The Kite Runner

“You are reading Kite Runner! Keep a box of tissues with you.” exclaimed my friend.

One of the books I loved and recommend to everyone nowadays is authored by a 40-year Afghan Doctor, Khaled Hosseini, now settled in the US. The book speaks about Amir and Hassan, childhood friends in beautiful and peaceful pre-soviet Afghanistan and life as they grow up.

The author amalgamates his memories of his motherland and the nostalgia of his childhood friendships in this 336 page marvel. In this Amir runs away from responsibility because he did not have courage to standup for his friend. Instead like a coward he distances himself from his friend.

The story is beautifully intertwined. There is so much joy in reading this book, because the author uses words from urdu to increase the impact. And increase impact it does, like you living in Afghanistan yourself. This book is all about fighting the ghost of the past, those open wounds you try to escape from.

Housseini stuck a personal chord with me. And the ghost of my past caught up with me, curled up with me, along with the sorrow of Amir, I ached too. There was a constant use of the box of tissues, from cry of pain to tears of joy; this book takes you through a gamut of emotions. It also checks your justification for your redemption.

Undoubtedly a book is a man’s best friend and his worst enemy. Trust me, this book does quite a bit of soul stirring. The Kite Runner is a must-must-read.

Rating: 5.0 / 5.0