Stop Complaining

I don't know why everyone else is complaining about the ending of this book. Of course bad things happened, people were hurt, and killed. But in many ways, this book turned out the best it could in this situation. Amir has redeemed himself, and Sohrab is finally safe. He has protected Hassan's son, his nephew, IT WORKED OUT. Of course Sohrab had been broken and abused, but now he can heal, in a good home.

Personally I was shocked when they found Sohrab in the bathtub, and quite honestly I was a little scared. For someone of his age to feel so much pain, is just so horrible. I wasn't sure if he was going to make it out ok, but thankfully he did. If only he could have heard the conversation about them being able to take him to America, the entire crisis would not have occured. Regardless of all the bad, or upsetting things that have happened in the span of this book, it turned out well. Even with complications, the story ended up full circle, and everything is in it's place, so stop complaining. I personally loved the end of this book.

Reality.

This book was the biggest emotional rollercoaster. I have never experienced so much sadness while reading a book. I was hoping for a happy ending. But that's the problem with humans; we only want happy. We want a perfect world where nothing bad happens. This unfortunately is very astray from the truth of the world. Hosseini displays reality like a stab in the back through the Kite Runner. I was absolutely heart-broken when Sohrab was found bleeding in an attempt to kill himself. How cruel is the world that makes a child want to kill them-self? This should not be happening. And the sad part is this is what actually is happening in the world. We are so privileged to live in America where our biggest problem in life is to get this blog post by midnight. We can't even imagine the strife the majority of the world's children are going through. I am extremely saddened by the turn-out of the end of this book. However, I think it brings light to a serious problem within the world.

Disappointed

Overall this book was very good, and very well written. It did not end as I had expected, but I cannot change that can I? With all of the violence and sadness that was going on throughout the entire novel, I figured that it would end with something tragic that would break most readers hearts, but instead Hosseini gives us in a sense, a happily ever after ending that I was not ready for.

Even though the novel did end as planned I think that Amir finally found the person that he was supposed to be. He found repentance of not standing up for Hassan by getting the crap beat out of him by Assef. Amir was laughing during the entire brawl because he knew this is what he deserved all along and was finally receiving his punishment.

The best part of this section of the novel was getting Sohrab back. I had a good feeling that Amir would eventually find him and believe that he made the right move of bringing him back to America with him for adoption. Sohrab has lived a rough live, so far and Amir knows what he is going through. He knows that it takes time to heal the past, but eventually you get through it

Hope

In the end, this was a good book. I enjoyed it the most out of the three book chats this year. I thought the ending was very realistic, which was good. I can't think of an alternative ending because I would have been furious if it was an impossible, total happily ever after story, like the book Iron House that I read last semester. I hate those it "magically" works out in the end books. This book masked its ending very well in balancing the hope that us as readers imagine in the characters' lives and the reality of the demons Amir and Sohrab face in the future. My prediction was right that they would take the boy back with them to America. I thought it was clever of Rahim Khan to fake that there was a Christian couple who could take Sohrab. It was kind of funny, because that was the realization for Amir that he had no other alternatives but to adopt the boy and be even with his guilt.
I'm glad I read this book since it really was a page turner. I do not recall any moment where it seemed to drag on. The read was very quick as well. This author is someone I will definitely look into for future reading.

Interesting

This book did manage to keep my attention. However, at times my attention dwindled. It seemed as every new plot twist occurred what would happen was obvious, but just a matter of reading it. From the point of the introduction of Hassan's son and on I could have almost told you what was going to happen. I was only surprised by the entrance of Assef,  and Sohrab's struggles with depression. I thought that his move to America would be a happy assimilation, but instead it seemed like he gave it no effort. Amir's life seemed just as plagued with bad news as Sohrab's, and you would think that eventually Sohrab would be able to move passed the abuse he endure and it did hint that this may happen. Ultimately, I found the book to be to straight forward with plot twists that led to obvious conclusions. Also, the whole ending with the kites and all was a bit to mushy gushy and cliche for my liking.

Although it seems like I hated this book there was an aspect of it I enjoyed. I was unfamiliar with the middle eastern setting and the book gave a great picture of the setting and how horribly the country deteriorated.

On a side note, I found it really far-fetched and almost downright silly that Sohrab still had the slingshot on him during the fight between Assef and Amir. I mean really? What criminal keeping a prisoner doesn't do a full body search of their prisoner? That really grinded my gears...

Amazing Book! Crappy Ending....

Amazing book! Seriously amazing! I will recommend this to everyone! Buuuuuut, horrible ending. Yes, I understand that this isn't a super happy book, but is it too much to ask for to have a happy ending?!?!?!

A little part of me died when Sohrab tried to kill himself. It was so hard for me to imagine that a little boy who should be playing outside flying kites in utter innocence, is instead in a state of extreme depression because he has been molested repeatedly and orphaned. Its horrible. This is what is happening to children in Afghanistan  This what the Taliban do. I'm so glad we live in America, but I wish there was a way I could stop this from happening to innocent children. Sohrab tried to take his life just because the possibility of him going back to an orphanage came up. How horrible must those places be?

I wish the book would have ended differently. I wish I would have ended with the kite flying and Sohrab suddenly breaking out of the state he was in and running with Amir to get the kite and every one would be happy and crying from joy! That’s a better ending!  I don’t know though, how would you all have wanted it to end?


P.S. I hate Assef more than I've ever hated another fictional character. That's saying something!

The End

I've finished The Kite Runner, and it was really good. The whole thing was really good. Actually, once I finished the second part assigned to us, I literally could not put the book down. I finished it last Sunday.
Toward the end of the book, back in America, when Sohrab would not speak one word, I expected the very last line of the book to be him speaking. As we all now know, that was too optimistic. He never spoke, although is is implied at the end that he is beginning to warm up to Amir. Speaking of the end of The Kite Runner, I found it really touching. Amir and Sohrab were having fun together, but more importantly, Amir showed his love for Sohrab in the only way he ever knew: flying kites. Throughout the book, Amir put such a great emphasis on flying kites that his flying kites with Sohrab at the end of the novel means much more than one would initially think.

I enjoyed reading about Amir rescuing Sohrab from the wreck called Afghanistan. I thought Hosseini could have developed his attempt to leave Islamabad a little more. What happened with Raymond Andrews? How did they get Sohrab to America when andrews said they could not? I realize that this isn't the most important part of the book, but it bothered me a little.
I really like the book. It was a great read; I couldn't put it down.

It just ended

The last few chapters of this book were so suspenseful and so much happened, and then it just ended. When Amir realized it was Assef my heart dropped. This crazy narcissistic kid turned out worse than I could ever imagine. Assef said he never forgot a face, but how could he not see Hassan’s face in Sohrab. Assef should have remembered Hassan more because he was probably one of the first people that Assef really hurt. The slingshot should have definitely been another cue to Assef, but he got what he deserved.

There was so much hope and happiness starting in Sohrab’s life I really thought everything was going to work out for him. Amir came and it finally seemed like no one would ever leave Sohrab again. It disappointed me so much that the book just ended with Amir running the kite. Yes it was full circle, and it was supposed to be a great thing of redemption, but it really wasn’t. There was still a sad little boy without a true father, stuck in the world pretty much alone because his heart had been broken so many times.

Plot Twist: THEY ARE BROTHERS.

Ok, ok, to be honest, it really was not much of a shock to me to find out Hassan and Amir are brothers. I mean Hosseini was hinting at this all along. Baba always had a secret pride for Hassan and mentioned how Amir doesn't have courage like Hassan does. This aside, I was very happy and saddened at the same time to hear this news. Why didn't Baba ever mention it to Amir? Hassan was treated so so so poorly in comparison to Amir, and was over all a better person. Hassan was always kind and forgiving, and Amir was very mean and rude.

I was glad to see the shift in Amir's personality once the book progressed into present day. After the story Rahim Khan told there was a fuse within himself that Rahim Khan had sparked. Amir was finally taking action. Baba would have finally have been proud (not just proud for Amir's success but for his courage!). I think this realization in Amir is represented by the phrase "it's never too late." He is married now and a successful novelists but has still never corrected his past. This is his chance. I cannot wait to see how the end of this book pans out. 

Day to day

Amir is finally beginning to figure himself out. He has a successful life in the writing business and is now married to Soraya, the girl of his dreams.  This section of the book shocked me a couple of times, but the most heartbreaking part was learning of Hassan’s rough life. Even though he did marry, his life consisted of a stillborn first child and just years after his son is born, he and his wife are killed by the Taliban. This was completely unexpected and I never would have guessed that Hassan was dead.  After everything that he went through as a child and then he is slaughtered in front of the entire neighborhood, it just is not right.

When Sohrab is introduced in to the story, I did not really know what to expect. I want Amir to try to save him, but is it really the best choice? He is having a rough spot in his life right now and everything and everyone around him seems to be getting injured or killed in some way. Hopefully he makes a decision that truly benefits himself and eventually returns to America with his family, safe and sound.

Este Libro es Muy Bueno

If there is one thing I like in a book, it is to see the development of characters. Everyone changes throughout life. As the world rotates, people differ from their original personalities. In literature, this is always a crucial aspect, and it can clearly be seen throughout the life of Amir. He began being sort of cruel, but as more time passed, he began to redeem himself. As I read more and more I am gathering that the plot will only go on to full redemption, unless there is some crazy plot twist like Amir's father is still alive, or Soraya turns out to be a robot (which I highly doubt).

One thing that I suspect would surprise most people, but did not have a large impact on me, was the revelation that Hassan and Amir are half brothers. Now of course that is a major part of the book and everything, but I still kind of saw it coming. I did not make a prediction set in stone that this would be revealed, but I had my suspicions since the beginning.

Anyway, I am really enjoying the development of this plot and I must say I am excited to see how it concludes. Hopefully with no robots or parents back from the dead.

(p.s. I am loving Hosseini's writing style, I am just able to picture everything clearly in my mind, something that I find very important in a book)

Amir's Transformation

This section, although quite uneventful, managed to keep my interest. The section has many integral parts that set up Amir's task at hand: saving Hassan's only son's life. Amir's life is as pleasant as  it could be minus the death of his father. He has a nice home, in-laws, and a wife. However, this moment is the perfect opportunity to repay Hassan for Amir's sins. He is at a high point in his life, and now he must delve into his past to make up for taking someone else's life. It is a perfect teaching lesson in that aspect. Because now we have a situation in which forgiveness can be granted, but it will cost a pretty penny.

I was clueless as to where the plot would go following Baba's death. But, Amirs meeting with his father's old business partner set up the rest of the story. I was shocked to find that Hassan and Amir were brothers the whole time but it made so much sense. Now I think that I might find some happiness or relief that Amir has found a way to make up for his mistakes as a child. I think Amir will eventually come to peace with himself and maybe take in Hassan's child as his own. I believe Amir's growth as a character makes this story a bildungsroman.

I like this book a lot more

Amir is finally able to make good decisions in his life, and is turning into a good person. He realizes that he is able to make his father proud without hurting others. I think Amir and Soraya are perfect for each other because they both have troubled pasts, but I really would have liked Amir to open up about his past once Soraya did.

The one thing I don’t like about this book is the weird time frame. Every time a new year comes up I get very confused on when things are happening. If it would use Amir’s age every time instead of years it would be much less confusing.

I know this book is supposed to be about Amir and his redemption but I feel so bad for Sohrab even though he is such a minor character right now. Every time someone he loves comes into his life they die or leave him behind; first his grandma, then Rhahim Khan, then both of his parents. I hope that when Amir finds him he will truly stay in his life and hopefully bring him back to America.

I. Love. This. Book.

Alright, sooooo I already finished this book on Wednesday. But don't Worry! I won't talk about anything that is to come!

Let's get down to business though....

On page 222, my life was changed! When I found out that Hassan and Amir were half brothers I literally got out of my seat, freaked out, walked back and forth down the band hallway and asked every person in the vicinity if they had read the book because I needed to vent to someone so badly. Seriously, I thought  A Thousand Splendid Suns was unexpected, But this..THIS WAS INSANE!!But a good insane! I mean it explains so much though! I just really wish that Hassan and Amir would have known earlier, because it would have changed so much. Hassan and Amir could have been closer and maybe Amir would have treated him better.....but I guess we will never know how things could have been.

I was very confused by on thing in this novel, the dates that are printed at the beginning of some chapters....they don't all seem to make sense the first time through. I had to go back and look at them again to make sense of where we were in time.

One last thing....I really like Soraya. I think she and Amir are perfect for each other. And I think that Amir finds someone with a past that she is ashamed of is perfect because Amir has just the same shame in his past.

Well, until next time!
Gabi

Changes in Characters

At the very end of my last post, I mentioned that I would really like for the "redemption" advertised on the cover to happen soon. Now, at the end of this second section, I am hopeful that it will. Amir will, if all goes well (since when has it?), save Sohrab, his half-brother's only child. Of course, this whole book has me quite cynical, and I would not be surprised at all if Sohrab ends up meeting the same unnatural fate as his father.

For most of this section, I was disappointed with Baba and his behavior. I cannot say I found joy in reading about his descent from a perfect father and role-model to a grumpy old man with nothing to live for. However, I found solace in the fact that he died only after seeing Amir married and believing his son was not a total failure. That's always a plus.

Toward the end of this section, Amir seems to finally be maturing. He acts quite immaturely to Rahim Kahn, but sees the error of his ways and decides to save Sohrab. At the very end of this section, it is implied that Amir gave Farid and his family some money to help them. I believe this is only the beginning of the transformation Amir will make before this book concludes.