The Kite Runner

If you are looking for a heart-warming book in which the characters live happily ever after, do not read this novel. I have heard many great reviews regarding The Kite Runner and needless to say I was not disappointed. This novel is powerful, moving, and dynamic. I believe that everyone needs to read this book at least once in their life or you are missing out. The Kite Runner is a story that follows a multitude of themes from redemption, father-son relationships, guilt, loyalty, and betrayal. The protagonist Amir is the son of a wealthy Afgan man and continually suffers from inner turmoil in regards to his friendship with his friend Hassan and relationship with his father. Through a series of unfortunate and heart-breaking events during his youth Amir must learn what it means to hold himself accountable for his past mistakes and fight for redemption in his future. The main character in this book is one that you will hate, albeit begin to understand as the novel progresses. Oftentimes, in novels the characters will be perfect and make little to no mistakes and undergo minor character development. However, one reason The Kite Runner is a great book is because of how realistic and transparent the personality of the characters are portrayed. In his book Hosseini writes his characters with real flaws that provide more depth and humanize who they are. The various thoughts, actions, and emotions of Hosseini’s character’s frustrate the reader because we do not understand how they can continually behave in a manner that is destructive to both themselves and those around them. Nonetheless, Hosseini builds on the imperfections of his characters and it provides for character development and growth during the novel. I believe the pacing within any book is an important component to the overall progression of a novel. Many times the pacing is too fast, too slow, but rarely is it just right. However, The Kite Runner contained great pacing which further enhanced the authentic feeling of the book. In his youth, the main character Amir can be characterized as cowardice, disloyal, unaccountable, and envious. In one scene during the novel Amir watches his best friend get assaulted by a group of neighborhood bullies and does not intervene to save his friend. This event in the novel leads to a turning point in their friendship in which Amir and Hassan become distant until one day Hassan and his father move out and away from Amir and his father. During this time the Taliban take over Afghanistan and Amir and his father journey to America to build a new life. Until years later, when Amir is much older does his father’s old business partner, Rahim Khan, call him back to Afghanistan and tell him “Come. There is a way to be good again” (192). This gradual pacing in regards to Amir’s journey to redemption again creates a realistic tone for the novel. In his book Hosseini demonstrates how people often wallow in self-pity and guilt for a prolonged period of time before achieving a state of acceptance for our faults. The Kite Runner reveals that change may not occur overnight, over a week, over a month, or even a year; but sometimes it takes time and maturity to grow as individuals and work to rectify our past inadequacies. The Kite Runner is a novel that both teenagers and adults can gain valuable lessons from. Whether that pertains to how cultural influences can affect our lives, the power of the various relationships we have, and how one moment can change the trajectory of your life forever.