The Kite Runner

Review

I really liked the combination of character development, cultural/historical settings, fundamental themes, and details in this novel. It was also very cool to reread this novel as an adult because I understood and noticed so much more but could remember what had struck me as a young teenager.

I'll share two examples.

The first: when I read The Kite Runner the first time, I was struck by the friendship between Amir and Hassan – the love, shame, betrayal, loyalty; this time, I enjoyed the dynamics between Amir and Baba more, because they felt more complex and real to me.

The second: I remember loving the classic line "For you, a thousand times over" because of the way it spoke to Hassan's sacrificial love for Amir despite his unworthiness. This time around, it was Rahim Khan's line, "There is a way to be good again", that really resonated with me. When you carry Amir's shame, guilt, and self-loathing with him throughout the novel, that opportunity for redemption and peace is something powerful and healing.