The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is the debut novel of Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Published in 2003 by Riverhead Books, it tells the story of Amir, a young Afghan boy from Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul. The story takes place during important events in Afghanistan’s history, including the collapse of Afghanistan's monarchy, the Afghan conflict, the Soviet–Afghan War, and the time when many Afghan refugees left their country. It also covers the rise of the Taliban regime.

Hosseini says that the book is mainly about the relationship between a father and his son. The story focuses on feelings of guilt and trying to make things right again. A big part of the book is about Amir trying to help his friend’s son many years later.

After it was published, The Kite Runner became very popular. It stayed on the New York Times best-seller list for over two years, and millions of copies were sold in the United States. The book was turned into a 2007 film of the same name, as well as stage shows and a graphic novel. It is also available as a multi-CD audiobook that the author narrates himself.

Plot

Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy, and Hassan, a Hazara boy who is the son of Amir's father's servant, spend their days kite fighting in the peaceful city of Kabul. Hassan is very good at finding where the kites land. Both boys do not have mothers—Amir’s mother died when he was born, and Hassan’s mother left him and his father. Amir’s father, whom he calls Baba, loves both boys and tries to treat them the same, even fixing Hassan’s cleft lip. However, Baba often criticizes Amir, while Rahim Khan, Baba’s friend, supports Amir’s love for writing.

Amir wins a kite-fighting tournament and earns Baba’s praise. But Hassan, who went to get the winning kite, is attacked by an older boy named Assef. Amir sees it happen but is too scared to help. Feeling guilty, Amir stays away from Hassan, who starts to struggle after the attack.

Years later, in 1979, the Soviet Union intervenes in Afghanistan. Baba and Amir move to Pakistan and then to California, where they live a new life. Amir goes to university, works at a flea market with his father, and later marries a woman named Soraya. After Baba passes away, Amir becomes a successful writer.

Amir gets a call from Rahim Khan, who tells him that Hassan has passed away and that Amir must find Hassan's son, Sohrab, in Kabul. Amir travels there and discovers that Sohrab is being kept by a Taliban leader named Assef. With help, Amir rescues Sohrab, and they return to the United States. After some time, Sohrab begins to trust Amir, and they bond over kite fighting, helping Amir to make amends for his past actions.

Themes

The Kite Runner explores important ideas like friendship, betrayal, guilt, and redemption. The story also looks at the complex relationship between fathers and sons.

Amir feels very guilty for not helping his friend Hassan when he needed it most. This guilt stays with him even after he moves to America and becomes successful. Later, Amir tries to make up for his mistake by helping Hassan's son, Sohrab.

The book also shows how Amir's relationship with his father affects his actions. Amir wants his father's love, but his father shows more favor to Hassan. These themes make the story connect with readers from all kinds of backgrounds.

Development and publication

Khaled Hosseini worked as a doctor in Mountain View, California before writing The Kite Runner. He learned that the Taliban had stopped people from flying kites in Afghanistan, which made him think of his own childhood there. This inspired him to write a short story about two boys who loved flying kites in Kabul. Although two magazines turned it down, he kept working on it and turned it into a full novel with help from his editor.

The Kite Runner was first published in English by Riverhead Books on May 29, 2003, with 50,000 copies printed. Hosseini took a break from his medical work to share the book with readers and support causes in Afghanistan. The book was later translated into many languages and sold around the world. In 2013, a special 10th-anniversary version was released.

Critical reception

In the first two years after The Kite Runner was published, it sold over 70,000 hardback copies and 1,250,000 paperback copies. The book became very popular in 2004 when the paperback version was released, and it appeared on best seller lists. By 2013, over seven million copies had been sold in the United States. The book won the South African Boeke Prize in 2004 and was chosen as the Reading Group Book of the Year for 2006 and 2007.

Many people praised the book. Erika Milvy from Salon called it "beautifully written, startling and heart wrenching." Tony Sims from Wired Magazine said it shows "the beauty and agony of a tormented nation." Amelia Hill of The Observer described it as "shattering" and both "devastating and inspiring." First Lady Laura Bush said the story was "really great." However, some critics felt the book tried to do too much and didn’t always feel true to life.

Controversy in the United States

The Kite Runner became one of the most challenged books in the United States in 2008. Some people wanted it removed from libraries because they found parts of the story upsetting or unsuitable. Some Afghan American readers felt the book did not portray their country fairly. The book was also banned from schools in several states, including Florida, Michigan, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Wisconsin.

Film controversy in Afghanistan

When the movie version was made, a scene caused a lot of trouble. Some people in Afghanistan were very upset, and there were threats against the young actors. The Afghan government stopped the film from being shown in cinemas, worrying that the scene might cause racial tension.

Translations

The book was translated into different languages by various people. Rema Menon translated it into Malayalam, calling it Pattam Parathunnavar. Tzila Elazar translated it into Hebrew in 2004, naming it Rodef Ha'Afifonim.

Adaptations

Film

See also: The Kite Runner (film)

Four years after the book came out, The Kite Runner became a movie. It starred Khalid Abdalla as Amir, Homayoun Ershadi as Baba, and Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada as Hassan. The movie was directed by Marc Forster and written by David Benioff. It was planned to be shown in November 2007 but was delayed so the young Afghan actors could be safely taken out of the country. The film received many awards and was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Film Award, and a Critics Choice Award in 2008. Some people were upset about how certain parts of the story were shown.

Other

See also: Kite Runner (play)

The story was turned into a play in March 2007 by a writer named Matthew Spangler. It was first performed at San Jose State University. Later, it was shown at many theatres in the United States and Canada, including San Jose Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, and Cleveland Play House. In 2013, the play was performed in Canada and Europe.

In 2011, the author was asked to turn the book into a graphic novel. He agreed because he loves comic books. An artist named Fabio Celoni drew the images, and the graphic novel was released in September of that year. The author liked how it turned out.