which also involves repeated, similar bad behavior by said person); Amir's adult injury; and the similarity in end-of-life sickness symptoms in two major characters.

Throughout the story, the author reveals incidents in Amir's life during which, debating multiple courses of action, he acts selfishly. Almost up to the last second of the story, Amir is unwilling to take responsibility for his actions and strive to be a better person. And one of the worst comes in adulthood, when, after a lifetime of feelings of remorse about regretful behavior during his youth, he makes a bad blunder regarding his charge. If you can get past several contrived-seeming situations, and Amir's logic-defying decision-making skills, you'll find The Kite Runner worth the read, if only to learn a bit about Afghanistan and comprehend the sometimes-colossal consequences of poor choices. On similar subjects: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Caravans by James Michener, and The Bookseller of Kabul (my rating-five stars) by Ånne Seierstad.

I just found my favorite new author! This book is absolutely amazing!! The story is incredible and the writing is so well done that I literally couldn't put the book down, and when I did, I couldn't wait until I could pick it up again! The author paints such a clear picture of life in Afghanistan and the hardships and triumphs facing the characters.
By the end of the book I felt like I knew each character personally and loved each of them! It was truly sad to read the final word of the book because I wanted to go on forever. You must read this book!!

Wow. At first, this book made me feel really stupid. I knew very little about the different religious sects within the middle east. Honestly, I knew very little about the war between the Russians and Afghans.

I had to do a little research on the internet to understand some things. I have to say, I feel smarter for reading this book. It is a great work of historical (recent historical?) fiction. The story and relationship between Amir and Hassan is heart-wrenching, as is the relationship between Amir and his father. I usually see plot twists and where a book is heading from miles away, but I did not see this one coming. It is a sad and gut-wrenching story. It's hard to read parts of the story, but it is worth it.

I plan on reading Hosseini's novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. I hear it is just as good, if not better than The Kite Runner.

~Jenn

The Kite Runner, the first, powerful book of Khaled Hosseini tells the haunting and heart-breaking story of Amir, son of a businessman, and Hassan, the son of Amir's servant. As youngsters in Afghanistan they tell stories, dream about big western cities and fly kites together. They are inseparable friends until a disturbing event happens, that changes their relationship forever. This book tells a heartfelt story about friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, penance and redemption.
The story also depicts the culture and politics of Afghanistan thirty years ago. However the novel is not a story of Mideast politics: politics just has a great influence in the surprising twists of the plot. The characters of Amir and Hassan are very real and believable. They have very different personalities, but still are opposites that attract. The story has a power of healing, showing how the characters deal with what life throws at them, how they try to forgive and forget: "Because when spring comes, it melts one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting."(pg.371)

"I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975." So begins Khaled Hosseini's tale of two boys, forever separated by societal differences yet ultimately connected by a bond deeper than that of race or social standing. Told through the eyes of a wealthy young man living in Kabul, Afghanistan prior to the Russian invasion, The Kite Runner aptly portrays the struggles of each major character as he rises to his place in society and comes to terms with those challenges he can never overcome. A son who wants only the love of his ever-distant Baba; a father who cannot bear to leave his country when all Afghanistan is in ruins; a man betrayed by his master and adoptive brother; and a young servant, a hare-lipped kite runner, willing to risk all he knows for the happiness of a boy his own age who, in following customs, can never call him "friend"--all of these people and their separate, painful pasts intertwine to portray a message of sacrifice, jealousy, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

A brilliant writer in his own right, Hosseini takes the age-old story of brotherly love and imbues it with new life and originality by placing the tale in war-ravaged Afghanistan. He brings to life the tragic state of the Middle East under the rule of the Soviet Union, and later, the Taliban. He provides plenty of background on the culture of Afghanistan, a society not often seen in a positive light. His vivid description of the scenery and bustling life of Kabul, his own hometown during the 1970s, is done with an expertise and familiarity that gives the reader the sense that Hosseini is recounting memories of his own history in the city.

This story is not a memoir, however, and it keeps the brisk pace and slight fantastical quality of a historical fiction piece, a technique that at times stretches the novel's verisimilitude but makes for a captivating tale. While at some points predictable, Hosseini repeatedly proves his ability to shock and awe his readers, even up to the novel's final revelations. The story line itself, battling with issues of truth and justice, is remarkably powerful, and Hosseini's clever writing brings it to its full potential. His own experience in the subject matter, along with a deeply moving narrative that tugs at the heart of every reader, combine to make The Kite Runner a truly stunning read.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini was not at all what I was expecting. After hearing all of the hype about the book and the movie, I decided I would read it. I thought the book would be a light fun read about life as a rich boy in Afghanistan. In reality, Hosseini has written a tale about a boy who endures things that no one should; it is a story of redemption. I thoroughly enjoyed The Kite Runner and getting to learn about growing up in the Middle East.
The writing in the beginning of the novel is extremely captivating. The story of two boys who come from completely different backgrounds trying to make it in Afghanistan is compelling and moving. However, as the novel progresses, the writing becomes slightly farfetched and dramatic.
Hosseini does not shy away from language, and the reality of life in the Middle East. Although often times throughout the novel, the events made me uncomfortable and squeamish, this honesty made me lock into the novel even more. This is the kind of book which is hard to put down. Once I started the Kite Runner I read until the end.
Not only is the plot interesting, but Hosseini's detail in describing Afghani culture allowed me, an American completely foreign to Middle Eastern ideas and history, to get an insight into what it is like to go to the cinema or the market in Afghanistan. Not only did I enjoy the plot, but I learned quite a bit about foreign relationships in the Middle East, and cultural differences between America and Afghanistan.
Also, the scenes in which Amir, the protagonist, is experiencing life as a refugee in America allowed me insight into life as a foreigner. Everyone can relate to feeling foreign at some point in their lives, and this event helped to create a connection between the reader and the main character.
I am glad that I picked up the Kite Runner because I have grown through reading it. I learned about foreign culture as well as my own. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in life in the Middle East as well as American and Afghani relations.

i resisted reading this because i feared it was overpraised and too commercial. i was wrong. i found it moving and well told. don't miss it.

Never did I think I might be so intrigued by Afghanistan. The vivid portrait of this Asiatic crossroads provides a backdrop that sets this novel apart. The movement of the protaganist, Amir, between the stages of his life growing up in old Kabul, journeying to America to begin a new life, and his eventual return to an ethnically torn and battered land, seem cosmic. He is moving between dimensions. He is moving between worlds.

But he cannot escape his defining moment: a mistake on a cold street made by a young boy. And this provides the storyline.

The author weaves his plot against the changing, unpredictable history of Afghanistan from Shah to mujahideen to Taliban warlords. The steady downfall of a rich civilization, the sadness of what might have been, the disappointments are showcased as if this were a travelogue. We learn much about Afghanistan and its rich culture, but the narrative is not too taxing. This is a marvelous story, it is not a historical text. In the end, it becomes a bit over-dramatic in just the final pages and perhaps even arch, but this in no way diminishes from a colorful look at a country which we hear about in the news every week, but know so little about. 365 pages...I finished this in one day. I look forward to reading the next book by Khaled Hosseini.

Simply, AMAZING!
This book is just another example of why reading books is such a wonderful pastime. I am just so filled with happiness after reading it. Please, do not hesitate to read this book. If you are asking yourself "Hmmm, I feel like reading something. What should I read?" READ THE KITE RUNNER!!!

This is a beautifully written, emotionally gripping and haunting story, but the content is so grim that I personally won't read this book again. I'm very glad I did, but once was enough. There was not enough joy for me to counterbalance the great suffering and loss that permeate this novel, though I admire it greatly. If you like epic tragedy with glimmers of hope - this is a book for you.

I found the view into Afghani life fascinating and realistic in feel - I was completely ignorant before - and the loss of innocence and 'a better time' deeply nostalgic in the best way, counterposed against questions of class, sexism and racism which call into question how good that prior era actually was. While generally not explicit, some truly horrible things occur which might not sit well with the faint of heart. Violence and abuse of the very worst sort, in my opinion, which as intended produce great pathos - these devices are not used at all gratuitously.

Characterisation, plot, writing style, etc - all were flawless, though I found the ending somewhat unsatisfying. I was especially impressed by how unpredictable the story was; while imbued with a heavy sense of fate, such that every event seemed to perfectly make sense in the grander scheme of things, the plot consistently surprised me with its twists. I didn't see them coming but in retrospect I saw the groundwork had been expertly laid out to lead up each plot point. Other reviewers seem to think he was too heavy-handed with the foreshadowing and symbolism, but as a lover of symbolism and repeated themes, I disagree.

I always start my review by saying, i am a long-time reader of 40 years - i've read 100's of books. I read ALL different types. This is a great book.

It has all the things that i personally look for in a great book: really good writing, a really good story, characters that grow and that you really feel like you 'know,' it's entertaining, and it leaves you with a tremendous feeling. Whether it's a feeling of warmth, depression, or of just not wanting the book to end - i closed this book knowing that i read something great, learned some things, and enjoyed an exciting story.

When i come here to review something, i make it a point to read alot of the 1 and 2 Star reviews. I do understand how some people would feel like maybe it's not a good way to learn their culture (by reading this book), but i also dont think that's the only reason it was written.

AND - when people say that things in it arent believable... is everything you read believable?? Are the love stories written by certain authors that have written 100 books or more 'believable?' Is Star Wars believable? I think you have to just enjoy the story and not LOOK for faults, if you want to have fun reading. JMHO

This book is amazing!! I absolutely loved this book and also his second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns is just amazing also! If you haven't read them, you definitely should give them a try! They are beautifully written, and the stories themselves are captivating.

Not every life is suitable for primetime; however, those lives that are not acceptable for general audiences are likely the ones that will teach us the most. This novel is a gut check on how you, the reader, would react to witnessing a crime. What kind of friend are you? Where is your sense of place versus your sense of justice? Your can't help but be affected by this story. And while you may not be a better person for reading this novel, it will likely make you a better global citizen.

Spoiler: This is a five star novel until the final chapters. This novel is not written for the American palette in the sense that it displays an honest view of an individual's life experience which is not always entertaining or easy. There is true grit to this novel that enlightens the reader. There is a feeling a Westernized editor came in and snubbed the tail of this novel because it goes from real-life to sitcom in a few short chapters. Not all of life's problems are neatly tied up after the story has been told and yet that is what has been done in this novel. If you want the story, don't read the last few chapters. If you want the fantasy, read them and dream that all traumas could be so nicely wrapped in a such a pretty bow.

I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY EXCEPT THIS IS THE MOST INCREDIBLE BOOK EVER!!! AND EVERYONE IN THE WORLD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO READ IT. WHOEVER GAVE THIS BOOK ANYTHING LESS THAN 5 STARS ABSOLUTELY SIMPLY DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.

Before reading this book, I knew of Afghanistan only as a geopolitical entity that has suffered and continues to struggle.

The Kite Runner finally introduced me to the people, culture, and language of Afghanistan. It's a loving book about a peaceful time in a beautiful country, which serves as the context in which a tragic story unfolds. Afghanistan is not so much a simple location for the novel, as it is a complex character itself, one that changes, falls victim to circumstances, and suffers.

Sadness and regret fill the pages of this book. There are only hints and pockets of happiness, some only in the form of nostalgia. Khaled Hosseini shows a very tender respect for Afghan tradition. There's a sense that things always come full circle, but it's up to you to decide whether you will ultimately pay for your sins or redeem yourself from them.

Some will probably complain that the manner in which redeption is achieved is predictable, but that didn't make its attainment any less satisfying for me. And despite the main character's weaknesses, the author successfully led me to the point of empathy.

Khaled Hosseini had a habit of interjecting earlier quotes as memories, to make sure the reader got his point; while normally I complain if an author is too explicit and doesn't give his reader enough credit, I wasn't so bothered this time. Maybe because Hosseini made his point, but didn't belabor it. Or maybe because his tendency to explain things also made him define the Farsi (I think) words, either explicitly or in context, and I like it when I can understand foreign words that are interspersed with English in books.

Overall, I found the book well-paced, and I generally overlooked the literary shortcomings described above. If possible, I would have given it 4 1/2 stars, subtracting half a star because I was left with some unanswered questions relating to the main character's father, Baba. Though Baba's actions were central to the plot, his motives were never made clear, or even explored.

My biggest complaint with the book is the child rape and sexual exploitation incidents which, I felt, added nothing to the story and was added because ????

This book is simply amazing. I actually picked up KR because of all the great reviews and recommendations it had. To be honest, I didn't care much for it at first. But this book turned out to be one of my favorites. I now recommend it to all my friends and anyone who is just looking for a fantastic read. Excellent, excellent book!

The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. In part, it is these demons and the sometimes impossible quest for forgiveness that bring him back to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule. ("...I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.")

I watched both the movie and read the book. I think the book is better than the movie. But the movie still captures the essence of the book quite well. It's a very moving story about friendship, loyalty, and courage. You won't regret reading this.

I picked this up while being deployed in Afghanistan

I think every soldier should read it.

It is a powerful and moving story about growing up in Afghanistan and going over to America.

There were a lot of heart wrenching moments.

I definitely recommend it.

I guess it's true that beauty (and opinions about writing) are somewhat in the eyes of the beholder. I read one critic of the book who claimed it begins to read like a soap opera and becomes sappy and predictable. The problem is, you could take a thousand novels that are about the raw stuff of human life and claim they read like a soap opera. Soap operas overdramatize, are stereotypical, and are 90 percent emotion. However, I did not find this book to be so. I'm a voracious reader yet, to me, the plot didn't smack of others that I've read. In one sense, there are no totally original plots. There are only similar plots told in a fresh, original, unique style with, perhaps, a few unexpected twists and turns. All I can say is that this book impressed me and I'm not very easily impressed. Life is too brief to waste time on tedious books. I read this one to the end.

On the surface, tyranny looks different in different countries and cultural contexts, but the underlying feelings and emotions which it engenders are the same. Khaled Hosseini's novel vividly portrays the suffocating feelings of injustice, helplessness, despair and bitterness caused by tyranny in Afghanistan over the years at the hands of racist Afghans, Russian invaders, and members of the Taliban.

The main themes of the book are fear, cowardice, failing to stand up to injustice, regret, bitterness, and then finally the high price of redemption requiring courage, confrontation with evil, and sacrifice. At times the narrator seems overly sensitive in continuing to dwell on his failure to stand up for a friend in cirucmstances where by standing up he would have done nothing more than subject himself to the same fate as that suffered by his friend. However, it is the narrator's sensitivity to right and wrong, justice and injustice, that gives the story its poignancy and power.

I am not sure whether the book can be relied upon as an accurate source of information about the conditions and customs of Afghanistan during the Taliban period. I am sure that the author has a well-founded disdain for the Taliban, but the portrayal of the former school bully as a Taliban leader and rapist seems a little far-fetched given the strict moral code apparently followed by the Taliban. Nonetheless, I recommend the book to strong-stomached readers.

The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are must reads and probably my two favorite books ever!

This is one of the best books I've read.
The seller wrapped the book very nicely, and so it's in terrific condition when arrived.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner is the story of Ali, how his actions as a child growing up in Afghanistan before the Taliban took over shaped not only his life, but the life of his childhood friend Hassan. Having grown up together they were best friends, they were like brothers, but their social standings prevented them from ever considering themselves as such. A shocking attack splits their friendship apart, driving them away from each other. Ali's response to this sets the stage that overcomes both of their lives.

This book opened my eyes to how life was like in Afghanistan before and after the "bad times". It is a wonderful story of a culture, a people, and a family. I was drawn into their lives from the first page and longed for more of them after I finished the final page. The story is full of harships overcome and losses that are profound, family lost and found, childhood ruined only to be built back up again. I met several generations of Ali's family from different walks of life and different beliefs. The book is well worth all the accolades it has received.

I'm adding Hosseini's book A Thousand Splendid Suns to the top of my to be bought list. He has a skill with words and a way of telling stories that is one of the best I've ever seen.

5/5 (A memorable read for the year)

This was truly a well written story. The author takes you through the emotions and thoughts of the characters. At the end of the book, I felt as if I knew them. I enjoyed the historial background the story provided. While reading I was able to learn history about Afghanastan that I never knew. It was a story that became real as you read about what was going on in the world during a certain period of time. I greatly enjoyed this novel.

I have just read this book, I am telling you right now, this is one of the best books I have ever read. It is so unexpected and so detailed. It's culturally enriched and the author writes beautifully. Please read the book you will not regret it.

This is the best book I read last year.I bought another one to share since it's a keeper. Unforgettable characters. A glimpse into Afghanistan before the Russian invasion. A beautiful story of friendship. It was an emotional trip.

This book is a story of human tradegy. It will tug at your heart strings.

I was wary about reading this book after it was recommened to me, but I'm so glad that I did. It is wonderful! This story, told in first person, was so realistic that I found myself totally enthralled. By the end, I found myself believing that the events of the narrator had actually happened to Khaled Hosseni. I had to be brought back to reality. The Kite Runner flows smoothly, reads easily,and is a way to learn more about a different culture.

This is just to say that this book was gripping and amazing. Definitely hard to read at times-but I couldn't put it down. I am devastated and inspired by the human portrayals in this book.

I am not much of a reader. I only read this because it is for a class. It is such an excellent book that I read the whole thing in one day

Kite Runner is an exceptional book with twist and turns that provide thrilling looks into what modern Afghanistan is really like. The connection between Amir, Baba, and Hassan is sensational and very cleverly thought out as the author presents very touchy subjects in a mind manner.
The story of Betrayal and Redemption play very well as both characters learn, live, and grow from their childhood selves into adults. The spilt between Amir and Hassan brings to like a very intriguing tell that happens often in other cultures that immigrate to America.
I personally enjoyed the book and wish more people could enjoy it as much as a I did.

This story engaged you from the first page. Gave me a better understanding on the people and culture of Afghanistan.

A devastating story that makes you to feel very sad and it will take a long time for your mind to stop thinking about the tragedy of the story. Since the author's birthplace is in Afghanistan, he was able to bring the real image of Afghanistan and its neighbourhood country Pakistan in this book. The way of expressing the childhood activities of the protagonist Amir and his father`s affection for his child was splendid, the author could have expressed the lifestyle of the people around that region in a better way. The appreciable thing in this novel is the absence of obscure and hard words. The author has failed to give meaning for the texts that have been mentioned in Urdu language, which will be difficult for non-Muslims to understand. The story can be divided in to three divisions, the first part concentrating on the childhood activities of the protagonist Amir. The second part focuses on the adult stage of Amir and his longing to know about his old friend and the story's third part which reveals the tragedy makes almost all the persons who read the book to feel for the sacrificial love of Amir's friend Hassan. The way the author describes the war situation in Afghanistan and the sufferings of Amir to find out his childhood friend (Hassan) makes the reader to feel for the people of Afghanistan whose lives would have been shattered devastatingly by the military troops. This novel "The kite runner" is the first novel for the author but anyone who reads the novel without knowing this will definitely think that the author has good experience in expressing things. I bet this novel would definitely make every reader to think about the ill things they have done to others and feel regretful for that. Finally "The kite runner" will definitely make an impact in you.