Of Friendships and Lost Worlds . Review on Kite Runner, The - Khaled Hosseni

Today when I cry for you

All I hear is my own resonance

It was my own negligence

Which brings this soreness

Will I ever hear that response?

Again in my Sustenance….

The burden of guilt so strong that it stifles you;

An emotion so powerful that it ruffles you;

A chiding so clear that it baffles you;

A voice that never fails you:

For You, A Thousand times over…

So many times in our life we reproach ourselves for that one opportunity we lost; that one chance when we could have stood up for that person who was the reason of our being; a human being who had never let us down but ironically he was let down by us only. Wishing that for once you can turn the wheels of time and rectify the wrongs, double standards and lies.

In short just to clear your conscience, which after years of turmoil still queries, you “Are you a Human Being? Are you a friend? Do you deserve any empathy?”…None! Because you are cursed to reap the results of your self created mire.

When I had picked up this book nothing and nobody had prepared me for the shock I am going to receive. The utter distress of reading the sexual harassments, for this is a practice prevalent in reality in Afghanistan; the anguish of a lovely emotion, which could not be expressed, and the mental state and torture of the protagonist on not being the friend he should have been.

Amir and Hassan are bosom pals but sometimes even when you are so close, a distance still separates you from the person. In their case, it is the gap of caste, creed, money and status. Amir is son of an influential person while Hassan is a Hazara, ridiculed by birth, his duty is to serve Amir; and he is a perfectionist at it.

His life ticks on that one smile from Amir, the aim of his life is to be at his service always and his only incentive are the hands bloodied by fetching a kite and henceforth observing the joy on his friend’s face.

Amir’s affection for Hassan is more on the core of dependency and he has umpteenth instances to recollect when Hassan stood by him and saved his neck.

But that one afternoon changes their lives forever...a particular instance when for once Hassan needs Amir and he could not be.

Self-ridicule eats him and leads to a lifetime of depression, insomnia and guilt. And even a deliberate separation from Hassan does nothing to solve his issues. Days months and years get irrelevant and are mislaid in the depth of that voice which haunts him forever…For You, A Thousand Times Over…..

Till fate sanctifies him with a chance to rectify his errors…..

Amiris a perfect portrayal of the weakest side of human nature. A growing up boy who is just plain human, trying to make sincere efforts to rise in the eyes of his dad, gain his affection and in process use all fair/unfair means. For him Hassan is an indispensable person and a mean to achieve this target. Though there is definite affection for Hassan in his heart but somehow it’s superseded by his priorities.

Amir is a character which I would love to hate or ridicule and confessing I did feel that disgust seeping down my spine; but as I turned the pages of the book I could relate to his musings; I could experience the twinge of his guilt and his helplessness and moreover I could empathize with him at last for he was just a plain human and nothing else.

And finally his realization lifted the corners of my mouth to a smile:

It takes a nonsensical gesture to make peace with your demons…And a smile is what you earn at the end of the day!

Hassan is a the friend of my dreams; a boy who spells just one word Dedication. A Hazaraservant by fate and a friend by choice, his sun rise and set on Amir. He is a ridiculed person by birth but a respected one for his traits. Though his role occupies only a few pages in the book, his presence can be felt in each and every word uttered by Amir who is also the narrator of the book. Hassan is the “The Kite Runner” of the book; the origin, rationale and consequence of a wonderful narrative.

Baba or Amir’s dad is a perfect example of a successful person, who in the process of acquiring success has lost his bearings of being a father. Amir’s constant efforts to win his approval and to avoid his rebukes, is truly heartrending. Though a final revelation just makes Amir realize the bitter truth that his father was as human as him, and he made his share of mistakes too; and probably he is just a reflection of his father.

Assef is the negative link of the story and the typical depiction of a heartless human. And just when you think that you are done with this character he reappears with double vengeance.

Sohrab is the surprise package of the novel and I will not detail his character except for the fact that he appears as the Good-Luck Angel for Amir to free him from his burden of guilt.

This is the first book I read of Khaled Hosseini and Impressed is too small a word to use , in fact if I would have to say that a Pen is mightier than Sword, than perhaps this book is a live instance of the same. I have also read A Thousand Splendid Suns,and probably the only author for which I know the book community waits to write his third book.

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Hosseini is currently a Goodwill Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).[2] He lives in Northern California with his Persian-American wife, Roya, and their two children. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaled_Hosseini

A brief candle; both ends burning

You're free at last.- Charlie Daniels

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