Kite Runner by Khaled Husseini

Kite Runner by Khaled Husseini

 It is a story about guilt, regret, repentance, war, devastation, love, innocence, jealousy, and various human emotions.

Set up in the backdrop of a culturally rich Afghanistan, Kite Runner is the tale narrated by a little boy who grows in an affluent environment.

Amir admires his father who is a rich and courageous man, respected in his community. However, Amir does not get the kind of encouragement he expected from his father. The father loved Hasan, the son of their servant equally. Sometimes he had more praises for Hasan than for Amir. The father found Amir too timid and wanted him to become as brave as Hasan.

Both Amir and Hasan grow up in Kabul flying kites and playing together in pomegranate orchards. While Amir would fly kites deftly, Hasan would run to get the kites he brought down.

On one occasion, which was a big kite festival in Kabul, Amir wins by cutting the last kite in the sky. For him, this victory was more important as it gave him a chance to earn respect in his father’s eyes.

Father did appreciate Amir’s achievement.

Exhilarated, Amir asks Hasan to bring the last kite that he had cut. Hasan runs. When he does not return for long, Amir goes to look for him. What he sees shocks him. Amir freezes. Another rich kid of mixed race is sodomising Hasan while rich kid’s friends were watching and holding Hasan.

It was revenge. In the past, this rich kid had tried to bully Amir but couldn’t succeed as Hasan stood as a wall. The rich kid felt humiliated and vouched to teach Hasan a lesson.

Shock freezes Amir. He wants to save Hasan but is unable to dare.

Amir comes back to his father and pretends to be unaware of what Hasan has gone through. His life with guilt starts from this day.

Hasan goes into his shell. He wants to recreate the relation he shared with Amir but fails.

Amir does things to get rid of his guilt. He quietly gives all his money and an expensive watch, which his father had given him as a birthday present.

Father finds out and, thinking all the gifts were stolen, asks Hasan and his father to leave the house.

Time passes. Amir is happy to get undivided attention of his father but dwells in guilt when alone.

Afghanistan sees the emergence of Taliban. Soon, there is exodus. Amir and his father also leave.

They end up taking refuge in the US. Life changes its course.

Amir’s father works hard and sends son to good school. Amir becomes a writer and marries an Afghani girl Soraya, settled in the US.

Father dies. Amir and Soraya are unable to have children. Amir thinks it is a curse and God’s way of telling him what he deserves for not coming to the rescue of Hasan.

After father’s death, Amir receives a letter from his father’s best and closest friend Ali. The letter had another shock waiting for Amir.

After the death of Amir’s mother, his father had slept with Servant’s wife, who gave birth to Hasan.

Father also lived in guilt and therefore tried to give all those comforts and material things what he gave to Amir. What he couldn’t give Hasan was dignity and the family name.

Ali in his letter asks Amir to go to Afghanistan and bring Hasan’s son to put him in some orphanage. Hasan’s parents have been killed by Taliban.

Amir goes back to Afghanistan and sees Hasan’s son is serving as one of the objects for a militant, who is the same rich boy who had sodomised Hasan.

After much torture and violence, Amir is able to bring Hasan’s son to Pakistan.

Thinking that this may be the chance to repent on what he did to Hasan, Amir now wants to adopt his son. Fighting too many legal battles, he takes Hasan’s son to the US.

It takes long for Hasan’s son to adjust to a new and normal life but eventually he does smile!

(The way the story has been narrated is amazing. I felt transported to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and to the US as well. I lived every emotion with the characters. I cried in their pain and smiled in their happiness. It turned out to be the best-written books I may have read so far. I was compelled to write, though it may spoil the reading pleasure of those who have not read the book and want to read it now)