Afghan born author and physician Khaled Hosseini has produced a masterpiece in his debut fiction novel ‘The Kite Runner’. A story of two boys in Afghanistan on one level and Afghan immigrants in America on the other level, it beautifully captures all virtues and vices- humanity, friendship and loyalty, cruelty, longing for acceptance, redemption and survival. The protagonist Amir is a pashtun, who occupies a privileged place in afghani society. Readers’ have constantly sympathized with him, cheered for him and felt angry with him at different points. A narration through the mouth of Amir, it seems to be a book of confessions by a grown up man in America who recollects his childhood days on the soil of Afghanistan. The verbal portrait of the hills and valleys of Afghanistan leaves the readers mesmerized.
Starting with the childhood days of two young boys, the story moves forward, describing the lives of an Afghani family alongside the political turmoil emerging on the land of Pashtuns. Author artistically knits a story where childhood best friends turn out to be brothers! Author’s description of land of Afghanistan has an element of visual imagery, where one is not merely reading the book but traveling with the characters. The title of the book can be owed to the enthusiastic but illiterate Hassan who is a gifted kite runner. The author has made an effort to introduce to the readers the social fabric of the Afghani society and the inherent class conflict by introducing a villain in the story as Assef, a bully with rancor towards Hazaras. As the city observes the traditional kite running day, Amir and Hassan emerge as winners. Hassan’s sufferings, sacrifice and silence expose the bitter realities of the Afghani society, making it a must read for every man interested in knowing the life in Afghanistan intrinsically, though avoidable for the young minds!
Khaled has not over-emphasized or undermined the painful transition that Afghanistan goes through in these two decades, thus reducing Afghanistan to a battle field where life was reduced to a struggle for survival. Such circumstances forced millions of Afghanis to flee their home land and take shelter abroad.
“There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood.” This is how author portrays the dismal state of affairs in his homeland.
Throughout the reading experience, the readers find it hard to keep down the book as the story keeps one so engrossed and involved. The “what next” curiosity is maintained right from the beginning of the novel.
Twice in the book, Amir’s life takes a twist giving goose bumps to the readers.
Some years down the line, life gives Amir “a chance to be good again” and that marks the climax of the story. Amir arrives to learn that Hassan was in fact his half-brother. Just as Amir decides to retrieve Hassan’s son it is unfolded that the Taliban leader who had taken away Hassan’s son Sohrab turns out to be Assef, the neighbourhood bully who hated Hassan in their childhood days because of his hazara descent.
After passing all the acid tests, Amir succeeds in taking the traumatized and withdrawn Sohrab back to the US. Slowly the silence between Amir and Sohrab breaks and a new start of their lives marks the end of the novel. On an emotional note, Amir pledges to teach him the art of kite flying, recalling the phrase as said by Hassan "For you, a thousand times over.”As we reach the end of it the characters became real and it becomes difficult to put the book down and bid adieu to their world.
Book Review: Divya Malhotra, Junior Content Writer, GoBangalore
