The Kite Runner, book review. (Khaled Hosseini)

This is a first time read for me and I am well aware of how much has been said and written about this book over the years (over eighty-two and a half thousand reviews on Goodreads alone when I last looked), so I will do my utmost not to replicate and bore you with the same, and so . . . shocking as it might sound, I liked this book but preferred both, A Thousand Splendid Suns (blog post 22/09/19) and, And the Mountains Echoed, which in a way is a good thing.
Too many times have debut novels defined an author, outshining what followed, an extreme example of this being Harper Lee and her own belief that she could, or would, never be able to better her sublime, To Kill a Mocking Bird and so, wrote nothing else until very late in life, which I think was a real shame.
So, the huge hit that was The Kite Runner, has not, in my opinion defined the author, but it is a most excellent beginning to his trilogy of books based in and around Afghanistan and the troubles it and its people have gone through over the last fifty years or so. It is a book about fierce loyalty and friendship, jealousy, envy, fear, hope, death and possible redemption, and is a book about people.
There isn't a single character in this book that steals the limelight, in my opinion, all it seems are equal, be it our main character Amir and his best friend and fellow kite runner, Hassan, Amir's father, Baba or his best friend, Rahim Khan, Amir's wife, Soraya, Hassan's father Ali, even Hassan's mother seems to have influence over the narrative beyond the few pages on which she is mentioned which I liked, and the ability of the author to create a cast that occupy the same time and space but with such opposing storylines but all on equal footing, I thought was clever, whether intended or not.
This book is also about hypocrisy; secrets and lies.
Some big, some small, but, as usual I suppose, it is the big ones that shape the story and those in it, following them to the next village, town, country or halfway around the world, and those secrets have consequences, consequences that again, shape the people they impact, giving peace to some, death, family, hope and a future unimaginable to others.
Hosseini's writing is brilliant throughout and has a way about it that elicits multiple emotions, sometimes even on a single page, and I praise him highly for that - the chapters that deal with the 'changing of the guard' shall we say, when Baba's influence and power is no more and he and Amir have to make for Pakistan, had my heart in my mouth, whereas the chapter where Hassan takes a beating and more, and Amir is too scared, to cowardly to intervene, (which comes back to haunt him, of course), made me both angry and sad and then there's the euphoria that Hassan and Amir feel when flying their kite and running it down, which I wish could be bottled.

Well, I'm glad that I've now read all this author's books, albeit out of sequence and can highly recommend them - as long as you are aware that they are gritty and don't pull any punches - and eagerly await whatever he comes up with next.
Four stars then and well worth investing your time.

Don't forget to search my blog for your favourite authors and books and if I haven't read them, message me with your recommendations.

A Thousand Splendid Suns, book review. (Khaled Hosseini)

I've heard much about this author, how authentic his books are, compelling even - on the cover of this very book is a quote from, Isabel Allende, which simply reads, Unforgettable - and even for someone like me, who has a shockingly bad memory, I have to agree.

Unforgettable.

I know little about Afghanistan's history but by reading his book I feel my eyes have been opened. Yes, I knew the Russians invaded and of course I've heard of the Mujahideen and the Taliban, who dispersed so many civilians during their occupation, but through this work of fiction, through the eyes of this incredible author, I feel I've grasped a little of what it must have been like for those who lived and died, endured lose and torture during those dreadfully long years.

The book centres around two young women from very different backgrounds who both find themselves married to the tyrant, Rasheed, who beats then, chastises them and favours his second child over his first, simply because he is a boy!

And the two women, Mariam and Laila, not only do they have to endure the beatings and his mood swings but also his unwanted sexual advances, but over time (Mariam is unable to bear children, having had many miscarriages over the years, whilst Laila gives birth and raises her daughter in their shared house) and with the common goal of protecting themselves from their husband, an alliance is formed; an uneasy one at first, but their love for the child and each other soon grows.

With the Russians gone there is celebration, but it is short-lived. The war might be over but the spoils are not so easily split and so, the Mujahideen fight amongst themselves and with shells raining down and bullets flying, Kabul is once again under siege.

Women can no longer learn, be seen, having to hide beneath full-face burkas, and are assaulted if caught without male chaperones. As time passes, the Taliban's grip on the country tightens and Rasheed's frustrations grow, until the women are forced to take drastic action!

To be able to weave the delicacies of love and passion, for life and one another, for the children they have borne or grown to love, into a story of such depravity and desolation, of loss and grief, is a true testament to this author's writing, and so I don't hesitate to recommend this book to all and can with hand on heart say that it is one of the best I have read so far this year.

Four big fat lovely gold stars for, A Thousand Splendid Suns then. Enjoy.