This book is worth reading because it very accurately describes the self-destructive power of regret and jealousy.

The book also illustrates how important it is to stand up for what you believe in and that through having faith are you able to forgive yourself and let go of regret.

This book is worth reading because it very accurately describes the self-destructive power of regret and jealousy.

The book also illustrates how important it is to stand up for what you believe in and that through having faith are you able to forgive yourself and let go of regret.

This book was hyped a lot but afterward I was a bit disappointed. The initial style seemed a bit simplistic, but soon I got into it and was really enjoying the descriptions of life growing up in the various periods of Amir’s childhood. The pivotal events were shocking and heart wrenching, and quite emotional. However the second half of the book as the sequelae of the earlier events played out was too unconvincing, too corny, too “hollywood” for my liking. Maybe it will make a good movie as audiences sometimes can accept these faults in a film in exchange for the style, the visuals and cinamatography and performances of the actors. However as a book it lacked a bit for me.

I found this book to be incredibly powerful. I had to take a break afterward before starting another one, just to let it all sink in. I’ve heard several people say they couldn’t get into it at the beginning, but for whatever reason I didn’t notice it being slow. I for one had never read a novel that took place in Afghanistan and it offered an unflinching eye into the culture and the changes that have taken place in recent years. There were several “coincidences” that made the plot a tad unrealistic, but it certainly made for a good story. Some of the images from this book will stay with me for a long time.

the kite runner tells a story of a young boy named Amir, who lives in Kabul, Afghanistan. And has been pampered for most of his life… this book is a 9/10. trust me, i cant give anything away.

Amazon.co.uk Review and back cover of the book:
“Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the approval of his father and resolves to win the local kite-fighting tournament, to prove that he has the makings of a man. His loyal friend Hassan promises to help him – for he always helps Amir – but this is 1970s Afghanistan and Hassan is merely a low-caste servant who is jeered at in the street, although Amir still feels jealous of his natural courage and the place he holds in his father’s heart. But neither of the boys could foresee what would happen to Hassan on the afternoon of the tournament, which was to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return, to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption. .
The first Afghan novel to be written in English, The Kite Runner begins in the final days of King Zahir Shah’s 40-year reign and traces the country’s fall from a secluded oasis to a tank-strewn battlefield controlled by the Russians and then the trigger-happy Taliban.”

Do not read the review on Amazon, it gives too much away of the storyline.

A beautiful book! Just the ending gets a bit too frantic for its own good, I don’t think it quite fits with the rest of the book. But still, well worth reading and a lot more gripping than I expected.
The beginning is a fairly typical coming of age story and just when it all slowed down and I started to loose interest, something unexpected happened and we were off again to a new development in the storyline. That happened several times.
The beginning of the story is definitely the most poetic part, but I also loved the part with the weekly market and Amir meeting Soraya. When Amir eventually goes back to Kabul, what happens is not a great surprise, I predicted it almost down to the details, but it still kept me up until 3am this morning. I just had to finish the last 100 or so pages in one sitting.
Very good! Oh, just in case you are wondering, I was crying on page 299….

I thought it was a great book. I do agree that it was slow in the beginning but once you get going, I really began to get involved in the story. It gave me a different perspective of the Afghan culture. All in all, I thought it was good. I recommend it.

REALLY SLOW at the beginning, but after the midpoint, becomes more worthwhile. Not bad, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

I liked the book. I didn’t love it but it was sad enough to cry. There were too many coincidences and the story tied itself up too neatly that some parts were corny like in a predictable movie. Overall, it’s a good read.