Review: The Kite Runner (2003)

“For you a thousand times over!”

Those are the magic words that emotionally pulled out my tears when reading The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini. Actually, The Kite Runner is my very first English novel I’ve ever read, not taking into account the compulsory texts for English lessons during schooldays. Most of the time I read this book was in train, on my way to work and go back home. Reading The Kite Runner under that kind of situation which did not allow me to expressively concentrate, quite killing me. But somehow rather, I still felt like crying when I reached the last words of the novel, although I was fully aware that I was in a train packed with a bunch of people. Those were the words, perfectly repeated just in the perfect time, to trigger emotion.

Hassan said it the first time when he helped Amir, as he always did, to run for the kite they managed to hammer out in the kite-fighting tournament in their hometown in Kabul. Irony is everywhere in this novel, but the way the irony conveys in that part is ultimately disturbing and affecting the readers including me. They, Amir and Hassan have just winning the tournament. Amir had just proved his Baba his worth, the value he always wanted to show to his Baba regardless his Baba’s quiet stance of underestimating him. That was the finest moment for Amir he would win his Baba’s heart, to melt down the ice barricade that separated him and Baba for years since he was born, and he successfully did, but that was also became the worst moment to his relationship with Hassan, his servant, his long-life friend and his brother.

“There is a way to be good again”.

That dialogue and advice of Rahim Khan, the closest friend of his Baba, is the starting point where this story flows; the dialogue that bring Amir back to Afghanistan, to his fond memories with his Baba, Hassan, Ali and Rahim Khan, leaving for a while his lovely wife and stable writing career in America. That is the dialogue where he started to become the new Amir, leaving the old one who had always running from problem cowardly and let other people to handle it. It was Hassan who always done the problem-solving job for him. Sacrificed for him. It was Hassan, the boy whom Amir has betrayed to, despite of Hassan’s loyalty and love to him.

Amir’s departure from America back to Afghanistan created another drama of his life, more dramatic and fearing than he had ever imagined. It was all for the sake of Hassan. And for the sake of redemption. Through his journey to redeem himself, Amir had mentally and physically sacrificed, the value that only Hassan had had during their old days. The price of redemption, probably it was. And when you pay for the price of redemption, world will always give you back with more worthy price. Amir finally got the worthy price, when he could fly the kite again and win many people’s heart, especially Sohrab’s heart. This time without betraying anybody.