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Ethan Bourne

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The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author)

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Ethan Bourne said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" This book is the story of a boy becoming a man as well as the relationships between a father and a son. Khaled Hosseini's story about Amir is fascinating to see what Afghans went through during this time period and all of the consequences of the syst This book is the story of a boy becoming a man as well as the relationships between a father and a son. Khaled Hosseini's story about Amir is fascinating to see what Afghans went through during this time period and all of the consequences of the system of classes in Kabul and all of Afghanistan. Amir's interest in writing is involved with the overall importance of irony as he strives first for appreciation, and then eventually for redemption.
The story begins with Amir as a boy, striving for the acceptance and appreciation of his father, Baba. He cares more about writing than sports and Baba rarely shows affection as he wants his son to be a person who will stand up for himself and he does not see that in Amir. Amir's desire for this though shows the first big ironic moment in the story as the same day that Amir wins the battle between the kites he watches Hassan get raped and doesn't stand up for him. Amir realizes that his punishment was not getting caught for not standing up for Hassan, but rather the guilt he has of getting away with it. The happiness Amir strived for through the appreciation of his father was ruined by this guilt and caused him to make another selfish mistake. When he framed Hassan of theft, there is more irony as Hassan knows about what Amir did that night and does something he never does for Amir; he lies and admits to stealing the gift. The next big ironic moment is when Amir realizes as a man that him and Baba were a lot more similar than he imagined and both had the same downfall. Both of them had betrayed their friends, with Baba being Hassan's true father and betraying his best friend Ali. The final big piece of irony is that Assef's promises of getting revenge on Amir holding true when he beats him up, but Hassan's threat of shooting him in the eye with the slingshot also holding true when Sohrab saves Amir.
Once Amir has a wife and has realized that his father did care for him, all that is left for Amir is the desire for his own kids and redemption. Sohrab is the solution to both of these, as Amir gets the chance to redeem his and Baba's sins. Rahim Khan knew of what Amir has done and tells him what he can do to redeem himself. He let Hassan down by not standing up for him, but he was able to fulfill his wish that his son Sohrab didn't grow up as an orphan. This quest for redemption is the major focus for the second half of the story and crucial to completing Amir's character arc.
I recommend this book to everyone as it shows the struggles of a country split in two, the transition from a boy to a man, a quest for redemption, and the cruelties of life, entertaining all throughout. ...more "

Nov 16, 2018 12:16PM · see review