I have been out of sorts for quite sometime with regards to my book reading. For months I have tried to read a book from cover to cover only to fail around chapter 2 and become distracted on other things. As a lover of reading it has been a frustrating ado!

However, patience has it’s own reward and I eventually discovered a book that captured my attention, kept it and proved to be a surprisingly good read. I say discovered, it was actually the current choice of book for the Reading Group I facilitate at work. I had struggled through the last 3 choices and am rather embarrassed to say I did not finish them, so I am pleased to announce that The Kite Runner held my interest right to the end! Hurray!

The book had been much hyped and, more recently, made into a film. I came to the book having very little knowledge of the story and no expectations. There are many, many reviews of the book, which is to be expected, and what I say will probably add very little to what has gone before! However, a reading group meeting and discussion beckons and, having enjoyed the book, I shall attempt to put forward my two penneth!

The Kite Runner is told through the eyes of Amir, who narrates his story from growing up in 1970’s Afghanistan up to his present day living in America.

I like Hosseini’s writing style. It is simplistic and flows quite beautifully. He is able to bring the character Amir to life in such a way it reads like his biography. It does have a semi-autobiographical feel to it and, at times, I wondered if Hosseini had experienced some of the things Amir had.

Ultimately, Amir’s tale is one of betrayal, regret and atonement. Amir regrets what he did, or more accurately, didn’t do, when he was a young boy living in Afghanistan.

In the first part of the book Amir recounts growing up in a rich household and talks about his relationship with their servants’ son, Hassan. As a child, Amir seemed ashamed of their ’friendship’ especially when he considers Hassan of ’low caste’ and a victim of much taunting and bullying from others.

Amir’s shame is only magnified as he sees how much Hassan idolises him, values their friendship and realises that he would do anything for him. Indeed, it is Hassan’s unconditional love for Amir which forms the crux of the story that brings about the major event altering both of the boy's lives forever. Later, Amir comes to discover how such events can come back to haunt one as he begins to look at ways in which to atone.

The characterisation of Amir is wonderfully human. He has faults, he has made mistakes as a child and continues to regret these mistakes. He runs and hides from these mistakes yet is also incredibly self aware. As we read his story from child to man, we see how he often gives himself a hard time for things that happened when he was a child. We witness how this has shaped the kind of person he is now.

In his writing, Hosseini not only presents us with believable, fallible, human characters but also provides wonderfully descriptive accounts of the environment in which Amir was growing up. There are stark contrasts between the colourful childhood excitement and exuberance during the kite-fighting tournaments and the terror and trauma of growing up in Afghanistan as war looms.

I found myself reading the book for hours on end. Something I have, of late, been unable to do. I was drawn into Amirs' world and found it sad, compelling and all too human.

A wonderful debut novel from Khaled Hosseini. ( )

Upon picking up this book, I sat on my bed and read the first few pages. Without realizing it, I sat at the exact same spot and read half the book, turning the pages furiously as vivid images and characters enthralled me.

It tells a story of true friendships in the form of Amir and Hassan as well as Baba and Ali. It tells of love, of fighting for happiness, of family betrayal and exposes me to the sense of helplessness during the years before the war and the Taliban.

It is truly a beautiful book. It changes me perspective, helps me learn and is definitely worth the hype surrounding it. ( )

Apparently, I came to this book late. It is a gripping, terrifying read. Above all it does what good fiction should, highlight the good and bad of Man in a dramatic way. It shows the Taliban for the murderous and fanatic killers they are, and the rest of us as the flawed creatures we are. ( )

I have been meaning to read this book for ages and I finally bought it when my mentor told me that my first years were reading it for Swedish. I am glad I listened to it.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book. I loved what it had to say about Afghanistan and the west's culpability in what happened. I loved how it described why the Afghanistan as we know it happened. I loved the descriptions of how it was. I also loved the insight into the feelings of those who flee their home country and why they love it.

I am not sure I liked Amir. I understand why he did what he did. I understand why he felt the way he did towards Hassan. I can also understand the actions of the grown-ups but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel revulsion. I guess that is what I should feel. Seeing the dark side of humanity can also be good because otherwise how can we recognise it when we see it? But that doesn’t stop the nauseous feeling I got when I heard the scene in the alley walking to the bus one morning. It stayed with me. It has haunted me.

I suppose this is a book that will stay with me. Not necessarily one that I will go back and read again but one that will stay in my brain informing the way I think and feel. I think this book has changed me in ways I had not predicted when I started listening to it. I suppose this makes it a book of value.

Audio: I liked the fact that the author narrated the story. Hearing the Afghan names pronounced properly was a treat. However, I did at times have a problem following with all the names as they were not familiar to me (my own ignorance). I found that the author was able to bring the characters alive. I could almost smell the smells he described and see the sights. I do so wish that the country wasn’t ravaged by war.

Overall this is a book that I would recommend to others. I think it is an important read. ( )

This was a really good book that showed how a person can change and be better over time. ( )