I just read the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseinni.
I liked the book basically because it creates an image before your eyes of all the places the author describes, the people, the situations. The author's strongest point is his ability to make a character come alive. He uses small anecdotes and narratives to bring out every attribute of the character.
The setting is of the present day but begins with the pre-Russian-occupation in Afghanistan, mainly Kabul. It is wonderful to hear the tale of this land so far away and different from ours, yet so many times in the story we come across numerous similarities between our culture as well as our language and theirs. We can also relate to the scenario well because we share a bond being both third world countries. The middle of the book then moves on to the next brutal part of Afghanistan's history, that of the Russian occupation, followed by the days of the Taliban. It is fascinating to view things from the perspective of a person who is far away from his land, his watan, as the Afghans would say, yet is so attached to it.
The book touches on some sensitive issues but they are dealt with in an appropriate manner. The character, Amir, takes many years to learn the moral of the story, but eventually (and with substantial wounds) he gets it!
The tale is full of tormenting turns and a lot of annoying emotional reactions.. sometimes it can get one a little irritated. This has the effect of slightly tarnishing an otherwise overall A-rated book. It also sometimes gets a little too cliched, kinda like a Hindi movie. But all in all a good read. But be prepared for a little gory detail, not much though, don't worry.
I liked the book basically because it creates an image before your eyes of all the places the author describes, the people, the situations. The author's strongest point is his ability to make a character come alive. He uses small anecdotes and narratives to bring out every attribute of the character.
The setting is of the present day but begins with the pre-Russian-occupation in Afghanistan, mainly Kabul. It is wonderful to hear the tale of this land so far away and different from ours, yet so many times in the story we come across numerous similarities between our culture as well as our language and theirs. We can also relate to the scenario well because we share a bond being both third world countries. The middle of the book then moves on to the next brutal part of Afghanistan's history, that of the Russian occupation, followed by the days of the Taliban. It is fascinating to view things from the perspective of a person who is far away from his land, his watan, as the Afghans would say, yet is so attached to it.
The book touches on some sensitive issues but they are dealt with in an appropriate manner. The character, Amir, takes many years to learn the moral of the story, but eventually (and with substantial wounds) he gets it!
The tale is full of tormenting turns and a lot of annoying emotional reactions.. sometimes it can get one a little irritated. This has the effect of slightly tarnishing an otherwise overall A-rated book. It also sometimes gets a little too cliched, kinda like a Hindi movie. But all in all a good read. But be prepared for a little gory detail, not much though, don't worry.
Rating: 7/10
Thought for the day: The more you keep things to your self and run away from the truth, the more you hurt yourself.
Thought for the day: The more you keep things to your self and run away from the truth, the more you hurt yourself.
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