Paperback, 336 pages
English language
Published Sept. 21, 2004 by Bloomsbury.
Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to gain the approval of his father and resolves to win the local kite-fighting tournament, to prove that he has the makings of a man. His loyal friend Hassan promises to help him - for he always helps Amir - but this is 1970s Afghanistan and Hassan is merely a low-caste servant who is jeered at in the street, although Amir feels jealous of his natural courage and the place he holds in his father's heart. But neither of the boys could foresee what would happen to Hassan on the afternoon of the tournament, which was to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to find the one thing that his new wold cannot grant him: redemption. -back cover
Gaandeweg aangrijpend, en met het hoofdkarakter meegroeien van stuntelend naar magistraal.
I think the first two thirds is a four star book and the last third is more of a three star book. I just found the end a little too fantastical. Also, my ignorance of the historical parts makes me wonder how much social/political/religious commentary I am just not picking up on and what the real perspective is. But those things aside, it is a page turner. He really nails guilt, what happens when you don't do the right thing out of fear, what happens when you let bullies and sociopaths do their worst.
For good or ill, this is the type of book that I'm going to compare to [book:Midnight's Children]. This is not a fair comparison, I'll admit. In the end, though, this book feels more like John Irving than Salman Rushdie. That's not a bad thing, if you're a fan of Irving's neat and tidy, overly contrived plot resolutions.
