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The Kite Runner

By: Khaled Hosseini
Narrated by: Khaled Hosseini
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Editorial review


By Seth Hartman, Audible Editor

THE KITE RUNNER CONTINUES TO SOAR

Like many of my favorite titles, The Kite Runner came into my life when I was in middle school. The novel was sold to me as a coming-of-age tale set in a changing Afghanistan. While that is technically a solid gist, author Khaled Hosseini’s masterwork is so much more than that.

This story centers around Amir, a sensitive boy born into a wealthy Afghan family. The Kite Runner begins in the year 1973, a very tumultuous time in Afghanistan. Amir’s upbringing in the idyllic Kabul region is undercut by the rumblings of political upheaval. As the government faced a swift coup d’etat by the king’s ambitious cousin, Mohammed Daoud Khan, wealthy citizens all over Afghanistan fled as quickly as possible. Amid all of this turmoil, Amir is separated from his servant and friend Hassan after the latter is sexually assaulted. While Amir’s family would escape inside an oil tanker, Hassan is left behind as the revolution takes hold. A good novel would build up to this massive climax and leave it there, but The Kite Runner takes a much more nuanced approach. Amir experiences this trauma from a young age and is then suddenly dumped in America, forced to cope with survivor’s guilt while adjusting to a totally new culture. His journey then becomes a bid to accept his surroundings, grow into the man he hopes to be, and address his checkered past.

I have always been a huge fan of historical fiction. Something about experiencing key moments in time through an intimate perspective just works for me. Listening to the audiobook, Khaled Hosseini's narration adds yet another layer of context to the story. Imagine my surprise, then, when The Kite Runner pulled away from Afghanistan and introduced a culture shock element to the plot. The beauty of this title comes not just from its intricate setting descriptions and steady character development, but also from this tonal shift. This title has something for everyone, but is especially relevant for people who have dealt with a lot of change in their lives.

I will never forget where I was when I first experienced this section of The Kite Runner. I bought the book in the airport for an international flight and cracked it open while waiting for my flight to board. By the time I was on the plane, I was an absolute puddle. My young brain struggled to comprehend such an extreme level of social unrest and the human cost of political upheaval. Despite these unpleasant feelings, I was ready to dive deeper into this beautiful yet demanding story. This is not a tale about bravery, or defying odds, or even revenge in the traditional sense. This is a story about one man’s hope to redeem himself in the eyes of his oldest friend, and if that is not possible, at least do some good in the world for once.

Continue reading Seth's review >

Publisher's summary

Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of its monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is the unforgettable and beautifully told story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Raised in the same household and sharing the same wet nurse, Amir and Hassan grow up in different worlds: Amir is the son of a prominent and wealthy man, while Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant, is a Hazara - a shunned ethnic minority. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him.

The Kite Runner is a novel about friendship and betrayal, and about the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of fathers over sons - their love, their sacrifices, and their lies. Written against a backdrop of history that has not been told in fiction before, The Kite Runner describes the rich culture and beauty of a land in the process of being destroyed. But through the devastation, Khaled Hosseini offers hope for redemption.

©2003 Khaled Hosseini (P)2003 Simon & Schuster Inc. All Rights Reserved. AUDIOWORKS. is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division. Simon & Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

  • Alex Award Winner, 2004

"A beautiful novel...ranks among the best-written and most provocative stories of the year." (The Denver Post)
"Powerful first novel...tells a story of fierce cruelty and fierce yet redeeming love." (The New York Times)

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What listeners say about The Kite Runner

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic, gripping read

I have never written an Audible review before, but was compelled to write this one. I was hesitant to commit to a very lengthy unabridged book, but... wow. I couldn't put it down. I think it's good to warn people, however, that the content is disturbing-- children get brutally hurt, I'll just say that. The themes of loyalty and redemption are what make it so worthwhile. The author is the perfect person to read this work-- his pronunciations and obvious passion for the story really come through. The character development was excellent-- I felt I knew these people. I loved getting a sense of Afghanistan and learning more about the history and traditions. This is a GREAT read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

This worth the effort

Very good book the narrator is exellent and I had to remind myself that it is a story and not a real life account by him. Wonderfull and keeps you going

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow, such an overwhelming story. Must read.

What can I say, shocking, awe struck, amazed, disgusted, heart breaking, exciting, and so much more. This book kept me wanting more the entire time. The characters are magnetic. The storyline is epic. This book is so good. One of my all time favorites.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Re-read, re-listen and think

I have read the book and listened to the audio so many times. It reminds me that the afghan people have been through son much more than many of us as Americans realize or appreciate. It’s a heartwarming but difficult story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

amazing perspective change

loved the story, the heart break and the author did a great job describing all the places I know from the news with such personal detail.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I never write reviews

Not one time during this audible did I zone out in distraction. I binged and finished it in 3 days because I was spoiled with a couple days of long train rides.
I discovered my new favorite author. I read “A Thousand Splendid Suns” years ago and loved it too. I encourage everyone to read or listen to this book. It was a delight hearing it from the author himself. Thank you for delighting the world with your novels.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A true work of art

A profoundly written, deeply moving book.
It will forever be embedded in my mind. A true work of art.


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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Must Read

The Kite Runner has been adapted for Broadway and stars Amir Arison. My son read this book - required reading in his high school English class a number of years ago. He read it from cover to cover. It was the only book he enjoyed… and finished. That in itself was enough for me to download this Audiobook. Very well done. Truly a must read. Thank you for this wonderful story. We also saw the play, which honors the book’s multiple storylines very well and very respectfully.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

a very well written story about a jerk

I read this book as a teenager and left it. and listened mean to it as an adult 15 years later, I don't see this as a story about love redemption and forgiveness, I see this as a story about guilt and self-loathing. it reminds me of dostoyevski. amir is the main character and he is written as harboring a lot of negative feelings towards himself, and either reader do not feel any kinship or empathy for him. he treats people like crap. his character growth is not about inner work, it's about him finding external validation by "being good again" by helping out the Sun of his best friend he betrayed in a very terrible way. and him wanting to help his best friend's son feels like he is trying to undo his bad karma rather than having genuine love. and then only feeling affection towards his ex best friend once he is dead and then having all these font memories. which is also very human. but it's annoying. and it's inauthentic and contrived and does not feel good. there are also a lot of coincidental cliches that happen, like finally getting revenge on the bad guy who bullied the main character in his best friend as kids. the parts that I really enjoyed about the book was the Afghan history and hearing the author read his own story. the writing itself is also well written and enjoyable and easy to follow.

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Wtf

This book is beautiful but extremely dark and it is worth the read. I will recommend this book to anyone.

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