The Kite Runner

[CoLeYy]

Heyy guys. Well i was wondering if anyone read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I kinda of want input on it and maybe some reviews because as of now i don't know if this book should be next on my reading list ...

 

any say on this book?

[viv]

Hey Girly

 

So I read the book... It was given to be for my birthday by a GA member here and friend, Dhruv, all the way from India!

 

I blogged a little about it midway through the book and said:

 

So, about this book Dhruv sent. I'm horribly invested in the story now, and a third done, and while it is set in a different culture and therefore hard to follow sometimes because of my lack of knowledge of that culture, it's not hard to figure out and I'll say that in the 104 pages I have read so far, I have been more saddened than I have been in a while. I have another 200 pages to go, so we'll see what happens, but for anyone who's interested, the book is called, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.

 

 

In the end, after finishing it...

 

I felt like I was a wreck. Like I was feeling SO many different emotions at once and I couldn't focus on any one of them long enough to sort through it and that was dizzying, frustrating. I was SO pissed about certain things, even sadder about others, and it made me wonder... If there is some great plan out there for us all, like your reason for existence here on Earth, why do so many good people have to go through it with you suffering and hurting, or worse, for you to reach it? And, if by chance, they do it out of love, and are strong people, people who don't need to be recognized for their efforts or their contributions to your life, people who just give of themselves because that's what they do, does that make them the strong, and you the weak? And, if you're the weak, why must you push down the strong to feel strong yourself? And, in the end, even if it takes years, a lifetime for you to know the reason why, what the great plan for your life was, does that excuse it? Does that make it worthwhile in the end?

 

It's a good book, but be prepared for an emotional whirlwind just the same.

 

Hugs, Viv

[Zapp]

This year in fact, for English, good book, didn't really invoke too many emotions from me, was a little depressing though, it does finish on somehwat of a positive note though.

[CoLeYy]

TY Viv and Perthonian

 

I will most likely go to the book store and buy the kite runner.. and let you know what i think about it .... i mean i need to get back into reading again.. im sort of behind in my reading any other suggestions on books that anyone would recommend?

[viv]

Anything Mitch Albom wrote! Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day, all fantastic!

 

Good luck!

[Graeme]

As a side point, The Kite Runner has been made into a movie. The only reason I know this is that I saw a news report yesterday that the release has been delayed while they evacuated the child actors from Afghanistan -- they were afraid of repercussions against them. This kids will continue their education in a foreign country....

[rec]

I believe movie of The Kite Runner will be released in the United States later this month.

 

I fine book, by the way, and the early movie reviews are excellent.

 

rec

[shadowgod]

As a side point, The Kite Runner has been made into a movie. The only reason I know this is that I saw a news report yesterday that the release has been delayed while they evacuated the child actors from Afghanistan -- they were afraid of repercussions against them. This kids will continue their education in a foreign country....

 

Aye, sadly the phrase "I'm not a Doctor, but I play one on TV" doesnt translate well

 

Apparently there was fear over violant reprocussions against the young actors due to some scenes in the film.

[ashessnow]

Read it. Just . . . find the book, and read it.

Edited December 6, 2007 by Nerotorb

[Michelle jin]

I thought it was a great book. I have a strange fasination for the middle east and such but this was the best thing to hit America and other countries. You understand that Afghanstan was more than it is today. You understand how people think and what they go through. It was truely an heart wrenching experience for me and to that, it made my pledge to join the Peace Corps even more stronger.

[CarlHoliday]

Okay, I didn't read it. I have so little free time, it takes me forever to read anything.

 

But, I listened to the unabridged CD read by the author, who by the way pronounces all the Afghan words with the correct accent. I think that helps quite a bit since we're dealing with a foreign language few understand.

 

To put it simply, I'd read the book. It was that good. The reading brought tears to my eyes on numerous occasions, which doesn't happen all that often. I wasn't satisfied with the ending, though. It stopped a little short of the "happy" ending someone might expect, but in this case might not be appropriate for the culture. It hit poignant and that was enough.

 

This is a story about big time redemption. A wrong is committed and must be put right, even if it means death.

 

I don't see this being made into a "good" movie. There are parts of the story that will not appear on American screens, kind of the way "Brokeback Mountain" was a terrific novella/short story, but sucked as a movie and not because of the sex scenes. For me, "The Kite Runner" ranks right up there with "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time", which by the way would make a good movie because there's none of that icky sex stuff in it.

 

Buy the book and enjoy it.

 

 

Carl

[Menzoberranzen]

For me, "The Kite Runner" ranks right up there with "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time", which by the way would make a good movie because there's none of that icky sex stuff in it.

 

Buy the book and enjoy it.

 

 

Carl

 

Firstly, I loved the book; one of the rare few worth the hype. Secondly, I hated 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' with a passion. I really, really, can't stand books written from the perspective of someone with less-than-exemplary diction. If you want to tell a story about an austic child (or a mental institution, Mr. Ken Kesey) then you should do it in third person, in my opinion.

 

But anyway, back to the Kite Runner. I agree that it could easily be made into a bad movie, but I think that with the right actors, it could actually be quite moving. I would definitely reccomend reading it; it is a really well done account of human nature that is stark and real without the sugar-coating we're used to.

 

His second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, was also good, but extremely hard to read. There was so much gritty detail and, as much as I hate cliched endings, it was almost too hopeless. I'm not sure if that's what the intention was, but I finished it and had very little hope left for humanity.

 

He is an amazing author and it is definitely a must-read.

 

Menzo

[canundra]

I'd definitely read the book.

 

I just came back from an early screening of the movie tonight and I was very happy with the movie. I thought it was very well done and it stayed true to the book. I was actually very surprised by how close they kept to the book. The acting was excellent, and it is an emotional movie as well. I'd definitely recommend watching the movie as well.

 

But I'd say read the book first.