I like books that can recreate a place in time and the Kite Runner does just that. Khaled vividly describes living in Afghanistan before the Russians invaded. The class structure, food, living arrangements, play time, and the kites. Next we travel to California . Then, as an adult, Khaled takes us back to modern Afghanistan to see the damage the Taliban have wrought. I really enjoyed the book. A really wonderful story of sorrow and happiness. I know that this doesn’t tell you much about the story but you know I really only have lots to say when the book is kind of crappy and I have something to poke fun at.
On a side note in the February 2008 issue of National Geographic there was article about the Hazara’s of Afghanistan , of which Hassam, one of the characters in the book is. You can learn more from the article.
Knowing that Khaled is from Afghanistan, I wondered how much of the book is based on real life events? I know it’s a novel but my guess is that the neighborhoods and other scenes may have existed in the Authors’ life at one time. I can’t say I’m interested in the movie but I’ll give his other book, A Thousand Splendid Suns,
a shot. For Khaled, a thousand times over.
