the kite runner

As I've said in the past, when it comes to reviewing books, I'm not the most eloquent. I tend to ramble on or give too much away. However, I think I've come up with a good formula now that I've finished another book.

The Kite Runner -- by Khaled Hosseini

Visceral. Eye-opening. Intriguing. Gripping. Heart-wrenching.
Although each of the previous is descriptive, raw would have to be far and away the single-most fitting adjective I could tag this novel with. There is so much raw emotion bared throughout the story that explaining it any other way is tough. Set initially in Kabul, Afghanistan prior to the Russian invasion, the story introduces you to the culture that existed through the eyes and life of a young boy, Amir. Amir is the son of a wealthy businessman, and his best friend Hassan is their servant's son - a Hazara, a Shi'a Muslim of primarily Mongolian descent, both attributes which marked them as despised minorities. You follow Amir's life, as he encounters bullies, tension with his father, exodus from his home after the Russians have invaded, immigration to California, and eventually returning to visit his home (under Taliban rule) for one last time. This lifelong journey exposes the many internal struggles he deals with, the torturous secret he carries with him, and the self-redemptive awakening he reflects on. I also say the book is raw because Hosseini held nothing back in describing some of the most gruesome events in Amir's life, but he also expresses the sheer joy and lightness that comes from those moments of bliss. The book is real; real as in the ending is not quite happy, but it is not quite sad or tragic either, the book conveys life as we experience it. There is tragedy, victory, emotional scarring, danger, joy, and anything else you could think of; in the end Amir and his family must learn to live with the consequences of it all, both positive and negative. Though, in my estimation, things were beginning to look up for them all... and I closed the book with a hopeful grin.

I recommend checking it out, it's a great book. As for me, on to the next book... Cheers!