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    The Kite Runner
    The Kite Runner
    The Kite Runner
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Kite Runner

    Written by Khaled Hosseini

    Narrated by Khaled Hosseini

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A Stunning Novel of Hope and Redemption

    Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the 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: through the novel's faith in the power of reading and storytelling, and in the possibilities he shows us for redemption.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJun 1, 2003
    ISBN9780743567435
    The Kite Runner
    Author

    Khaled Hosseini

    Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and moved to the United States in 1980. His first novel, The Kite Runner, was an international bestseller, published in forty countries. In 2006 he was named a U.S. envoy to UNHCR, The United Nations Refugee Agency. He lives in northern California.

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    Reviews for The Kite Runner

    4.5/5

    1,904 ratings672 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 5/5
      I loved this book,it was good to read about life in Afghanistan from the point of view of somebody who had lived through it rather than from news reports

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Awesome book, a must read! It really gives some insight into what the poor people have been through in Afghanistan. You watch the main character grow up and learn to stand up for something and try to make amends to mistakes in the past. Also, you get a look at the hypocracy of parenting which is interesting.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      A very good book

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I have mixed feeling about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed reading it, but on the other hand, I didn't "like" the events described in the book. At times it was hard to read, because some characters are morally bankrupt sociopaths. I couldn't put the book down, and wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen.

      This is not the usual genre of book I read, so I was glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone a little and tried something new. The book read like a true story to me, and I had to keep reminding myself that it was fiction.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      An incredibly well written book that I never want to read again. (Nor do I ever want to read anything like it.)

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Rich, heartbreaking.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Amir, a young Afghani boy, makes a choice that will change his life forever.THE KITE RUNNER centers around one of the world's most common stories. You know it, I know it, and I'll bet you that most readers saw it coming a mile off. Even still, Hosseini manages to keep us involved. We all know what's coming, but that doesn't make it any less affecting when the big reveal rolls around. The book is readable and engaging, and does it ever pack an emotional wallop! I teared up time and again, and one particular scene chilled me to the bone. Amir does some terrible things, but he never fully loses the reader's sympathy because we can see just why he does them. We want him to repent; we want him to figure it all out before it's too late, because we can see that his willingness to do such things means that he will never, ever get what he truly wants.So it was very good. I'm glad I read it. But oddly enough, I find that I haven't the slightest desire to reread it. It's one of those rare 4-star books that didn't really change me. I liked it. I cried. But at the end of the day, I doubt that Amir and Hassan and their thousand-times-retold story will stay with me for long. I feel strange saying that, given that this is a book about war and family and betrayal and national pride and seven million other deep, meaningful things, but... well, it doesn't really feel like it's about any of that. It feels like a beach read. Hosseini delves into his subjects in just enough detail that I could empathize with the story, but he never quite went deep enough to satisfy me. I can understand why he'd do so--this situation must be close to his heart--but I've got to stay honest here. Godo as the book was, it didn't quite fly for me.I know I'm in the minority here, and I want to make it clear that I do recommend this. It was good. I enjoyed it. But I'm not sure it goes any farther than that.(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A fantastic book! I could not believe that this was Hosseini's first novel. I was unable to put down this story of friendship and redemption. It will be interesting to see how the movie compares to the book. Although it is one of my favorite books ever, I am now reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, and it may be even better!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This books starts out so beautifully, but 2/3 of the way through becomes contrived. Once Amir travels back home to Afghanistan, I felt like the events and coincidences were too forced to be effective. Other than that, this book gave me greater understanding of Afghanistan.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      What an absolutely FANTASTIC book!! I was totally not interested in reading this, but my mom insisted that it was a great book and that I should read it. This is a wonderfully told story about a boy and his friend, loyalty and forgiveness. Hosseini is a gifted storyteller. I highly recommend this one!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini's debut novel, was optioned because it is tailormade for the movies. It has solid characters, both main and supporting, a strong plot, a high degree of drama and pathos, exotic locations in Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as some scenes in more familiar San Francisco. Its decades-long timespan covers a man's boyhood, teenage years, and early middle-age. There's potential or partial redemption to be found in its denouement. The problem is that novel at times reads too much like a film. Perhaps that is my perception because I read the book after seeing the movie. But that feeling is also due to the quality of the characters who seem stock and stereotypical, the simplicity of the language and vocabulary (this book is often taught in school and is considered by some, Young Adult Fiction). The plot twists often seem far fetched and too coincidental, something that can easily be overlooked in film where you have to suspend disbelief but is harder within the confines of a novel. One of my literati friends hated the book deeming it, "juvenile...mediocre YA, ... contrived and absurd...two-dimensional, ill-written, Pathetic. Just pathetic." Ok, you get the point, he didn't like it. But despite these criticisms, which I don't entirely dispute, I believe Hosseini has written from the heart. Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein liked to discuss books and authors. There's a quote about books in A Moveable Feast, Hemingways account of living in Paris as a very young and poor man in the 1920s, that reminded me of this book. "They were simply written and sometimes beautifully written and he knew the people he was writing about and cared deeply for them."

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Wow! If you have had your eye on this book but have not pulled the trigger, this is your sign to do it! This was one of the best Audio books I’ve listened to. Finished in 3 days! I highly recommend! Great story, characters, scenery, history, lessons, it really has it all!
    • 5/5
      Heavy but beautiful story. When you think, “Is anything ever going to happen?” just keep reading.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed listening to the Kite Runner, captivating and riveting.
    • 5/5
      Sad, but beautifully written. A must read for sure. 5 stars
    • 5/5
      It's one of those stories that you'll never forget. I'll be thinking about this family and their journey as if I knew them personally.
    • 5/5
      I have no idea why I have put off reading this novel for so long. I didn't think I would enjoy it because of the underlying theme of middle eastern politics. I was so wrong. What a beautiful novel. Such complex and interesting characters, a story that truly unfold in three parts (each as compelling as the one before), and written with a perfect combination of detail clarity. I just loved it.
    • 5/5
      Powerful and haunting indeed. Truly a modern classic.
    • 5/5
      Eyeopening and wrote with compassion and realism! An amazing author
    • 3/5
      I was recently in a book club that read this volume, and everyone was really in love with the book. I, myself, have a few problems with it. Several other reviewers have commented on the various aspects of the book in relation to the culture and politics that the book so often does little justice to, so I feel no need to explore that avenue.My main problem with the book is the one dimensional aspect of the characters. We are presented with Amir and Hassan, and Amir does Hassan a serious wrong yet manages to be forgiven by Hassan. The book then chronicles Amir's quest to save Hassan's son. However, it is not a quest Amir seems to be own to find some resolution within himself, but rather a quest he seems to be own because he knows that is what someone with more of a conscious would do. The book is an okay read. I read it through quite swiftly, but I had problems with it when I was done.
    • 5/5
      I read The Kite Runner based on its popularity and the overwhelmingly great reviews it has received. I have to be honest; when I first started to read the book I thought to myself, this is not my cup of tea and was unsure if I would finish it. I hung in there and trudged through the first few chapters. As I started to get familiarized with the characters and settings, I could see something developing and I kept reading. Before I knew it, I was well into the book and was loving it. I am so glad that I stuck it out because man, this is one great book! It seemed that when things started to cool off, another twist would happen and suck me right back in. I was not disappointed with the plot, the characters, the twists and turns. It was all in here and more! I felt the characters and the plot were extremely well developed and believable. At times I had to remind myself that this was a fictional story. If you are like me and think that you won't like the story because it was about Afghanistan or you won't understand it and be bored, believe me you won't! I learned so much about Afghanistan and some of the feelings that true Afghans have about the Taliban. The Kite Runner is almost two stories in one, the main one about Amir and his life and the second about Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseini is a great writer and did an exceptional job. His writing is smooth and flows effortlessly. I highly recommend The Kite Runner.
    • 5/5
      This story did many things, it ripped out my heart at the sadness of events, a friendship torn apart, but it also opened my eyes to a culture I admit I was oblivious of before. This is the reason I love to read. To educate myself and learn something new. I am so glad I picked this book to read.
    • 5/5
      A thriller. I sobbed several times while listening to this!!!
    • 5/5
      Brilliant book.
    • 5/5
      This is perhaps the best fiction for the year!! One of two novels that made me cry... "A thousand times over!" Bravo!
    • 5/5
      This book is so different from what I would usually read (romance, urban fantasy, and all things happily ever after). I didn’t read this book because I thought it would be good, I read it because I wanted to see what all the book snobs were raving about. In one word, I thought it would be BORING. Boy was I wrong. This book was life changing, heart wrenching, mindboggling and all those other clichés you use when you can’t find a better word to express the depths of your feelings. This book broke my heart and as I sit here typing this review my heart remains heavy. I’m glad I read this book because it has taught me that the Afghanistan people are one of tremendous faith, honor, customs, and hope. Before, when I thought of Afghanistan I thought of bombs, and the Taliban. I never occurred to me that there was an Afghanistan before that. There was an Afghanistan before the blast of bombs and the remaining rubble. The characters in this book were so real. This was a book of friendship, dishonesty, honor, guilt, and redemption. I encourage everyone to read this book but have a box of Kleenex nearby when you do.
    • 4/5
      I have to admit, I did not enjoy this novel as much as I did Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns. Perhaps the comparison is unfair, and The Kite Runner is definitely a good read on its own. A story of fathers and son and friendship set in turbulent Afghan history, its themes are relevant to current events - no doubt accounting for the popularity of the novel.
    • 5/5
      The Kite Runner is absolutely amazing. You'll forget it's fiction. It's the best book I've read in a very long time.
    • 5/5
      The Kite Runner is an exercise in emotions for the reader. In the beginning, this is the story of life in Afghanistan in the 1970s. Amir and Hassan, two boys of different social classes are best friends, until a tragic event occurs that changes their relationship forever. Next, we arrive in America. Amir and his Father have fled their home and struggle to adapt to life in San Francisco. Eventually, Amir's haunted past takes him back to Kabul, where he is given the opportunity to face his demons and seek redemption. This story is difficult to read. No, the language is not too challenging and the prose is quite fluid, but the subject matter will smack you square in the gut. Just when you think things are looking up for Amir, the author inserts another torturous event that will force you to set the book aside and take a deep breath before continuing on. This book will play on your emotional heartstrings until the final sentence.
    • 4/5
      A poignant story which unravels the emotional fabric of love, hate, friendship and commitment.