10.08.2007

Kite Runner for president

I finished Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini in six days. I have two children and I am gainfully employed outside the home. Finishing any book in six days says a lot about it. It's very good. Just like I heard. I regret letting the fact that it's set in Afghanistan deter me from reading it earlier.

Several things struck me about the book. The first is that Afghanistan has been through a lot. A lot of awful things. Some countries have it good and some just get more and more screwed up and that sucks. Especially if you didn't win the lottery and get born in America. Because, wow, it's a really different life growing up in a war torn country.

The other thing that struck me was that you have to learn to accept yourself including forgiving yourself for mistakes made in the past. You regret them, you wish you could take them back and you make amends the best you can. But at some point you just have to let them go. Because everyone has flaws and makes mistakes and that's just how it goes.

I have a friend that was also reading Kite Runner last week. She told me halfway through the book how mad she was at Amir, the main character. I understand why she was mad but I mostly just felt sorry for him. He always felt so unworthy and weak and scared. And those feelings led to bad decisions. But it wasn't malicious. And he was just a kid. And maybe I'm just a giant marshmallow but I just felt sad for him.

Speaking of things that made me sad, I swear I almost had to stop reading on page 219 and take a deep breath. The only reason I didn't was because I thought for sure there had been some sort of mistake. And then my stomach dropped on page 281 and I seriously wanted to punch the author in the face. And then the last 100 pages zoomed past. My favorite line in the whole book was "What if you get tired of me?" Little kids should not have to be scared of that. Get. Me. A. Tissue.

Kite Runner is by far the best book I've read all year. If you haven't read it, you're missing out.

Next up for me is The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. It's one of the many recommendations I received after mentioning how blah I felt about the books I've read recently. I appreciated each and every suggestion so I intend to read each and every one of them. I'm starting with The Memory Keeper's Daughter because No Way over at The Early Bird says it will suck me in. That's not good if it's a black hole but it's pretty awesome if it's a book recommendation.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

May I recommend a book? A Thousand Splendid Suns, also by Khalid Hosseini. I finished it about a month ago and it's another awe-inducing book that really hits you in the gut. Loved it!!!

Chaotic Joy said...

I am reading the Kite Runner right now as well. Because I thought I was the only person left on the planet that hadn't read it yet. It usually takes me a few weeks to get through a book though, because I rarely get to squeeze in any reading time lately.

I read "Memory Keepers Daughter" earlier this year and I was only so-so about that. I am liking "Kite Runner" better.

no way said...

thanks for the "shout out" (heh heh.) now i'm nervous you might not like it. pressure! it was good, though probably not as moving as kite runner (which i will now have to read.) if you don't like it, pretend like someone else recommended it.

Anonymous said...

I have allowed the book's setting to prevent me from picking it up. I promise to read that book this year.

Anonymous said...

I just picked up Kite Runner yesterday - I was a little hesitant because it's set in Afganistan, but now I am glad I bought it.

Miguelita said...

Loved Kite Runner. Loved it.

Anonymous said...

jurgen nation - You most definitely can recommend a book. I will add that to my list! I'm excited to read anything described as awe-inducing.

chaotic joy - You're going to love Kite Runner. I'm so excited for you!

no way - Don't worry. I like it so far. I'm 89 pages in. I'm stil trying to come to terms with the husband deciding to do that to the baby girl but I'm very intrigued.

wordgirl - Good! I did the same thing and I was so wrong about it. You won't be sorry!

anne - I hope you like it as much as I did. Feel free to let me know if you do!

michele - I know. I loved it. I see why my friend keeps telling people she wants to have a son and name him Hassan.

Anonymous said...

So glad that you loved Kite Runner!!! I also loved memory keeper's daughter...

Sarahviz said...

I'm going to follow your lead. Trotting off to buy Memory Keeper's Daughter now....

(I read both Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns--they were the best books I read all summer!)

a happier girl said...

christine - I did love it! And I'm excited to hear that you liked Memory Keeper's Daughter too. It's so different than Kite Runner. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens. But I say that about every book I guess! Thanks again for the Kite Runner recommendation on your site.

trenches of mommyhood - I'm beginning to feel like the only one who hasn't read A Thousand Splendid Suns yet! Maybe I'll have to read that one next! Memory Keeper's Daughter has been good so far. Different than Kite Runner. But interesting.

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