This one is
quite simply incredible. I don’t normally choose to read things just because
they’re popular, but I really can see why The
Kite Runner became the best-seller it is.
It tells the
story of the young boy Amir and his friend Hassan, the son of his Hazara
servant. We see them growing up together, their separation, and how their
destinies ultimately intertwine. This very personal, human story is set against
the harsh inhumanity of the Afghan war, from which Amir escapes as a teenager, and
revisits the country later in life.
Hosseini’s
stark, direct style somehow conjures up vivid images far more effectively than
florid description could have done, and what is left unsaid is at least as
important as what is stated openly. Hope and love go hand-in-hand with searing
heart-break throughout, sometimes even within the same paragraph.
The use of
foreign words in the text, for food, clothing, religious terms, and so on, isn’t
intrusive or confusing, and very much adds to the flavour of the novel. On a
personal level, I grew up with family friends from the Afghan area, and filling
in some of the blanks about the dangers and hardships they’d seen and escaped
from on coming to the UK really hit home for me.
As I’ve said
before, I don’t usually go for modern novels, especially those with a political
or war-based setting, but this one’s amazing. If you haven’t already read it,
do so. You won’t regret it! (Unless it makes you burst into tears in public,
that could be awkward. Try not to do that.)
Next up: The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
No comments:
Post a Comment