Libre Magazine

I remember the first time I laid my hands on this book. It was a gift from my grandma and I can recall still that I didn’t have very high expectations. The author was an unknown name and it was his first novel and I was quite apprehensive that being a highly temperamental reader, there was an increasing chance of me abandoning the book midway. But thankfully I was proved wrong!

The Kite Runner is indeed special to me in many ways. Most importantly it can be counted among those very few narratives which moved me to the extent of forcing tears out of my eyes on countless occasions and struck a chord in the core of my heart which very few books had managed to in recent times. It is in a few words, incredibly enthralling.

Khaled Hosseini’s literary journey in The Kite Runner is a first person narrative where the author voices himself through the character of Amir and his reminiscences about his childhood, his interactions with his father, Ali the Hazara who served them and Ali’s son Hassan who was Amir’s loyal companion. The novelistic voyage traces Amir’s failure to save his friend and guide Hassan from being sexually abused, his guilt pangs and the subsequent atonement of his sins years after Hassan has fallen victim to the Russian mercenaries in Afghanistan. The principle medium which facilitates Amir’s redemption is Hassan’s son Sohrab. The initial sections are resplendent with poignant descriptions about Hassan’s extreme faithfulness towards Amir, his unconditional love for Amir beautifully marked by a phrase that explains Hassan’s undying affection as he says “for you, a thousand times over.”

Hosseini’s moving images of their interactions have a great role to play in heightening Hassan’s martyr act and Amir’s brutality when Amir conspires and succeeds in driving Hassan and Ali out of his home as a way of distancing Hassan who was his father’s favorite and most importantly as a means of reducing his own sense of guilt which increased at the sight of Hassan. Hassan’s silence makes him the real hero and the readers are sure to feel a sort of sympathy and compassion for him in a similar manner like those evoked by the tragic heroes in the great Greek tragedies of yesteryear.

However The Kite Runner falls short of being regarded as a literary masterpiece. For once, it must be admitted that after a point the turn of events become quite predictable. At times it turns a bit melodramatic and very little is left open for the reader’s imagination. In a way, except in the end, there is little scope for the readers to exercise their imaginative prowess and reinterpret the story from their own perspectives. But it is Hosseini’s immense credit that despite so, he is able to keep the reader totally engrossed and gripped to the tale simply by his deft use of the English language.

The strength of the narrative is definitely the utilization of language. The author seems to be a master craftsman as each and every scene is woven with delicate threads of magnificent expressions flowing lucidly and it is at times astonishing to note the immense grace and precision that Hosseini manages to exercise over the Queen’s language. Not a single instance can be pointed out as being fragile or incoherent.

The descriptions of Afghanistan are picturesque and beautiful and he manages to portray vividly a slice of life in the country during the troubled times of the 1970s. So much so that in comparison, the description of the American countryside seems quite pale. Quite a few instances are worth remembering: the kite tournament where Hassan and Amir participate as kids, Hassan’s silent and helpless submission to his oppressors while Amir watches in fear, descriptions of Amir and his wife’s conjugal relationship and their yearning for a child, Amir’s final conversations with his father, his reading of Rahim Khan’s letter which brings in the revelation that Hassan is actually his half brother and Amir’s rescue act by releasing Sohrab from the clutches of Aseef who in his teens had sexually abused Hassan. But the most sensitive moments are towards the closing chapters of the book where the title of the book actually connotes its significance. The kite tournament and the interactions between Amir and Sohrab present some of the most heartrending moments in the entire narrative.

The Kite Runner is a tale of hope and it does manage to instill a sense of optimism among the readers. The end leaves the readers much to speculate and hypothesize of what the future might hold for the characters, but that future definitely is a better future, a brighter future. This is where Hosseini emerges a winner. There could not have been a better conclusion to this novel and despite the open endedness of the concluding part of the narrative, the reader is sure to feel a sense of satisfaction and contentment. It is a must read.