Why Should You Read The Kite Runner?

It’s been almost twenty years since this gem was released by Khaled Hossieni. Therefore, I was taken aback when I found out that a very close friend of mine had not read the masterpiece. I blatantly told her that if she has not read it, she is missing out on one of the greatest human experiences of her life.
So, if you have not still read the book, here is a preview and list of reasons why you should definitely get your hands on the Kite Runner.
Khaled Hossieni’s first novel: The Kite Runner, took the world by a storm. The gripping story of betrayal followed by redemption can break the strongest of us. It opens with “I became what I am today at the age of 12, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975.” The book shows that your past makes who you are, and your personality, and life around you changes, evolves depending on the events that unfold before your eyes.
The book lets us in on the life of best friends: Amir and Hasan. The two young boys live in Kabul, and are trying to win the local kite-fighting tournament, a hobby also enjoyed by Afghani youth. But before the boys could battle their kites in the air, war came into Afghanistan, turning the country into chaos.
Khaled Hossieni boldly shows how war forces people to make sacrifices of their friendships, through Amir, who commits an act of betrayal towards his best friend Hassan. Amir and his father are forced to leave Afghanistan for the US, and thus, The Kite Runner becomes Amir’s quest for redemption for the act of disloyalty he committed so many years ago as a boy in Kabul.
The story is moving, and does not slow down or feel dull at any moment. It gives the reader a glimpse into Afghan life, which is oddly fascinating, but being a Pakistani somewhat familiar. Hosseini finds a great balance between imagination and reality. The beautifully constructed book explores the art of telling a story that moves people who might never have to witness the horrid of war. Amir also becomes a writer and reflects on his experiences in the story, as though the book, his life, his betrayal was a piece of fiction.
At the same time, Hosseini shows that the book is about fate and justice. It is about how good always overcomes evil in the end no matter how hard you try. In the end, Amir would have to take difficult steps to redeem himself and find peace at last.
The Kite Runner deals with strong themes of past, betrayal, war, and friendship which would not be taken lightly. It shows how different threads of life like perfidy, and guilt impact your life, and the life of those around you.