We thought ‘The Kite Runner’ made fascinating reading. It was full of interest (we especially liked the scenes of Afghan childhood before the Russian invasion) and was well paced, with lots of exciting episodes (the journey back into Taliban ruled Afghanistan, complete with false beard, really had us turning the pages). The scenes of horror were genuinely disturbing, but didn’t seem gratuitous or over the top.
We did have some slight concerns – possibly the drama toppled over into melodrama at times. Likewise, the exoticism of the scenes (for a western audience) might distract from occasionally clunky prose. There was also a striking lack of developed women characters in the novel, or any mention of the role of women in Afghan society. We wondered, too, what the success of the book meant during a time when the situation in Afghanistan was so politically controversial.
Over all though, we were very impressed by ‘The Kite Runner’ and would recommend it to anyone looking for an intense and gripping read which also expands your view of the world.
