The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini

One word for “The Kite Runner”: Haunting. It is indeed a haunting story of love, loss, and betrayal. It will make you feel the pain of yearning for a father’s love, of loyalty unreturned, of friendship given up, of hope slowly lost, and of losing every person you value in life. It’s all too painful it will make you hate this society and the government, and lose faith in humanity. At the same time, you’ll be thankful you weren’t born in Afghanistan. Or that you weren’t there during the war and weren’t one of the refugees. It’s a sad book. But you’ll admire Hosseini for being able to bring light to the story even when the plot’s all too dim. On some moments you’ll smile and tell yourself how lucky Amir is for having found a friend like Hassan. The moments they’ve shared are too precious to not make you smile. But because of one event, how sudden their lives have changed. This book only makes me hate more those filthy human beings who do dirty things and take advantage of others. (Seriously what is wrong with them? Don’t they realize they’re ruining lives of innocent people 😦 ) I also love how clearly I was able to see Kabul through the words of Hosseini. This book made me realize a lot of stuff. Some of those I’d like to share:

1.) Even when you’re afraid, stand up for what you think is right.
2.) Only a fool will trade a gem over a bunch of rocks. In friendship, it is indeed quality over quantity.
3.) Love sees no ugly past.
4.) Don’t betray a person. Especially if you’re the only hope he has.

Quotations from the book that caught my heart:

“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime…”

“Tell him he’s wrong. War doesn’t negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace.”

“I’m so afraid. Because I’m so profoundly happy. Happiness like this is frightening…They only let you this happy if they’re preparing to take something from you.”

“I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded; not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.”

“it always hurts more to have and lose than to not have in the first place.”