Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan-American novelist, UNHCR goodwill ambassador, and former physician. 'The Kite Runner' was his debut novel that was heavily criticized by the masses. But it was one book that made me literally bawl by the end of it. And by that, I mean that I hold this piece of literature very close to my heart. The tears were merely a testament to that.
It is a novel that shows how much the past impacts the present. This book follows the story of a wealthy boy who lives in Kabul by the name of Amir who grows up with his best friend, Hassan who was a Hazara (an ethnic minority in Afghanistan considered to be inferior to others) servant in his household. They do almost every single thing together and one of their favourite hobbies is kite running. Twelve-year-old Amir is determined to win the kite fighting tournament in their locality and he is able to do it with the help of his dear friend Hassan. But this victory comes with a very high price. What happens to Hassan that afternoon is something that shatters both of their lives and friendships.
And the main thing about this book is that I hated everything in it. And I love it so much because I hated it. I hated the raw pain I felt from reading off the pages of this book. I hated the injustice in it. I hated the war. I hated the brutality. I hated the way the Taliban treated the people. It is a story of friendship, family, love, betrayal and redemption and it is absolutely gut-wrenching. This is a book that will make you sit and think about each and every single one of your values. This is a book that would even make you question what YOU would do if the tables were turned and you were in the character's shoes. It is written in such a beautifully devastating way that each and every line will strike at the very depth of your heart. And even though I love this book with every fibre of my being, I will NEVER pick it up again for a re-read. I cannot allow myself to be put through the same agony once more because this book is that much soul-crushing. If you do not believe me, take a look at the following quotes and see for yourself.
"There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood."
"There is only one sin, and that is theft. When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness."
"I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded; not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night."
"I'm so afraid. Because I'm so profoundly happy. Happiness like this is frightening... They only let you be this happy if they're preparing to take something from you."
"I want to tear myself away from this place, from this reality, rise up like a cloud and float away, melt into this humid summer night and dissolve somewhere far, over the hills. But I am here, my legs blocks of concrete, my lungs empty of air, my throat burning. There will be no floating away."
"I opened my mouth, almost said something. Almost. The rest of my life might have turned out differently if I had. But I didn't."
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