Life is serene until 1979 when Russian tanks roll into the streets of Afghanistan. Amir and his father are forced to flee the country. They endure a difficult trip to the United States where they begin to rebuild their shattered lives.
In The Kite Runner we learn about Afghanistan's tumultuous history. The book spans three decades from the early seventies to the events that occurred on September 11, 2001 and the aftermath of that horrific day. We see how Hosseini's Afghani characters make sense of their unsettling past and how they view recent world events.
The book starts off as a beautifully written literary novel. I was drawn into the lives of Amir and Hassan. I felt as though they were boys I knew personally and I could see the expressions of joy, sadness, and pain in their faces as their lives unfolded in the book's scenes. As the story progresses, there is a noticeable change in the book's tone. The author seems to switch genres in the middle of what was turning out to be one of my favorite books. The pace quickens. There are surprising revelations with plot twists. All of sudden, I felt as though I were reading a suspense-driven thriller by Dan Brown. The book would have been much stronger had it kept it's unique literary identity throughout its pages.
Nevertheless, I will always remember the voices of Hosseini's characters and I look forward to reading more of his books.
Rating: 3
Rating Scale: 5 - outstanding; 4 - very good; 3 - good; 2 - fair; 1- poor
Article comments
1 - vikk
I remember seeing this book at the store but didn't pick it up. Now I'll take a second look.