The Power of Khaled Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner’

“He stopped, turned. He cupped his hands around his mouth. ''For you a thousand times over!'' he said. Then he smiled his Hassan smile and disappeared around the corner.” - The Kite Runner, 2003

In September 2022, I boarded a flight from Mumbai to come back home. For my fairly short flight, I chose to read Khaled Hosseini’s debut novel, The Kite Runner. Somewhere over Rajasthan, the book had turned me into a sobbing puppy. The plot of this book is bound to take you through a whirlwind of emotions.

This is not the first time I am praising his works on my blog, but this particular book is different. The Kite Runner, written in 2003, was Hosseini’s very first work. Though in some interviews he has claimed he would rip apart the book if he could. Due to the novel being a product of Hosseini’s beginner phase, it has a lot of editing potential. In my opinion however, the raw nature of this book, the unrefined language is precisely what makes it a masterpiece.

The book, based in Afghanistan much like Hosseini’s other works, follows the story of Amir, a young boy and his friendship with a loyal boy, Hassan. Their friendship is one of a kind, until one event changes their lives forever. As you read the book, Amir is not an easy character to love, if there is any love at all. Many people criticize the book for “unknowingly supporting” Amir repeatedly, but from my reading, I see it a little differently.

Hosseini lays Amir bare in front of you through the course of the book, with all his choices, thoughts and emotions open. It is however important to know that, all the while, you are reading not only the story of Amir but also Hassan, and the tenderness of a child’s loyalty. The book, and Amir himself, will throw you off at many occasions. You will experience heartbreak, rage, warmth and disgust, some at the same time as well.

Maybe the true power of the book is not in the decisions of the characters, but in the strength of the emotions it forces you to feel. The Kite Runner is a simple book to read, and very difficult to unterstand. In order to give this book a good read, I recommend you leave your morality away, and explore the book through the eyes of a child, lost in the wars of his mind and his country. Afterall, what is a book if it does not make you question your own morals?