Book freaks discussion

Hey Book Freaks! Here's the discussion thread for our DECEMBER 2011 read, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini! Feel free to comment and discuss if you've already read it too! Let the conversation flow ;)

In the end, my overall impression of the book was that it put a human face on the Middle East, and especially Afghanistan, for me... something I had not experienced before.

My other realization was that no matter which country, which faction, which culture, or which ideology, the whole world continues to suffer from the consequences of prejudice, bigotry, and racism. Until this ends, there will never be peace.

Janice George wrote: "In the end, my overall impression of the book was that it put a human face on the Middle East, and especially Afghanistan, for me... something I had not experienced before.

My other realization ..."

Wow! I'm go glad the book warranted these feelings! I can't wait to start it :) Do you think you'll read more Hosseini?

ok, I'm ready to start.....so, let's go!!!! :)

em, how if i already read this book? i read it last year

i already read this book earlier this year. I absolutely loved it!
Here's the review I wrote for it way back in April:

Such a great book! A lot better than I expected really. This is the first non mystery book I read that is not in a series. It's so great on its own it really doesn't need to be part of a series. I think there is a movie of this book and i want to go watch it now!

Overall, I really loved this book. The book was very engaging and really helped me understand and enjoy the book. This book is about the coming of age. It’s what people learn when they are young that have a great impact on their lives in the future. I could honestly say that this book also helped become a better person. This book is on the thick side, but I managed to finish it in about a week.
The information in this book is very interesting and is not very typical. The author Khaled Hosseini also includes a little background on the Afghanistan culture and Muslim religion. I actually have a friend who is those two things and it made me have a greater understanding of their practices.
I think that the most interesting part of the book was the kite tournament because it was very well detailed with a lot of imagery. I didn’t’ find any parts that were not interesting because I found that all parts were equally interesting.

One of my Fav books!! Simply loved it!!

Dhani wrote: "em, how if i already read this book? i read it last year"

Hey definitely comment if you've read the book already! It doesn't matter when you've read it :)

Gorfo wrote: "Dhani wrote: "em, how if i already read this book? i read it last year"

Hey definitely comment if you've read the book already! It doesn't matter when you've read it :)"

:)
well, i really love this book. it contains a lot moral values and the setting is just great. this book is full of surprise! but i'm not sure if i'll read it again.. (this book make me feel so emotional and that night after i read it, i can't help but thinking if i were one of those unfortunate children live in Afghanistan)

Dhani wrote: "Gorfo wrote: "Dhani wrote: "em, how if i already read this book? i read it last year"

Hey definitely comment if you've read the book already! It doesn't matter when you've read it :)"

:)
well, i ..."

Yeah I completely understand! there are some books that I've read that are just amazing but I don't think I could ever bring myself to read them again. :P

I just finished the book this morning and I've been ruminating over it all day. I couldn't put it down over the past few days; I lost some serious sleep and suffered at work, but it was worth it!

I really enjoyed reading a novel set in a place I know very little about. It actually inspired me to get out a map and take a look at the geography of the Middle East; I definitely learned a thing or two from this book!

What I really loved was the perspective this story offered. It showed the conflict in Afghanistan through the eyes of an Afghan citizen - the years of suffering, dislocation, and the ruination of not only cities and structures, but a way of life. As an American who has witnessed the ongoing wars in the Middle East from afar, I appreciated reading a touching story about the conflict from the perspective of the "other side." Recently I read The Book Thief, and though the stories are vastly different, I thoroughly enjoyed both for similar reasons - Liesel's story as a German girl during WWII and Amir's story as an Afghan boy during the ongoing crises in the Middle East. Both made me think.

Now, the only thing I didn't love about The Kite Runner was that it seemed a bit contrived at several points. I really hated that the Talib warlord who bought Sohrab turned out to be Assef. I found myself saying, "Really? Really?" outloud several times. I thought the author could have found a better method for Amir to confront his past without having it hit him (literally, with brass knuckles) right in the face. It just didn't seem plausible to me. There were several other moments like that throughout the book, though it wasn't enough to make me dislike the story. I agree with some of the other reviewers; I couldn't reread this story, but I'm glad I read it once!

Nicole wrote: "I just finished the book this morning and I've been ruminating over it all day. I couldn't put it down over the past few days; I lost some serious sleep and suffered at work, but it was worth it!
..."

Oh no! I hope it didn't affect you too much at work! So I think we are reaching a general consensus here so far. 1. the book was awesome 2. I will most likely never rd it again. Haha I can just imagine you questioning the book, that must've gotten you some interesting looks :P

Read this novel 2yrs back! Have a hard copy of it :)
One of the books which actually touch u n affect u...
I hv 2 words for it "Just Awesome".
The way the author has depicted the emotions of both men is amazing.

The Kite Runner is one of the best books I have ever read. I read it last year, but the message still resonates with me. When I more recently read The Help, it made me think of how powerful it is to use story to make a social commentary.

Like some of the other commenters have said, I gained new appreciation for the people of the Middle East after reading The Kite Runner.

Maryann wrote: "The Kite Runner is one of the best books I have ever read. I read it last year, but the message still resonates with me. When I more recently read The Help, it made me think of how powerful it is t..."

Interesting, so you think that the Kite Runner is like the Help? Would you say that we could kind of separate books like these under one big umbrella? Do you usually read these types of books?

I like to read books that make us stop to think about our society and the behavior of people. That is what the two books have in common for me. That and really good writing. Also enjoy those like The Kite Runner and The Help that broaden our world view and challenge our prejudices. But for me to say the book is really wonderful, the message has to be couched in a story that is so well written I have a hard time putting the book down. Don't preach to me, just invite me to think.

Nicole wrote: "Now, the only thing I didn't love about The Kite Runner was that it seemed a bit contrived at several points...."


I agree on this point. In my original statement, I avoided discussing style or story because there were too many convenient coincidences in the book. When the manipulation of events and characters became obvious, it lessened the whole effect of the book for me.

However, while the story might not ring true, I felt the information about Afghanistan & the consequences of war on the people and the culture was valuable... I also thought many of the characterisations felt genuine and even autobiographical.

And to Gorfo -- no, I don't think I will read another book by this author, for those reasons stated above.

Janice George wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Now, the only thing I didn't love about The Kite Runner was that it seemed a bit contrived at several points...."


I agree on this point. In my original statement, I avoided discus..."

This will be my second book by Hosseini and judging by the comments I'm thinking it's going to be a lot like the first :) But I'm still so excited to read it! (I know I'm the moderator...shouldn't I have already read it? Circumstances aren't allowing me to start rding until Dec 17th! Aww the misery of midterms :()

Gorfo wrote: "Janice George wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Now, the only thing I didn't love about The Kite Runner was that it seemed a bit contrived at several points...."


I agree on this point. In my original state..."

Hard to avoid picking up a book to read just for fun, Janice, but I understand about the demands of school and work. My son-in-law is in his last year of law school and he says he has not read a book for pure entertainment in four years. Yikes! Not sure I could go that long without reading fiction.

Maryann wrote: "Gorfo wrote: "Janice George wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Now, the only thing I didn't love about The Kite Runner was that it seemed a bit contrived at several points...."


I agree on this point. In my ..."

If I went that long without reading I'd find myself steeped in depression. Right now its like I'm going through withdrawel....just one more week from today and I can read again!

I hate it when life gets in the way of reading :o)
I try to read for at least 5 minutes every night, to help me unwind. The only problem is that sometimes I end up reading for way too long, and I go to bed much later than I should!

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who felt the story was forced at points. Like Janice George said, I enjoyed the story as far as it being set in Afghanistan and I loved the characters (especially Hassan and Baba); I truly cared what happened to each of them by the end. I just wished the story flowed a little more naturally. I do plan on reading A Thousand Splendid Suns in the future; we'll see if I like the style better!

Gorfo - I didn't think anyone on here hadn't read the book! I'm sorry if I ruined the end in my comment!

Nicole wrote: "I hate it when life gets in the way of reading :o)
I try to read for at least 5 minutes every night, to help me unwind. The only problem is that sometimes I end up reading for way too long, and I..."

aHHH NO! Don't worry! You didn't ruin it for me! I already had a basic idea of what would happen in the book! Plus this is the discussion group so I come at the risk of spoilers! No worries Nicole! :P

Haha I tried reading for 5 mins but I'm so sleep deprived that if I sit still for too long I just fall right asleep. (I run on about 3 hrs on avg ... I know... not healthy...but during breaks I sleep for 12 hrs straight )

I'm not reading the comments of others until I finish the book. But it is so bittersweet so far. I'm half way through. Amir is not any kind of hero so far, but he is not beyond understanding. Great choice for the group read. I'm loving it.

April the Cheshire Meow wrote: "I'm not reading the comments of others until I finish the book. But it is so bittersweet so far. I'm half way through. Amir is not any kind of hero so far, but he is not beyond understanding. Great..."

Yay! I'm so glad people are connecting so emotionally with the book! :)

April the Cheshire Meow wrote: "I'm not reading the comments of others until I finish the book. But it is so bittersweet so far. I'm half way through. Amir is not any kind of hero so far, but he is not beyond understanding. Great..."

I prefer to read the whole book before talking to others about the story, too. I think other comments can influence the way I read the rest of the story. Sets up some unconscious expectations, both positive and negative.

I read the book a few years ago and thought it was very powerful. It made for an interesting discussion in my in-person book club. However, I enjoyed his book, A Thousand Splendid Suns even more, probably because it focused on the lives of girls and women in Afghanistan versus boys and men. It's even more violent than The Kite Runner, and makes you really feel for the women who are abused in the novel.

Beth wrote: "I read the book a few years ago and thought it was very powerful. It made for an interesting discussion in my in-person book club. However, I enjoyed his book, [book:A Thousand Splendid Suns|385063..."

I've read a Thousand Splendid Suns before and that's part of the reason I thought reading the Kite Runner would be good! Beth right! If you really liked the Kite Runner you should check out a Thousand Splendid Suns too!

It's already on my TBR list! I've actually been eyeing it for a few weeks now and was gearing up to begin when this group started reading Kite Runner, so I figured I'd read that first! Thanks for the recommendations, and thanks for the warning about the violence, Beth. I found a lot of aspects of The Kite Runner disturbing (I had to put the book down and walk away a few times), so it's good to be forewarned on the next book!

I read The Kite Runner over a year ago, and I enjoyed the book. I liked how Hosseini flashed forward and back, allowing the reader to follow Amir as he matures from boy to man and showing how his childhood experiences shaped him along the way. The book also gave me a glimpse of Afghanistan from a citizen's point of view, and how the constant turmoil affects the lives of the people every day. While the political and cultural systems are quite different from ours, I found some of Amir's experiences also pointed out the similarities we share, such as betrayal, redemption, class issues, love, and revenge.
I have recommended this book to friends, and will continue to do so.

I read The Kite Runner a while ago and i can't say that i enjoyed it because it's not something you can enjoy but it is a very good book and it made me think. It made me realize that Afghanistan is a country like any other and that people are the same, just trying to survive and make a better life for themselves. I also would like to recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns by Hosseini. It has a similar topic and i liked it even more that The Kite Runner.

I finished the Kite Runner and here's my non-review, review: I can't really say anything about this book apart from the fact that it entered my favorite books list and that even if it might not be in the genres you usually read, take the time to read it, I'm sure you'll discover that it was worth it.

I also want to add: Gorfo or whoever picked this months read: GOOD CALL

Mirka wrote: "I read The Kite Runner a while ago and i can't say that i enjoyed it because it's not something you can enjoy but it is a very good book and it made me think. It made me realize that Afghanistan is..."

I have not read A Thousand Splendid Suns, but will add that to my list of books to get. I'm sure I will like it after reading some of the comments here about it.

Gorfo wrote: "Hey Book Freaks! Here's the discussion thread for our DECEMBER 2011 read, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini! Feel free to comment and discuss if you've already read it to..."

I read this book just a few months ago... *sighs.* Let me start by saying that Hosseini is an INCREDIBLE writer. He has a great sense of plot, character development, of expressing emotions and of keeping the story flowing. However... I was never able to get over my dislike of the protagonist based on what he DIDN'T do. I understand fully why he did not do anything, but the whole was so drastic... How can you let it happen? And freaking WATCH it too? And not do ANYTHING to help? He ran past so many people- might not he have asked them to come by? Urgh he just irked me!

A Thousand Splendid Suns was depressing as well, but I enjoyed it so much more. I hope ya'll read ATSS after this one-- it's less graphic and has a Wuthering Heights vibe to it.

Gabi wrote: "Gorfo wrote: "Hey Book Freaks! Here's the discussion thread for our DECEMBER 2011 read, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini! Feel free to comment and discuss if you've alre..."

Gabi, I had trouble with that aspect of the story, too, until I realized that walking away from situations like that is very much a part of the culture and mind=set of the people in the Middle East. The idealist in me always wishes that good will win out over evil, but that isn't the reality that so many people live with.

Maryann wrote: "Gabi wrote: "Gorfo wrote: "Hey Book Freaks! Here's the discussion thread for our DECEMBER 2011 read, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini! Feel free to comment and discuss i..."

I respectfully disagree with you Maryann. I don't think that this is a culture issue. And I definitely don't think that it is up to us to say which ''race'' would flee from this kind of situation and which would stay.
It is obvious that the protagonist had a lot of psychological issues to handle: an all mighty father who was always brave and a good-doer and thought of his son as a weak link(and believe me, this knowledge only does serious damage to a child's heart) and a loyal friend who was always braver than him and stole a bit of his father's attention from him.
..and one more thing, we ALL have good and evil, bravery and cowardice inside, but what we choose to live with depends on our disciplines, education and experiences.(of course there are exceptions to the rule)

I'm not done yet but I agree with Gabi in that I'm having difficulty sympathizing with our protagonist. I just can't believe he did what he did. We'll see how I feel as the story progresses.

Rebecca wrote: "I'm not done yet but I agree with Gabi in that I'm having difficulty sympathizing with our protagonist. I just can't believe he did what he did. We'll see how I feel as the story progresses."

I didn't really like Amir through most of the book, either. It's hard to sympathize with a character who brought about so much trauma to a character (Hassan) who was so absolutely lovable. It's important to remember that he was just a kid when these things occurred, though. He was faced with a terrifying and surreal experience; he handled it badly, no doubt, but he was confused, and scared, and ultimately, a child. He also lived with the guilt for the rest of his life and did try to atone for his sins eventually. By the end, I did like Amir; he wasn't my favorite character in the book, but he wasn't as bad as he was in the beginning.

This book will be a classic. I gave it five stars. I finished it with tears. A war, whether between an unloved son and a father or a country is a horrible thing.

Nicole wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "I'm not done yet but I agree with Gabi in that I'm having difficulty sympathizing with our protagonist. I just can't believe he did what he did. We'll see how I feel as the story pr..."

I completely agree with this. When I read this book, I definitely could not sympathize with Amir, but when looking back I realized that he was only a child. I'm not saying what he did was right, but he also knew that it wasn't right. And he was somewhat redeemed in my eyes (as well as his own eyes) by saving Sohrab.

have started this slowly, finding it hard to get into , which is weird as i got into and read a thousand splendid suns in 3 days !

So I finished the book today. I agree with everyone in that Amir does sort of redeem himself at the close of the novel and as an adult in general. I am surprised to say I really liked this one. The imagery was beautiful and horrifying all at the same time. I think that is what makes it such a difficult read. It takes all of these controversial issues and throws them in your face with absolutely no constraints or apologies. However I'm glad I read it.

Ahhhh I read through the night! Over 300 pages in a couple hours! Once you get over the first 60 pages it's smooth sailing. I am in concordance with almost everyone, the Kite Runner was a book that touched not my heart, but my soul. The characters were so startlingly real. In an ideal story Amir would have been brave and courageous and wouldn't have let Hassan suffer. But come on, what kid has the guts to stand up to centuries of hate? We have to forgive Amir for his childish mistakes, even if they were grave. The ending is perfect. I'm so happy I read it, even if it made me cry, even if some of the scenes sickened me to the very core. It was worth it.

Gorfo wrote: "Ahhhh I read through the night! Over 300 pages in a couple hours! Once you get over the first 60 pages it's smooth sailing. I am in concordance with almost everyone, the Kite Runner was a book that..."

yuppie!! :)

I thought this was an amazing story, it is one of my favorites. I think it offers insight in to a life many of us can never imagine.

Teresa wrote: "I thought this was an amazing story, it is one of my favorites. I think it offers insight in to a life many of us can never imagine."

I think it's interesting because I don't know about you but I was born in the period where Afghanistan was just this distant land full of bombings and what-not. It's interesting to find that it used to be a "normal" place, I think often people don't see that, but it's good to remember.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!! :))

Anastasia wrote: "HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!! :))"

Merry Xmas to you too ;)

I'm halfway through the book and so far it's an interesting read: I really like how Hosseini writes, the little details he digs up, as well as the main story. Yes, there's lots of cliches. Yes, it feels forced from time to time. But overall, it's a great story that keeps moving and that's what I'm mostly looking for when reading fiction.

Savvas wrote: "I'm halfway through the book and so far it's an interesting read: I really like how Hosseini writes, the little details he digs up, as well as the main story. Yes, there's lots of cliches. Yes, it ..."

I love how the little details that you kind of disregard, (call them motifs if you will) reappear again and again