The mournful wail was reminiscent of a Muezzin calling of the faithful to prayer. The singer lamented in english that his sins were as “high as the tallest mountain” and his deeds like a “small pebble”. He cries out for forgiveness and mercy from his god all the while the protagonist seeks absolution. His guilt has pained him for over 20 years and robbed him of a friend, a brother, and even a father; yet in this narrative we are assured that he has at last found forgiveness and peace. This is a scene from the screen adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s acclaimed book, The Kite Runner . Yes, according to the author, “there is a way to be good again”. The Kite Runner is not just a story of friendship, betrayal, and guilt in modern Afghanistan, it is the story of Islamic faith and personal atonement. Beautifully written, it portrays the journey of two Afghani boys, nursed by the same woman, raised together, but worlds apart. One, privileged, a coward, and inwardly scarred from lack of love from his father; the other, a faithful, brave, hair-lipped boy who is not only scorned by Afghan society, but eventually by the “brother” he holds dear. The story is beautifully written and involves all your senses. One can almost smell the lamb kabobs cooking in the crowded market, hear the crunch of snow beneath your feet as you race to the kite fighting tournament, feel the wet blood on your hands as they are cut by the glass kitestrings, and smell the sickening odor of gasoline and vomit from your hiding place in the gasoline tanker. The inner turmoil of Amir is paralleled in the Afghani government itself, as the country is first ravaged by the Russians who destroy their land, and then by the Taliban, who destroy their soul. The story does not end here, Amir’s sins are seemingly washed away at the same time Afghan soil is purged of the Taliban. There is a parallel here, whether intentional or not. “There is a way to be good again.”
I loved this book, for the cultural elements, for the poetic literature, and the gripping story. However, the stark contrast between Islam and Christianity couldn’t be more apparent in this book. Islam draws a distinction between the faithful Hassan, and the “sinful” Amir. Although, I would agree that Amir’s ungrateful and almost inhuman inaction was great, Christianity would say that Hassan and Amir are the same. In fact, our doctrine says we are all the same. We are all Amir, no matter how many times a day we bow down on our prayer rugs or recite ancient chants. Islam says “there is a way to be good again”, while Christianity says, you never were good “there is none who do good, not even one”. Islam says, and thus Hosseini says that you can atone for your sins; while Christianity says, you cannot save yourself; there is only one who can atone for this–a lamb without “spot wrinkle or blemish”. Although there were many goats being killed in this book, none of them could make atonement for Amir. I applaud his efforts, and am thankful for his sacrifice at the end, he just can’t “be good”. In the book, he gained redemption through among other things, his punishment at the end; the shedding of his blood. We Christians have redemption through the blood of Jesus. Through this we are declare righteous, so we put our hope in this alone. If nothing else, this book is a reminder of what I have been freely given by grace and an opportunity to reflect on these things.
I’m interested to know what made you want to read this book. It sounds like a great read as well as a book that might help us understand the Middle East and its culture better. Why were you interested? Thanks for always pointing us to the Hope we have in Christ.
This book was on the Best Sellers list for a time, and my husband picked it up on a recommendation by a well-known radio personality. It has been in my library shelves for at least a year. I have always had intentions of reading it, but it’s not like I’m running out of books to read. The long and short of it is, the movie was coming out, and I am a big believer in “the book is always better than the movie”, so I took about a day and a half to devour it, just so I could check the out the flick. So, you see, no great and noble reason. It has made me want to read more books like this, however, just so I can understand the culture. “Reading Lolita in Tehran” maybe?
i personaly think there is a lot of strong connectivity between the characters and there is something in amir thats wants him to remember his past. The lost friendship, a broken promise. the story is likely to be called the abandoned friend. Hassan and Amir share a lot in common
grade 11 student : response feedback from the chapter 1 and 2
I also must say that the starting chapters of this book have been quite delightfull.
The explanation is well sorted out
A lot of conflict i think will be shown in the further chapters
i dont think the religious motifs were quite as prominent as the themes of redemption, betrayal and the idea that the past is never over. I thought it was a good book though 🙂