The Kite Runner

This was a very worthwhile read. The story was very involving and quite an emotional roller coaster. The characters were clearly drawn and the descriptive writing gave a clear sense of time and place. The image of Afghanistan given through the childish eyes of the narrator, Amir, paints a picture of a place of some wealth and culture. Not until the end of the book, the chauffeur Farid, tells him that he had had a sheltered existence. The effects of war and the horrors of Taliban rule were all there, but, for me, the enjoyment was in the characterisations and emotional strength. Amir’s sense of shame at letting down his friend and the same drawing back when asked to take the personal risk of returning to Kabul. He had to accept that it was the skill of Hassan’s son that finally saved them, together with the bravery of Farid. The period of being in exile in America, living in the Afghani community of San Francisco, doing what it takes to scrape a living regardless of what one did before, is reminiscent of so many refugees, who have no opportunity to use their skills. Soraya’s father seemed unable to accept his position, but Baba, once again showed his strength of character.
The following site makes an interesting read.
http://www.khaledhosseini.com/writing/index.php?p=3more-3