Book Review: The Kite Runner
Afghanistan.
To an outsider, especially who grew up around the 90s, this word is synonymous with vast empty deserts, men in black shalwar kameez with Kalashnikovs on their shoulders, women in long blue burkhas, orthodoxy, poverty, death, and terror. The Kite Runner however, is a window to another world where trees once bloomed with pomegranates, lanes smelt of kabob and kites flew in the bright clear skies as families cheered on. Written by Khaled Hosseini, this book is a journey of a young boy who grew up in the pre-Soviet-invasion Afghanistan and has to leave his motherland only to return years later to lighten the weight of his childhood wrongs.
The story is of Amir, a Pashtun boy from a well to do family and his Hazara help Hassan, who grew up with him just like his own. The novel is a riveting account of their childhood camaraderie, the heydays of Afghan families, the Russian invasion, the optimism of Taliban formation and the ultimate havoc caused to a country, which was never the same again. It is also a poignant tale of brotherhood, loyalty, innocence, deceit, desertion, and redemption.
The writing style is effective in its first-person approach and the use of simple language helps smooth transition through different emotions. The most impressive part though is the perfectly placed cliffhangers in between paragraphs right before the end of each chapter, making this a book difficult to put down.
For someone who prefers non-fiction but likes to occasionally indulge in creative storytelling, this book is a perfect match as it intertwines the main storyline with actual Afghanistan pretty well. The use of words like tashakor for thank you, nang and namoos for honor and pride, the mention of Mullah Nasruddin jokes, Buzkashi tournament and the Afghani wedding song Ahesta Boro gives the book a beautiful Afghan touch. An erudite narrative is reflected as poets like Khayyam, Hafez, Rumi, the Shahanama and the story of Rustom and Sohrab also find mention here. Reading about and traversing through Kabul, Karteh Seh, Hazarajat, the Kunduz region, Mahipar falls, and the Sher Darwaza mountain ranges is like experiencing Afghanistan yourself. How beautiful it is to read a book and travel to places you've never been before and live a little bit of that life through mere words.
Even though I ended up reading this book rather late, I'm glad to have picked it at just the right time and age to appreciate everything that it has to offer.
PS: I saw the movie and it made me like the storyline even more, with background music and proper visuals and all, but it misses out on the fine details that make this book an experience.
To an outsider, especially who grew up around the 90s, this word is synonymous with vast empty deserts, men in black shalwar kameez with Kalashnikovs on their shoulders, women in long blue burkhas, orthodoxy, poverty, death, and terror. The Kite Runner however, is a window to another world where trees once bloomed with pomegranates, lanes smelt of kabob and kites flew in the bright clear skies as families cheered on. Written by Khaled Hosseini, this book is a journey of a young boy who grew up in the pre-Soviet-invasion Afghanistan and has to leave his motherland only to return years later to lighten the weight of his childhood wrongs.
The story is of Amir, a Pashtun boy from a well to do family and his Hazara help Hassan, who grew up with him just like his own. The novel is a riveting account of their childhood camaraderie, the heydays of Afghan families, the Russian invasion, the optimism of Taliban formation and the ultimate havoc caused to a country, which was never the same again. It is also a poignant tale of brotherhood, loyalty, innocence, deceit, desertion, and redemption.
The writing style is effective in its first-person approach and the use of simple language helps smooth transition through different emotions. The most impressive part though is the perfectly placed cliffhangers in between paragraphs right before the end of each chapter, making this a book difficult to put down.
For someone who prefers non-fiction but likes to occasionally indulge in creative storytelling, this book is a perfect match as it intertwines the main storyline with actual Afghanistan pretty well. The use of words like tashakor for thank you, nang and namoos for honor and pride, the mention of Mullah Nasruddin jokes, Buzkashi tournament and the Afghani wedding song Ahesta Boro gives the book a beautiful Afghan touch. An erudite narrative is reflected as poets like Khayyam, Hafez, Rumi, the Shahanama and the story of Rustom and Sohrab also find mention here. Reading about and traversing through Kabul, Karteh Seh, Hazarajat, the Kunduz region, Mahipar falls, and the Sher Darwaza mountain ranges is like experiencing Afghanistan yourself. How beautiful it is to read a book and travel to places you've never been before and live a little bit of that life through mere words.
Even though I ended up reading this book rather late, I'm glad to have picked it at just the right time and age to appreciate everything that it has to offer.
PS: I saw the movie and it made me like the storyline even more, with background music and proper visuals and all, but it misses out on the fine details that make this book an experience.
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