The Kite Runner

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Average customer rating 4.7 (55 comments)

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This is the story of a friendship between two boys in 1970's Afghanistan. When something horrible happens, it affects them forever. I loved the author's second book, but I found this one lacking.

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One of my all-time favorite books. Not only is it a fantastic story with incredibly human charecters, but it offers a great historical look into Afghanistan's past.

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I saw this book as one man's journey toward redemption against a background of a troubled heritage. I sometimes recall doing things as a child that now makes me wonder about myself, and while I like to think I've become a better human being, I sometimes shudder at the savage, thoughtless child that was once under this skin. For the personal perspective alone, I think this book is a worthwhile, if sometimes uncomfortable, read. If you let it, it may make you a better person.

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This book is one that describes childhood fun and dreams with shame and disloyalty. Then, later of regret and trying to make amends to a long lost friend. It will make you cry, laugh and keep you turning each page. I throughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys a magnificent read.

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This book was amazing. People had told me how good it was and I had put off reading it, but I'm so glad that I read it. It was powerful and wonderfully written.

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I was late to find this gem from the literary world, but I absolutely loved it. Hosseini's touching style and engaging writing opens a new world to the western reader. It brings a humanizing element to a part of the world little known to us. I read it in less than a week, due to the compelling nature of the friendship between the two boy protagonists. The story will break your heart, but it is unforgettable.

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This is a wonderful book and very powerful. The kite serves as a great symbol of both happiness and guilt for Amir. He is happy when flying the kite because he can impress his father, who does not show much attention and is hard on him. He feels guilt with the kite because eventually Amir's friend Hassan gets raped because he wanted to bring the blue kite back to Baba. Amir does not even stop the boys from raping Hassan even though he sees them. There is the great theme of the father and son relationship. As well as the search for redemption, by going to find/save Hassan's child, after Hassan had been killed.

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This is my book of the decade. Along with To Kill a Mockingbird, no other fiction book has influenced my thoughts more. And it's beautifully written.

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I could not stop reading this book I was so engrossed....time stood still, chores went undone and family was ignored until the end. Then the sadness of it being finished engulfed me. I didn't "want" to read The Kite Runner because of the subject matter but I am so glad I did. I heartily nominate it for the best book of the decade.

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Without a doubt, the best book I've read in the last decade. I devoured it in 24 hours, barely coming up for food, water, and bathroom breaks.

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Definitely my best read of the decade!

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The Kite Runner is told through the eyes of Amir, who narrates his story from growing up in 1970's Afghanistan up to his present day living in America. It is a moving and somewhat disturbing story of betrayal and atonement laid upon the structure of a time honored past time in Afghanistan.

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This book painted a previously unfathomable landscape into my mind's eye. The texture of the book still haunts me. It is all that I dream of in a book: the chance to see the world in a way that I hadn't before, unbearable beauty, and the consciousness of how someone might live in another place or time.

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An amazing book with the perennial themes of friendship, love and forgiveness in an unexpected setting.

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This book deserved all the hype that it received. Very creative story that covered every possible emotion. You won't soon forget this story after reading it. Though the movie was good, read the book instead!

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Extremely moving with a powerful narrative; this is the book that I always recommend when someone asks what they should read.

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This story moved me -- and continues to move me when I re-read all or parts of it -- in ways few books have. The writing is exquisite, portraying a deep sense of longing on multiple levels. Hosseini also succeeds in fully transporting readers into the settings. I felt immersed in the environment, customers, characters and events. This book has added to the list of classics in my opinion.

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Wonderful introduction to a culture foreign to most of us, yet still a compelling story.

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Harrowing and lyrical, this is my favorite book of the past decade.

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A rare book that draws you into the hearts and lives of the characters. The characters are so well drawn that you feel that you've known them forever and can't believe they aren't real. You can't stop reading even though you know the more you read the sooner the book will end.

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Phenomenal!

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Great book!

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For the longest time, I worked under the mistaken notion that there were so many great classics out there already that I shouldn't waste my time with anything new. Then I read The Kite Runner and realized how very, very wrong I was.

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I vote for The Kite Runner as the best book I've read in the past decade. It helped me to understand the Middle Eastern culture better and see things more from the eyes of a person born and raised in Afghanistan.

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This book was great.

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This is one of the most touching books that I have read. The author of making you feel as if you are there, almost as a voyer.

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I thought the book was so very real, depicting the roller coaster of emotions that are tied in with relationships: The friendship relationship; the relationship between family; the relationship between enemies. In addition, the background details and descriptions of the physical places/locations within the book provided a backdrop that allows readers to visualize the story very well in the mind's eye.

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A story that not only delves inside life in Afghanistan but describes the lives of Afghani immigrants in California.

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A most enlightening and painful account of a part of the world that I knew so little about. It gave me the opportunity to understand the complex societal mores of a culture very different than my own. The characters each had their own distinct voice.

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I don't know if it was the unknown world of Afghanistan or the familiar world of a father and son relationship that propelled me through this story, but I was absorbed by it. Hosseini's characters are not easily forgotten and two of his lines are among my all time favorite: "You can be good again" and "Sad stories make great books."

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I was told to read this book from many different sources. I had no interest in reading about two boys growing up in the Middle East. I picked up the book, and couldn't put it down. I've never seen the movie as I don't want to spoil my mental image of this wonderful story. A must read for all.

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Amazing book. I found it enlightening, yet a very human and gripping look at what happens when one takes unconventional opinions and actions regarding the status quo.

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Great heart-rending story while learning about another complex culture so relevant to our times.

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This my hands-down book of the decade.

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i have one word for this book: ORGASMIC!!! anyone who wants to know more, email/add me on msn at: [email protected]

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I loved this book from beginning to end. Some of the story was excruciating to read because you felt the character's pain so deeply but it was a truly moving book. I loved the characters and the story. Hosseini is an extremely talented author. I actually read his other book, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" first and could not wait to read this. I was not disappointed. I can't wait for more books by him.

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A really painful, interesting read...is redemption possible? A lesson in how each choice changes who you are and whom you will become.

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A kind, nice story about two children lost in a war _whatever war, indeed. Pity that story gets also lost in useless descriptions of Afganistan, how muslims should pray (and they do in the wrong order!) or how nasty Talibans are, as if we didn't know. Read it for its beauty of feelings, but don't go for it in search of a story of today's Afghanistan.

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Not only is this an excellent book with many emotional connections, but also an extremely educational book. We think we know about a country from listening to the news, but reading about the life time of a person from Afghanistan has helped me to understand that country so much more. It connects history with real life.

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This book has been amazing. It shows such a great emotional connection. Hosseini is such a great writer and he deserves great success. I love it so far and can't wait to see the movie.

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I enjoyed this book for Hosseini's skill with language and his gift for telling a good story. We are given a perspective on life in Afghanistan that is much more approachable than what we've seen in the news over the last few years, and a much more digestible perspective on how the Taliban came to the country and what it's done to the people who've lived through its occupation. I will acknowledge that there are many coincidences that seem to resolve some of the plot elements a little too conveniently, and the final solution to Sohrab's dilemma is just a little too neatly crafted, but overall the story is well-written and satisfying at its end. I suspect that its film version will be well-regarded, but having read this novel, there is no reason for me to see the movie. Hossein's narrative style is extremely visual, and this novel reads cinematically. If the film omits anything from the novel, the story will be diminished, and there is nothing to add that will improve it. A violent act performed on a child is a central event in the story, and I would anticipate that a big screen portrayal of that event will be disturbing regardless of how it is presented.

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Brutal, moving portrait of guilt and redemption. Pummels the reader with tragedy after tragedy, but ends on a note of hope. As the tagline of the new film adaptation reads: "There is a way to be good again."

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oh my god. were there any loose ends at all at the end of the book? i don't think so. this was way over the top for me. i felt like hosseini was hitting me in the head with a hammer every time he wanted to make a point. isn't it enough that the villain is a religious fanatic who imposes his harsh code of conduct on others? must he be a drug-abusing pedophile in order for us get the idea that he is bad?

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I thought this book was average at best. For about the first half of this book I was totally enthralled. It felt more like a biography or a memoir than a work of fiction. The author's writing style is rather staightforward which adds to the gritty realistic feel of the storyline. I suspect much of the first half of the book is based on true life recollections of the author. His description of growing up in 60's/70's Kabul could only have come from someone who lived it. Either that or he is indeed an extremely gifted writer. (Based on the book jacket blurb, he does indeed seem to have grown up in an upper class Kabul family, as does the main character. ) The story of the relationship of the two main characters as established in the first half is compelling. The main problem however is that about halfway though the story is propelled by some rather incredulous coincidences. I felt a bit let down that the integrity of the narrative was subverted as the protagonist experiences one wild coincidence after another. The author could have followed the general story line without them and it would have been far more satisfying. I do recommend this book. It is well written and fascinating to learn of life in a different cuilture. Just be prepared to put your credibility on hold for some of it!!! I would also recommend reading The Fates by Tino Georgiou, another great tale of salvation, hope, and faith.

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khaled hosseini affected deeply a lot of reders those who shared his culture and those who do not know AFGHANISTAN. intense book that strenghten your appetite and makes want more . i fell in love with this book i can't wait to see the movie .

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The Kite Runner is an intricate,touching,and universal story.One of the best novel Ihad read so far.

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A very poignant and moving book to read, inspired by a lot of real-life experiences (though they don't dovetail his life enough to be non-fiction, of course).

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I thought this novel was very well written and quite an exciting story to read. Only once before have i picked up a book that i wasn't able to put down and Kite Runner was another one of those. Its unbelievable that this is Hosseine's first novel... I am certianly impressed and cant wait for another one to come out. This book had a lot of issues that really made me think and question some things about society. Also i learned a lot about the history of Afghanistan and alos what present day Afghanistan is like. Never before did i have any idea.

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I found this book to be astonishing and beautifully crafted. This books lets the audience take a view at what life was like before Afghanistan became war torn and what led to the destruction of his beautiful nation. Two thumbs up.

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The Kite Runner is an intricate, touching, and universal story. As an American who considers myself fairly well informed, I was just astonished to see how deeply Hosseini's story affected me. Truly a treasure, and get the tissue out for the frequent tears of joy, horror, and redemption.

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One of the best novel I had read so far.Hosseni's flawless selection of altering mood in the novel kept me busy and eager as I went on.

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This is a beautifully told story that alot of people are sure to enjoy. I read it with my bookclub and there were mixed reactions. I enjoyed the way the author writes. His words were so beautifully phrased and crafted. It's a very worth while read. This story will stay with you for a long time. Some people will love the narrator and some will hate him. Try this book. You won't regret it.

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EVERYTHING THAT WILL HELP YOU IN LIFE!

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I 'read' this book via CD while commuting back and forth to work. I found myself cringing at times, and even in tears because the story was almost too real. It really brought out how life was under the Taliban. Sad and scary.

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I was stunned, everwhelmed. Had to put it down for periods. Heard strongest recommendation, so I read it. Almost never read fiction. Comparable to Twain and he would have liked it.