Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is devastating and beautifully written. There are many content warnings to heed. I had to take breaks because of the heaviness, but that speaks also to how rich the storytelling was. Set in Afghanistan and the United States, this is a story of family trauma and secrets, betrayal, redemption, unconditional love, friendship, war, violence, class, power, and immigration. Yes, it’s a lot, and woven together artfully.

From the joy of kite running to graphic abuse to the complexities of relationship, I felt so much of this book deeply. I’m a white woman from the Global North, so there are many aspects of this book that are far from my own lived experiences, and yet the desire to undo regret and redeem oneself, to simply be loved by those we admire most, and to get away from kindness that feels undeserved… these are things I can relate to. While I know conceptually of the history of the Taliban and of issues with immigration, there is an immersive reality in the storytelling that allowed me to understand in a different way. There is a recurring theme of shame and being loved anyway that is truly beautiful and touching.

Amir’s own self loathing is so beautifully captured that I found myself struggling to like him much. Seeing his family and Hassan through his eyes was so interesting as I got to love them along with him. I ultimately could feel compassion for him as he found his way to loving others. I struggled to forgive him as he struggled to forgive himself, even though his greatest regret was still something he did (or didn’t do) as a child.

All of that said, I also felt that there was almost too much “other people are good and I’m bad” in the story. I get that it’s Amir’s point of view, and I also feel that there’s more nuance than this in who we are as humans.

In the end, I absolutely adored Sohrab and my heart broke for all that he’d endured at such a young age. I ended the book with so much hope for what could be on the other side of his early days.

Content Warnings

count_of_carabas's review against another edition

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Rape

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twonky's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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_fathimanourin1234_'s review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

This book wrecked myself in all the ways possible. Amir and Hassan. Hassan is a best and loyal friend anyone would wish for and Amir is the worst friend (in the beginning). Amir hurted Hassan with his words.

But I was glad because at the end, Amir chosed to find sohrab and protect him at all costs and adopt him.

At the end of tbe story, I really forgiven Amir on his past actions towards Hassan.
Soriya is the best wife. She welcomed Sohrab as her own son.

Sohrab is the best kid. I wished I could hug him and give him all the love he deserves and beyond. Anyways, Amir did that. I'm glad for that.

Sohrab was sexually abused by that fucking bastard Assef, the same man who raped Hassan when he was sohrab's age. And the same man who killed Hassan. I was so happy when Assef was attacked by Sohrab.

The mosr devastating part is the cruelties done by Taliban to Afghan people. It shooked ne while I was reading their actions towards the innocent people including children, men and women. No one deserves that kind of atrocities.
Overall, this book terrified me. This book was devastating, Heartbreaking and unforgettable. And I'm not going to reread this book again because it is as much devastating.

Content Warnings

tamareadsbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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theromanticace's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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okiecozyreader's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Finally read THE KITE RUNNER for a chat with my hometown bookstore tonight @anovelideabookshop.

I can see why it’s on so many lists- both of books you should read and books that people are banning. Khalid Hosseini writes in the introduction of my copy how he writes to tell himself a story. But after September 11th, his wife demanded he send his work to a publisher to show them a different side of Afghanistan. I thought it was interesting he also has a MD in internal medicine.

KITE RUNNER is the story of Amir, the son of a wealthy, hardworking businessman. His father has a servant whose family has worked for them for 40 years, who has a son of similar age Hassan, who is a Hazara - a shunned ethnic group. Hassan is very loyal to Amir and Amir is not as good of a friend to Hassan. When a tragic event occurs, Amir’s guilt makes him miserable, and he can no longer face Hassan. About the same time, the Afghanistan country is invaded by Russia and he and his father escape to the United States. In THE KITE RUNNER, we see how the Afghanistan culture changes with all of the power struggles and how Amir’s loving family and friends change him for the better.

“For kite runners, the most coveted prize was the last fallen kite of a winter tournament. It was a trophy of honor, something to be displayed on a mantel for guests to admire.” P47

“Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. Do you understand that?”
…
"When you kill a man, you steal a life," Baba said. "You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Do you see?" P16

“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir, he said.” p125-126

“Returning to Kabul was like running into an old, forgotten friend and seeing that life hadn't been good to him, that he'd become homeless and destitute.” P218

Content Warnings

sareidle's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Oof. I knew this would be a heavy, heartbreaking book going in, but I was still in tears for most of the second half. I was forced to confront the loss of innocence and childhood that is part of war and violent regime changes. While it was difficult to read about, I felt that the portrayal of trauma and grief was true to life.

Additionally, I think that Kite Runner pairs very well with A Thousand Splendid Suns in showing how the Taliban affected life across gender, class, and ethnicity.

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