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Has anyone read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini? I thought it was such a brilliant book and I would love to discuss. It gives such a brief yet vivd insight into the social histroy of Afghanistan.
It is so incredibly moving and gripping that i had to very reluctantly force myself to put it down. It was outstanding and considering it is Hosseini's first published book makes it even more exceptional.
I'd like to know what anyone else thinks...
I haven't read it but my history teacher recommended it to me, and for a while now I've been thinking about reading it (of course, I would have to find a copy from somewhere first) but I haven't had much time.
Was it really that good? What about it made it so "gripping"? I'm not familiar with Afghan history so there might be something obvious about it that I've missed.
Your opinion may differ but I found the book so gripping because of the way Hosseini manages to bring his characters to life without actually doing much and I realised that Hosseini had made me do all the work, his characters became my characters. Hosseini merely provides you with a mould that you are free to do whatever you please with.
It is set partly during the last days of the monarchy into the Taliban Regime when the country is in turmoil (and still is today). Hosseini makes you feel as though you are there in Afghanisthan, walking along the dusty roads with the strong smell of curried lamb and spices. He gives such a brilliant insight into the values of the Afghan culture, which I believe to be are honour and love. As the story progressed I began to feel love for the characters and I developed a deep respect for them. He also shows many faces of guilt, redemption and fear.
There is a certain point in the book that had me in tears, the language is so potent and compelling that I just couldn't control myself.
One of the wonderfull things about the Kite Runner, is the anti-hero. The main character is plausible and authentic, and his personal development is thrilling as well as antagonising.
The language is simply gorgeuos. there is a seductive play with words, that constantly leaves the heart beating.
I would try it for sure. It seems like a good book. I used to love flying Kites but now, I don't like it at all.
"Basant" is coming and I don't want it to come and there were days, when I used to wish for it to come. It was lovely to see around, flying Kites and music playing and a crowd of people on the roof but now, it does not attract me because I think that "Flyiing Kites" is dangerous.
I have heard good things about this book from several friends and now from you, too. I picked it up at my used book store today and hopefully will get to it soon, I'll come back and post when I'm done.
Spoilers Warning
The Kite-Runner is an amazing book. It is one of those books that I have completed in one-go, for I was so much interested in "how Amir was going to re-pay Hassan and whether he was going to find him or not" and the ending struck me.
Though I knew that there was something different about how Amir's Baba was treating Hassan but still, I thought it was his gentle nature. Amir's Baba's definition of sins and all those stuff, I never got the idea that he could be Hassan's Baba as well.
All those times, when Amir never considered Hassan a good friend, I felt a great pity for Hassan and an immense dislike for Amir but then, when Aamir re-paid his debt to Hassan by adopting Hassan's son and his own newphew, then I thought if Suhrab had forgiven him, then how couldn't I...
In fact, I liked the book very much, though it was very poignant. I wonder if Khaled Hossaini has written some other books, I will like to read them too.
:argue: I teach the book in my World Lit classes. The perspectives of my students are astounding! This novel is a great one to use for discussion.
Hi eteacher, welcome to the forum!
To which grade, do you teach this novel, by the way?
I read a summary about its plot..and what's talking about..
Sadly I never got the chance to buy it...since I couldn't find it where I live..
I thought The Kite Runner was brilliant. The language was incredibly vivid, and I absolutely fell in love with Amir's character, but then hated him at the same time for what he was doing to Hassan. The book is just magical.
Hi, I love this book, it's probally one of my top 5 books. I found 4 themes in the book and i was wondering how you thought the themes were developed throught the book.
Strength of the Character
The fragile relationship between father and son
Loyalty and devotion
Man;s inhumanity to man
Hello book-lover353, I can't reply to your topic as I haven't read it yet, but I'll look it up.
Welcome to the forums.
Yes, these themes deal with the whole novel perfectly. Both strength of character and loyalty/devotion can be described by looking at Hassan's character, how much he protected Aamir. He didn't even change after the bad treatment by Aamir.Quote:
Originally Posted by book-lover353
Now if we come on the topic of father's and son's relationship, it did not astonish me much. The way he treated Aamit too, showed that he was guilty about what he did but he could not have shared it with Aamir. He was not supposed to be proud after what he did. And by looking at Pushtuns way of living and stuff, we could not have expected him to accept Hassan as his son in eyes of even public. (Though, it's what he should have done!)
Very nice, also with the father and son relationship, Amir thought that his father was pround of him, so he was always lying to make his father proudQuote:
Originally Posted by Pensive
To what extent do you feel, are the characters controlled by social/racial discrimination and guilt/shame?
Social/racial discrimination- not a lot.
Guilt/shame- a lot.
Certainly guilt seems to be the primary concern/motivation. Such a moving book, I really must read it again after exams etc :)
just started reading it....
To what extent was your inspiration for reading it guilt/social discrimination?Quote:
just started reading it....
i'm just now on the third chapter...and i LOVE it.
i'm on the third chapter but so far it seems alot like both of them 2 me
hey pensive, he does have another book: "A thousand splendid suns"
i haven't seen it or read but i heard it was really good.and it should be in stores right now.
Trust me, the story just keeps getting better and better :D
Yes, heard about it a few months ago. :) Even searched for it in the book shop nearby but no luck!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Muffin
I just heard that they're making a movie of it. I saw a preview. Hopefully it will be a good transition.
i read this book on the recommendation of several people. i didn't love it. i didn't feel a "connection" with any of the characters. that doesn't happen to me often, but i just couldn't get into the book. i wanted to like it. :(
The great thing about the kite runner is that it presents a sensational story without having it feel cheap. The primary metaphor of the book, the kite runner, is a very elegant touch as it does much to enhance the sense of nostalgia and tragedy (you will know what I mean if you read the novel). The most enticing aspect of this novel is that everything seems to fall right where the belong; the plot really comes to a full circle by the end of the novel, and you will put the book down with a sympathetic note. Though I did immensely enjoy the Kite Runner, Hosseini's second novel was a sort of disappointment. It read like a novel with recycled characters from the Kite Runner, and the plot itself felt contrived and somewhat rushed. In any case, this is a good read; it is not extraordinary or brilliant, but it is certainly enough to keep the pages turning without you feeling like you're indulging in a guilty pleasure.
We read it in school.
My view on reading books in school -
IT KILLS THE BOOK!
I've usually already read the book that we study, but I had never read this one. So in the end, I didn't like it very much.
I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as amazing as it's hyped up to be.
Nevertheless, a good and moving read. 9/10.
In Central Asian cultures, the pomegranate tree is symbolic because its fruit is cherished as a life enhancer. In the story, a pomegranate tree is barren. Its sterility is a reflection of certain character's deficiencies as well as that of the terrible conditions of that society under the Taliban and Soviet invasions and the resulting instability.
I loved this book.
Discussion for what I missed on 11/20/07
I absolutely hated this section of the book! Hopefully the content will start changing so I can enjoy it! After all it is a best seller!
Throughout chapters 6-9 I wanted to strangle Amir! How could any human being treat a fellow human being in this manner, especially with how close Hassan and Amir were? With every new event I knew Amir could not get any worse, but it just kept escalating. This section truly lets Amir’s true character shine. I understand obtaining the blue kite is important for Amir’s relationship with his father, but he let Hassan get raped in exchange! “Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” (Hosseini 77). This is terrible! I know Amir wants a true father-son relationship, but he should figure out by now that this is never going to happen. Even though he wins the tournament and gets the blue kite, within weeks their relationship goes back to the way it was. Amir should realize that his relationship with Hassan is more important, and now because of his cruel actions it will never be the same!
I could also not get past how Amir describes Hassan’s face right before he gets raped. “It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb” (76). He goes on to say that the lamb had a look “that its imminent demise is for a higher purpose” (77). Since Amir is comparing Hassan to the lamb, he is comparing himself to a higher purpose. Again he is showing his power over Hassan, and again I want to strangle him.
As the book continues, poor Hassan feels he is the one to blame for the new rift in their friendship. He tries to make things better by talking to Amir and asking him to go play. “I don’t know what I’ve done…You can tell me, I’ll stop doing it” (88). Amir should be the one who feels bad not Hassan. Amir should be begging Hassan to forgive him and to play with him, not the other way around! When Amir finally does go to supposedly read to Hassan, he turns on him once again. He repeatedly throws pomegranates at him, wanting Hassan to throw them back. Again Amir is being selfish trying to rid himself of guilt, but he is just hurting Hassan even more.
No matter what Amir does, Hassan will not turn his back on him. He is a loyal friend and servant. This whole thing would not have started if Hassan had not stood up for Amir against Assef in the first place. The ultimate loyalty was from Hassan taking the blame for the stolen money and watch. He could have said he did not take it and Baba would have believed him, but he did not. He knew that all Amir wanted was a good relationship with his father, and he was willing to lie to help his friend. I heard that in class you guys discussed Hassan as a Christ figure, and I strongly agree with this correlation. Hassan took all the beatings, all the hard events in order to protect and help Amir. This is just like Christ dying for us. Hassan is an amazing character! I just wish for once he would turn around and tell off Amir or punch him, but that would change all of his views.
I could talk forever about this section of Kite Runner! There were so many passages that aggravated me, upset me, and angered me. I wanted to cry and scream at the same time!
Also, one last question. I noticed a lot of description in this section including colors. Does anyone have any thoughts on why Hosseini did this or if there is any symbolism in it?
In response to your comments flgirl073, I'd like to bring up the fact that those in the lower class in both Kite Runner and God of Small Things ironically seem to be more righteous and "rich" in true character than those of the upper class who are supposed to be better than the subordinate people in all of their attributes. Yet, the fact that they are essentially better in humanistic qualities is protrayed in both their actions with an accomdating literary element of symbolism. For instance, Velutha's name means white in Malayalam even though Velutha was outwardly black in color. This could perhaps symbolize the typical pure sense that he attains within him that remains untainted. In addition, the fact that Hasan is a symbol for a lamb is quite intriguing to me because lambs are typically white thus exemplifying his purity as well. However, Hasan's purity is tainted by the blood that spilled in a particular scene (when he was being sacrificed). Perhaps both authors were using their novels to demonstrate their discontent for labeling humans for just their blood and not by their deeds and personalities.
I think that there is a great deal of racial/social discrimination in the Kite Runner that affects the characters. It is a huge factor in Amir and Hassan's relationship. It helps explain Hassan's feeling of inferiority and his loyalty to Amir, because their society views Hazaras as inferior. This is why Hassan does not have the opportunity to obtain the education that Amir has. "Words were secret doorways and [Amir] held all the keys" (30). Amir also uses it to try to justify not helping Hassan when Assef attacks him; "[Hassan] was just a Hazara, wasn't he? (77).
I also noticed a similarity to God of Small Things in The Kite Runner with the use of music. In the God of Small Things, music is used as a symbol of feminism for Mammachi and Ammu. When Mammachi is married, she is forced to give up her passions (her music). This happens in the Kite Runner as well with Khala Jamila. When she marries the general, she must also forfeit her passion for music; "That she never sing in public had been one of the general's conditions when they had married" (177). Music is a symbol for both women's liberation to pursue their happiness that is denied by the men in their lives.
I also noticed that the small things are also valued highly in the Kite Runner. Amir comments about how little things make marriage more special; "Soraya and I settled into the routines- and minor wonders- of married life. We shared toothbrushes and socks, passed each other the morning paper. she slept on the right side of the bed, I preferred the left. She liked fluffy pillows, I liked the hard ones" (181). He also mentions it when he talks about his mother later on in the book.
This does not relate to God of Small Things, but I loved what Amir says about cliches; "I always thought cliches got a bum rap. Because often, they're dead on. But the aptness of the cliched saying is overshadowed by the nature of the saying as a cliche" (197). I thought this view of language was fascinating, and very accurate. Amir hit the nail on the head with this one. ha ha ha Anyway, it's interesting to see how the words and phrases that we choose are really important, especially to a writer like Amir.
One other part jumped out at me from this section when Amir is speaking to Rahim Khan. Rahim says, "We're a melancholic people, we Afghans, aren't we? Often, we wallow too much in ghamkhori and self-pity. We give in to loss, to suffering, accept it as a fact of life, even see it as necessary" (201). This is so true of Amir. He cannot forget what happened in his past, and instead of trying to make amends, he lets it haunt him. However, it is not true of all Afghans in this book. Much like Velutha, Hassan focuses on the good things in life, and trys to be happy. Letting guilt eat away at you is a terrible way to deal with problems. Amir, Estha, and Rahel show that it is impossible to just pretend like the bad things didn't happen. The only way to healthily deal with problems is to confront them directly.
Hi
i just finished the book and i loved it. Books really get me, and this one was very powerfrul.
there are some very powerful quotations:
" as words from the koran reverberated through the room, i thought of the old story of baba wrestling the black bear in baluchistan. baba has wrestled bears his whole life" (174).
the "bears" in everyone's life defines him or her. they represent sorrow, loss, fear, and rejection. for baba, the loss of his wife and homeland help define his character, and shape him into the man he has become.
"i reached across the table and put my hand on his. my student hand, clean and soft, on his laborers hand, grubby and calloused. i thought of the all the trucks, train sets, and bikes he'd bought me in Kabul. now america. one last gift for amir" (130).
these gifts symbolize baba's love for amir. amir does feel that his brother hates him becuase he cries and is not tough, but ultimately baba loves amir. he may seem to be "buying" amir with all the toys and material gifts baba gives amir, but baba's sacrifice of his homeland was out of love for amir.
"well, people need stories to divert them at difficult times like this" (139).
this line reiterates the fact that many people divert their attention to other's stories so he/she does not dwell on his/her sorrow. these stories come in many forms, such as, books, television, or gossip. these stories allow one to drift from reality and focus on someone else's misfortunes.
This book really reached out to me. It was very emotional, and was able to convey emotions to the reader, an exceptional piece of work. More than once I was brought to tears while reading this book. Sohrab attempting suicide was one of those moments. This book reached into my soul and evoked such powerful emotions that when I put down the book I suddenly realized how much I had read, and how long it had been and was amazed at how much I had covered without realizing it.
The pomegranate tree is cherished in Central Asian cultures as a sustainer of life. In Kite Runner, the two principle characters exchange stories under the shade of such a tree. But, we are told, the tree does not bear fruit. Its barrenness is a reflection of the utterly sterile character of some people, and indeed of society, in the book. This was best illustrated by Hassan who was not Amir's cousin, but his half-brother! In his brief life he did not know that his father was sterile and, evidently, neither did anyone else.
Amir is deprived of the moral character to fight unlike his huge father. He is so deprived of manly character that he is saved by Hassan and later by the child Sohrab.
Afghani politics is mentioned throughout the book and it is clear that the author views that society as one lacking rectitude, constructivism, and progress. It is a society whose weakness of character literally invites the type of exploitation and depredations that were brought on the Mongol hordes, the Soviets, and now the Taliban.
Thus, the pomegranate tree (a supposed sustainer of life) reveals a story or series of stories, not of life and of progress, but one of decay and moral sterility.
On page 213 it says "'The war is over, Hassan,' I said. 'there's going to be peace, Inshallah, and happiness and calm. No more rockets, no more killing, no more funerlas!' But he just turned off the radio and asked if he could get me anything before he went to bed.
A few weeks later, the Taliban banned kite fightin. And two years later, in 1998, they massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif."
It's ironic because the Taliban were their saviors, they pushed out the Russians. Yet they are far worse than the Russians, worse than the Vietnamese or the Koreans in fact. It reminds me of a short story I once read called the "Monkey's Paw" or something like that. Anyway in that story the one who owned the monkey's paw had three wishes; there was however a deadly catch. You would get what you wished for, but you would have to lose something else because nothing is free. So the man who obtained it wished for 200 pounds (money not weight) and he got it, but his son died for it.
Same thing in Kite Runner the people wished/prayed for the Russians to leave/be defeated, and it happened, but something worse took their place.
On page 300 a curious thing occurs, "Aisha asked him something in Urdu. He paid her no attention and scanned the room with his eyes. I thought he looked at me longer than necessary. When the nurse spoke to him again, he just spun around and left."
First thought in my head was "oh no Assef has found him." It could possibly have foreshadowed his execution by the Taliban. Fortunately he was able to get out of that area before anything materialized.
Overall, this book was FANTASTIC!
No wonder it's a bestseller!
It's interesting how almost all of the characters have some kind of secrets hidden from each other and they all come out at the end. Also, some of the characters change so much after they have moved. For example, Baba changes the way he feels about Amir's writing, and for once, he is proud of Amir. In the end, Amir learns his lesson and gets what he deserves. But I was thinking about this quotation: " 'It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime' " (Hosseini 142). This made me realize that if only Amir had stood up to Assef twenty years earlier, maybe Hassan would be in America with him and Baba.
This novel was emotional and intense. I have NEVER cried while reading a book, but this book changed that too! The emotions are extremely intense and understable to any human being. I enjoyed this book a lot!
After reading the Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam, I saw so many comparisons between it and The Kite Runner.
First of all talk about irony, which of course fills the pages of the Kite Runner. It was completely depressing how Sohrab spends so much of his time looking for his father and his father ends up being the man who slays him, and in Rostam's point of view he kills the person he cares for the most in the world.
Second I saw so much of a comparison between both Hassan and Sohrab.
Both Baba and Rostam are seen as these great men who in secret had some sort of realtionship with women they were not supposed to be with (Baba: a Hazara, Rostam: a Turkish princess) and in result their sons are born without their knowledge. So when Sohrab and Hazan grow up niether know who their father's are and yet both of them end up dying for them in some way. Sohrab dies by his father's hand not knowing it was his father at first, and Hassan dies in trying to protect the house for Baba and Amir without knowing that Baba was actually his father.