By Khaled Hosseini         

(link: http://6impossiblethings.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/the-kite-runner/)

Rating:  ★★★★

  1. Synopsis

Amir, an Afghan expatriate who lives in America writing fiction books, is suddenly swirled back into his buried past when Rahim Khan, his old mentor, calls him from Pakistan. When he arrives there, Amir realizes that he has come to make up for his old sin that had been buried for a long time. Through Rahim Khan, Amir learns that his old Hazara friend and servant Hassan was shot dead by the Taliban and that his only son has been left behind in an orphan. Upon Rahim’s request, Amir decides to return to Kabul to retrieve Hassan’s son Sohrab, knowing full well that that is the only way he can repay his debt to Hassan, whom Amir continuously harassed for a reason no other than his unchanging loyalty, which reminded him of his own guilt. When Amir arrives in war-torn Kabul to look for Sohrab, he painfully realizes that his old hometown is no longer like what it used to be in his childhood life. As Amir, who is timid in nature unlike his vigorous father, goes through tough obstacles to save Sohrab, he finally learns about what it feels like to revive from his old, cowardly being.

* I won’t reveal the ending because that would be a spoiler!

2. My Personal Response

I have read The Kite Runner twice. The first time I read it, I read it in my spare time, and although I could somewhat understand why the book received so much critical acclaim, the book did not leave a much impression on me. This summer, I chose to read this book again for my summer assignment. This time, however, as I read the book, I tried to focus on what the book is trying to say about modern Afghan culture and how it can also be related to my own life as an Asian American. Quite surprisingly, I began to notice things that I had not noticed before when I was reading just for fun. For instance, as a Korean influenced by American culture, I could identify with Amir’s humiliating experience as an Afghan American unwelcomed by the Afghans who chose to stay in their country after the revolution. I had a similar experience when my Korean tennis coach gave me an American nickname to make fun of my dual nationality. Actually, I was amused to find out that I share many cultural similarities with a fictional character from Afghanistan, a country I am hardly familiar with. As a student interested in current events, I was also able to understand the complex situation of Afghanistan, a country still embroiled in a great political turmoil.

3. Critical Analysis

 The Kite Runner has a unique style of presentation that makes the book one of important literary works. The book is presented in the form of personal narrative. The narrator of this book is the main character Amir, who is outwardly timid but describes his experiences in a style that is remarkably frank and relentless. The character’s frankness in dealing with his shameful past strengthens the book’s literary merit. The book contains many flashbacks that connect Amir’s present life to his childhood life that he secretly considers full of guilt and shame. In addition, the book covers many important themes such as jealousy and redemption, which are values that all people around the globe encounter in their important moments of life.

 4. About the Author

             The author of The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini, was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. He and his family moved to Paris in 1976, and Afghanistan, which was already in great political turmoil, was soon invaded by the Soviets, which determined Hosseini’s fate as an Afghan expatriate living in America. He earned his degree in biology and practiced medicine until he decided to become a writer. The Kite Runner is his debut novel. His second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, also received much praise from critics.

(link: http://www.khaledhosseini.com/hosseini-bio.html)

Citation:

1. Hosseini, Khaled. Biography. 2007. 23 Aug 2009 http://www.khaledhosseini.com/hosseini-bio.html.

2. “Six Impossible Things.” The Kite Runner. 2007. 23 Aug 2009 <http://6impossiblethings.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/the-kite-runner/>.