The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

http://bit.ly/1cBUixg

     I had to read this book for English, and normally I don't really like the books I have to read for class, but this one wasn't too bad. It takes a while to really get into it but when I did I really liked it. It's probably one of the saddest books I've ever read.

     The main character is a boy named Amir. Amir lives in Afghanistan with his father who he calls Baba. They are pretty well off, they live in a big house and have two Hazara servants who are father and son. Their names are Ali and Hassan.

     Amir and his father are Pashtun and normally the Pashtun don't get along with the Hazaras because they follow different types of Muslim religion. But Baba and Ali have been friends for 40 years. Amir and Hassan get along quite well, but because Hassan is a Hazara Amir doesn't think of him as a friend.

     Amir and Hassan differ greatly in character. Amir is unable to stand up for himself and is unnecessarily rude to Hassan. Amir lies and is often jealous of Hassan because Baba never forgets his birthday, and always tries to include him in the things he and Amir do together. Hassan on the other hand is always honest, and always fights off bullies for Amir. Even when Amir is rude to him, he doesn't fight back, but rather encourages him in hopes that whatever anger has come over him will pass.

     Every winter there is a kite fight. A kite fight is an event where dozens of people get together with kites and try to cut down other kites and the winner is the last one standing. The book is called The Kite Runner because when a kite gets cut down people try to catch them because they are considered trophies and the ultimate trophy is the last one cut down.

     Hassan is an amazing kite runner and in 1975 they won the kite fight. Hassan got the last cut down kite, but something happens that changes Amir and Hassan's relationship forever.

*SPOILER ALERT*

If you haven't read the book skip over this next paragraph.

     The thing that changes their relationship is that while Hassan was getting the kite the same bullies that he had fought off before chase after him trying to take the kite from him. Amir is looking for him and when he finds him the scene he sees is a gory sight. Hassan is cornered by the 3 bullies, Assef, Wali, and Kamal in an alley and they are trying to take the kite from him, but Hassan being the honourable person her is, refuses to give it to them. Assef then says that it's fine he can keep it as a reminder of what he's about to do to him. He then proceeds to rape Hassan. Amir has seen the whole thing and being the coward he is, he doesn't stop them, he doesn't help Hassan. He doesn't want to risk losing his prize kite. And after Assef and his friends leave Amir finds Hassan and wonders if he knows that Amir knows what happened. later on it is evident that he did.

*SPOILER ALERT*

     After the kite fight in 1975, Amir and Hassan's friendship was never the same. Amir tried his best to avoid Hassan, but he was persistent in having their friendship be the way it was before. Amir never gave in though.
     He eventually did something that he thought would make his father kick Ali and Hassan to the curb, but that wasn't the case. Instead they resigned, and left the house the very same day. After that Amir never saw Hassan again.
     Amir and Baba moved to San Francisco when Amir was 18. They moved to a small apartment building. Baba worked at a gas station and Amir was in school to become a writer. they made some extra money by buying things at garage sales and reselling them at a market. There Amir met his future wife.
     Near the end Amir returns to Pakistan because a family friend named Rahim Khan calls him and asks him to come see him. The end has a shocking twist that I won't give away. This book teaches repentance and atonement, and most of all the crushing effects of guilt.