Introductory Post

The Kite Runner

By: Khaled Hosseini

Published By: Anchor Canada

Copyright 2003

391 Pages

 Synopsis: Amir, native to Afghanistan and the progeny of a wealthy Kabul merchant, has an unlikely bond with Hassan, his servant and companion, despite Hassan's lowly status. When contentious ethnic, religious and political tensions begin to rise, Amir's family flees to California, leaving Hassan behind to a horrible fate. Years after he has fleed to California, Amir receives a phone call from a distant friend in Pakistan who tells him: "There is a way to be good again." Amir accepts the calling and makes the pilgrimage back to his homeland in order to correct the wrong he committed against his only true friend.

ONLINE REVIEW: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8947952

The above review seems to dissent from the widely-accept acclaim of the book, this reviewer gives it 1 out of 5 stars.. I chose this review because rather than go into the book only being cognizant of the raves and acclaim, I'd like to be aware of the bad things others noticed and see if I feel the same way. Every single person I've asked about this book gives me a one liner such as: "awesome Book", "amazing novel", "the best book ever." In her review Linda really loathes the expected sympathy we as the readers are supposed to have for a main character who apparently inflicts suffering upon others than feels immense guilt and sorrow which is supposed to make us feel sympathetic for the protagonist, even though he's only upset about what he's inflicted on others, when the others must endure incredible pain time and time again at his hand. Linda even goes as far to say: "I finished the novel resenting Amir, and even more intensely resenting the author for trying to make the reader think she's supposed to care about Amir, more than about anyone else in the story." 

Now that I am aware of the apparent follies of this novel, I have a bit more to write besides agreeing with all of the acclaim.