by Happy writer

Created on: May 02, 2008

Comparing the kite runner to a food that sums it up

The last time I flew a kite was at the beach with my daughter Dempsey. Taken by an unexpected gust of wind, the kite billowed up, down, too and fro, completely out of control and almost lacerated an unknown toddler's neck off. After many apologies, gummy bear bribes not to tell her mum and a giggle about the whole event from Dempsey, I realized that our Kite running experience was not dissimilar from Khaled Hosseini's decorative and dramatic first novel. He also grapples with youth, danger and the loss of control on both political and personal levels.

The Kite Runner is a must read. This novel moved me. It walks us through the history of Afghanistan, from Kabul's monarchy, the Russian invasion to the Taliban. A great insight into a beautiful country and culture that we can now only suppose is a pile of rubble (I wonder why? maybe a bomb or two might have something to do with it!). Kahled Hosseini not only gives a vivid political/historical picture into a country no one paid much attention to prior 9/11 (come on now did we really care when the Russians' invaded? It's a bit late to take a front now don't you think). He also tackles life's relationships with great insight and thought.

We have all met or personally known one if not several of Hosseini's characters. Amir, Khaled's main protagonist is a young boy fumbling his way through adolescence with all the baggage that social restraint, self esteem and the need to succeed can put on you. Amir comes from a wealthy privileged Sunni family. He has a Liberace like father who does not follow the accepted social thinkings of Afghanistan and is very well reviewed. Nevertheless, he is firm and prominent, this often leaves Amir at a loss, confused about the role he plays in his father's life. Amir's best friend is Hassan. Hassan is the direct opposite of Amir. He is Shi'a, a loathed minority in Afghanistan's pecking order. The relationship between the two boys is at times as beautiful as any intimacy can ever be yet also very tragic. For it is the forces of the "outside" world that eventually determines the fate of their friendship and destiny.

When I lived and worked in Morocco many moons ago, I fell in love. He was Muslim and was born into a very prestigious public family. Just with Amir and Hassan it was not our love that we questioned, but whether our love had a place in a time honored culture and how it could possibly overcome the odds of our very different back grounds.

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