Two nights of insomnia is all I needed to finish this mind gripping novel by Khaled Hosseini.
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| The Kite Runner (film) |
Narrated by Karim, the son of an affluent and respected businessman, The Kite Runner is a nostalgic account of childhood, of days spent picking juicy pomegranates, munching dried mulberries and walnuts, and running across street markets in the suburbs of Kabul during a time prior to the reign of blood, before words like communism, the Roussi or the Taliban had begun to plague the people of Afghanistan. But Karim and his loyal friend Hassan soon learn that the happiness of childhood is as ephemeral as the wings of a butterfly. Evil strikes on the most important day of their lives, tearing them apart and leaving behind an emptiness, a guilt that will haunt Karim for life. It is this bundle of memories that Karim takes with him when he sets off to find a better life in California as yet another Afghan refugee. Decades later, when Karim discovers "a way to be good again", he is forced to return to the land of his birth, 'the soil of his ancestors'. The novel gathers pace as he sets out on this adventure in 'modern' Afghanistan.
It felt as if I was right there, strolling the streets of this forlorn city, amongst the sun scorched alleys and "adobe walls", reminiscing the recent past of a nation that had once had hopes and dreams of betterment. It inspired in me a sense of the desperation that clings to every aspect of life in Afghanistan.
The Kite Runner is not only a heart warming story of love, friendship and 'blood', but also a reflection of the ways of the people of Afghanistan and the dark and bitter history of their nation.
