Amir is the privileged boy, living in a large home in a wealthy area of Kabul, Afghanistan. Hassan is his servant and constant companion although, separated by social class and cultural stigma, they can never truly be friends. When the Afghan Civil War begins, it signals tremendous changes – though in very, very different ways, neither of their lives will ever be the same.

I fully expected to be blown away by this book given all the hype surrounding it in the years since publication. The first half was riveting, but it seemed to lose some momentum later on. I’d still heartily recommend it, especially for the presentation of Afghani culture and the fascinating competitive kite-flying events, something I’d never heard of before.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was intriguing and quite strong. It is the kind of book which is hard to put down. It really opens up your eyes to the history of Afghanistan. I would definitely recommend it.

I actually read this book after reading the author’s second book, and I liked that one better. I found this one slow and predictable.

Parts of the narrative are terribly cliched, but you’ll have to admit it’s a very compelling read. I couldn’t put it down. The basic themes of betrayal and redemption are beautifully filled out over a multi-generational saga. Recommended.

The story is a little too “on the nose.” The ending is predictable, and the bad character is rotten to the core, which I find unrealistic. But there’s no question it generates some emotion and has something meaningful to say about forgiveness.

interesting read, particularly after reading My Forbidden face, this is a man/boy’s view of events in Afghanistan before, during and after the Taliban. An interesting read.

Hmmmm .. well i sorta have mixed reactions about this one !! At times it seems like a major take off from a bollywood movie .. all those clichés !!! But then the story is surely engrossing .. The characters so aloof but then relatable at the same time .. And yes the depiction of the battered Afghanistan in the second half is heart wrencing !! Not an amazing read , but then it was kinda kwel !! Duntcha think ???

I think this is a good book abeit a little morning, but worth reading for a slice of a certain kind of life. I read it on a plane that was delayed 8 hours previous, so really it was good I had to struggle through reading it, since it suited the situation.

it took me an inordinate amount of time to read this book, albeit I have been buried in school work this entire time. But I feel kind of bitter that I still had it on my shelf and hadn’t finished it. It was a like a meal that you had to finish but realized you didn’t love from the first bite. It was good, but not spectacular.

I got terribly bored.

I enjoy fiction that opens a door to a place I’ve never been. Hosseini gives us a glimpse into Afghanistan in the 70s & 80s, expatriate life in the US in the 90s, and a small look at the Taliban era. He paints a universal portrait of love, jealousy, betrayal, guilt & redemption. There are few brutal scenes that are difficult to get past, but carry on – the book is worth finishing!

I found this book emotionally manipulative and overly sentimental. While the setting is fresh, the plot itself is cliche and tired, and sometimes the dialog is outright laughable for its soap opera qualities. (“My whole life is a lie, goddamn it!” Cue violins.) The author relies too heavily on sentence fragments and the word “goddamn” for effect, and it gets old fast. All in all, typical bestseller schlock. It reads like the guy had his movie option in mind, and I’m sure this will soon show up on the big screen starring Adrian Brody with a spray-on tan or something. Yawn. It was nice reading a book about Afghanistan though. I just wish it were a better book.

I’ve been fascinated by Afghanistan since the mid-80s when Afghan refugees started streaming into Delhi, where I lived. I was enchanted by their beauty and their brutal past. (Then there was the short story “Kabuliwala” that made me cry.) The The Kite Runner opened up their world to me — the way it was, the way greed and religion changed it.

I could also find resonance in Hosseini’s described culture and, of course, the basic and recognizable flaws of his people.

Some of the plot was too pat — a bit of the pathos seemed forced, but stayed, just barely, within this side of plausible. Still, it did me good to read this. Someday I hope to visit Kabul.

All I wanted to do was read this book. It’s an engaging story, written in a manner where one could forget it’s not actually Hosseini’s own memoir.

I’m about halfway through this book, and I just can’t read it fast enough. This is the first book I’ve read in a long time where I could not put it down. It’s really well written and engaging.

While a little hard to read at times (not because of the physical writting, which was great but because of the subject matter), this book really hits the whole redemption issue on the head. I would highly recommend it!

This is the kind of sweeping narrative that will entertain any reader. The writing is wonderful, and the story heartfelt.

I know shit about Afghanistan. Now I know more. Not only that I read a totally engaging well told story. My wife finished the book on the drive down to our beach house for the holiday weekend. I picked it up saturday morning and finished it that night. I even choose to read it instead of surfing (ok, the surf was shit anyway), but the book was great!

Loved it; at it’s heart a story about a boy and his relationship with his Dad and their shared sins from the past. Set in Afghanistan before and during the time of the Taliban. Made me cry, but was wonderful.

repeat