The Kite Runner, a review

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

My review

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

A devastating and inspiring work, if a flawed one. On the positive side, there are beautiful and heart-rending descriptions of both Afghanistan and the friendship at the heart of this book. It's impossible not to be profoundly moved by the journey of the narrator and protagonist Amir— geographically from his boyhood home in Kabul to his adult residence near San Francisco, and ultimately, the denouement of his trip back to Afghanistan. Amir's spiritual journey is no less affecting, as he struggles to overcome internal demons brought about by his complicity in tragedy. Where The Kite Runner trips up is in the improbable twists of plot leading Amir on his path. Characters reappear in convenient places and their actions are so symbolic and useful to the narrative that they wind up seeming contrived. None of this ruins the overall power of the book, but its formulaic presentation makes Hosseini's writing seem fit more for Hollywood than for literature.


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