Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner Book Review

I approached this book with no idea what to expect. I had no knowledge about kite running tournaments and was only reading the book based on a recommendation. It turned out to be one of the most accomplished books I have read in a long time.

This book provides a historical and cultural insight into the workings of Afghanistan's complex social structure. However, this is is achieved subtly and integrated seamlessly into an emotional, gripping plot. The reader soon develops an attachment to the central characters, Amir and Hassan, however, Hosseini clever keeps them extremely close to danger. The tale is told as a first person, retrospective narrative from the point of view of Amir, once a member of Afghanistan's privileged class but eventually forced to move to the USA and embrace virtual poverty. Hassan is Amir's servant but also much more than that. It is Hassan who the reader feels most sympathy for initially, but soon the struggle and dilemmas faced by Amir also win sympathy.

The book is riddled with clever plot twists, which are most often totally unexpected but utterly believable. Moreover, you will find yourself laughing and crying through every chapter. You will not want this book to end. But end it does. Unlike many books in this genre, it does not try to be overly clever and effectively comes to a very satisfactory ending, leaving you wanting more but delighted by the book you have just read.

Overall, Kite Runner is a thoughtful novel and I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it. Cleverly constructed and beautifully written it fulfils almost every requirement demanded of a great book. For this reason I give Kite Runner a Great Book Guide score of 91% - It's a must read.

NOTE: I would recommend this book only for people over the age of 14 at the very youngest. Younger children may find aspects of the book disturbing (there is more than once incidence of rape) and will not appreciate the more subtle details encapsulated in the novel.