REVIEW THE KITE RUNNER

Khaled Hosseini is the author of The Kite Runner. Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965. In 1970 he and his family moved to Iran. In 1980 they moved to the United States and made their residence in California. Hosseini’s first novel, The Kite Runner, written in 2003, was an international bestseller, published in thirty-four countries. His second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, written in 2007 was also a number one bestseller. In 2006 he was named a goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Hosseini tells the story of the Afghan Amir, his childhood in Kabul, the flight to the United States and his final return to his country, which then is ruled by the Taliban.


In the first ten chapters we read about the friendship between the boys Amir and Hassan in Kabul. Hassan is the servant of Amir. Amir takes it for granted that Hassan is his best friend, but also cooking his food. It's clear that their unequal friendship will face sharply at last. It will happen: the loyal Hassan is sent by Amir on a quest for the kite. Hassan lays his hands on the kite, but is then attacked by some boys who want to take away the kite. While the boys beating Hassan, Amir sees it happen, but he doesn’t dare to intervene. Because he is ashamed of his cowardice he decides to turn away from Hassan: he no longer wants to face his own inability every day.

Hassan disappears and the emergence of the Taliban starts.
After the invasion of the Russians, Amir and his father flee to America. Amir and is father finally grow together.
Hosseini describes their activities and outlines the rapprochement between Amir and Baba.
When Baba dies, you can feel the sorrow drip off the pages.
After the death of Amir's father, the book could have come to an end, but Hosseini adds a final note to it. Amir returns to Afghanistan to visit his dying uncle. His uncle knows what happened between Amir and Hassan and he knows a big secret of Baba. He tells Amir the hole truth. In this part he says a beautiful line:

"If you kill someone, you steal a life," said Baba. "You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. If you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. If someone cheats, insert his right to just treatment. Can you follow? "

He tells Amir that he has a chance to make his fathers right. In order to do this will Amir must return to Afghanistan.
Amir is not only a thief; his father does not live with a clear conscience.
Rahim Khan tells Amir that he has a chance to make up the mistakes of his father.
In order to do so, Amir has to go back to Afghanistan.
During his journey through the ravaged Afghanistan is Amir behind. He also learns what happened to Hassan and after a depressing and gripping climax, an encounter with one of Hassan's former tormentors (coincidence!), Amir turns into a better person. He is no thief, but a hero.

That Hosseini is using two more chapters for this journey to tie up all the loose ends may be forgiven. After all the misery ends the book thankfully with a happy ending .