"For you, a thousand times over."
The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan American author Khaled Hosseini. Published in 2003, it is the first novel in English by an Afghan.
Plot Introduction:
The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.
Plot Summary [Spoiler Warning]
Amir has a troubled childhood growing up in pre-civil war Afghanistan. His mother died in childbirth, his relationship with his father Baba is stilted, and his closest friend Hassan is the hare-lipped son of the family servant. Amir does not understand the fondness that Baba shows for Hassan, a fondness which results in Baba paying for plastic surgery to fix his cleft palate on his twelth birthday.
Amir and Hassan are taunted by Assef, a sociopathic bully from a respected Afghan family. At a critical encounter, Hassan rescues Amir from harm by threatening to shoot out Assef's eye with a slingshot. Assef and his buddies back down, vowing revenge against Hassan.
One of the highlights of Amir's childhood is the annual kite fighting competitions which marks the start of winter in Kabul. Amir is a master kite fighter, and Hassan is an uncanny kite runner, someone who chases fallen kites to be displayed as trophies.
At the age of twelve Amir finally garners his father's esteem by winning the local kite fighting competition. Unfortunately, when Hassan runs off to retrieve the last defeated kite he encounters Assef. Amir searches for his friend, only to witness Hassan being brutally raped by Assef. Amir lacks the courage to intervene and keeps his knowledge of the rape a secret. Guilt over his inaction slowly poisons his relationship with Hassan.
On his thirteenth birthday, Amir receives a number of gifts from his father and his father's friends, showing respect for his having won the kite competition. No longer able to tolerate Hassan's presence in the house, Amir frames Hassan for theft by hiding money and a gift watch under Hassan's mattress. Although he is innocent, Hassan confesses to the theft rather than embarrass his friend. Ali feels compelled to leave the family's service, and so he and his son move to remote Hazarajat, despite the protests and tears of Amir's father. Though Amir never sees Hassan again, he is constantly haunted by how he betrayed him.
In 1980, Amir and his father leave Afghanistan for Peshawar in Pakistan, and eventually for the United States, to escape the new Soviet regime.
In 1984, Amir and Baba are living in Fremont, California. Baba works at a gas station and makes extra money selling junk at a flea market on Sundays in order to put his son through school. Amir meets Soraya Taheri at the flea market. Baba is diagnosed with lung cancer. Amir asks his father to approach the Taheri family so that he and Soraya can get married. They have a traditional wedding, Soraya moves in with Amir and looks after Baba until he dies.
Years pass. Amir embarks on a successful career as a novelist. Amir and Soraya are unable to have a child, and are unwilling to adopt.
In 2001, fifteen years after Baba's death, Amir receives a telephone call from Rahim Khan, his father's former business partner now living in Peshawar. Amir travels to Pakistan to meet him. Rahim Khan reveals the story of what happened in Afghanistan after the civil war.
Rahim Khan had moved into the family's old house, and brought Hassan and Hassan's wife and infant son back to tend it. Ten years later, Rahim Khan left Kabul for Pakistan. Hassan and his wife were murdered by the Taliban. His son, Sohrab, was taken to an orphanage.
Rahim Khan asks Amir to go back to Afghanistan to rescue Sohrab. To persuade him Khan reveals a family secret: Ali was sterile and Baba was the true father of Hassan, making Hassan and Amir half-brothers. Sohrab is Amir's half-nephew.
Amir returns to Taliban-controlled Kabul to search for Sohrab. He locates the orphanage and learns that the boy has been given to a Taliban official, who uses him as a sex slave. Amir locates the official and asks for Sohrab, only to find that the official, an executioner, is Assef, the sociopathic bully. They fight over the boy, and Amir is nearly killed, but Sohrab rescues him by shooting Assef in the eye with his slingshot.
Amir and Sohrab escape to Pakistan, where Amir is treated for serious injuries, including a split upper lip. Amir decides to adopt Sohrab, but he meets with opposition from the local American authorities. Amir tells Sohrab that he may have to put him in an orphanage for a while. Fearful of the same kind of brutal treatment he received in Afghanistan, Sohrab attempts suicide by slitting his wrists. Amir discovers Sohrab in time, when he runs to tell him that his wife in the United States has found a way to bring the boy back to America.
The book concludes with Amir and Sohrab back in the United States. Sohrab is emotionally damaged and refuses to speak. While celebrating Afghan's New Year's Day, complete with a kite competition, Amir purchases a kite. He uses one of Hassan's old tricks to down a rival kite. There is a hint that Amir's joy in kite flying has started to thaw Sohrab's frozen emotions, and Amir finally feels liberated from his childhood guilt for betraying Hassan.
The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.
Plot Summary [Spoiler Warning]
Amir has a troubled childhood growing up in pre-civil war Afghanistan. His mother died in childbirth, his relationship with his father Baba is stilted, and his closest friend Hassan is the hare-lipped son of the family servant. Amir does not understand the fondness that Baba shows for Hassan, a fondness which results in Baba paying for plastic surgery to fix his cleft palate on his twelth birthday.
Amir and Hassan are taunted by Assef, a sociopathic bully from a respected Afghan family. At a critical encounter, Hassan rescues Amir from harm by threatening to shoot out Assef's eye with a slingshot. Assef and his buddies back down, vowing revenge against Hassan.
One of the highlights of Amir's childhood is the annual kite fighting competitions which marks the start of winter in Kabul. Amir is a master kite fighter, and Hassan is an uncanny kite runner, someone who chases fallen kites to be displayed as trophies.
At the age of twelve Amir finally garners his father's esteem by winning the local kite fighting competition. Unfortunately, when Hassan runs off to retrieve the last defeated kite he encounters Assef. Amir searches for his friend, only to witness Hassan being brutally raped by Assef. Amir lacks the courage to intervene and keeps his knowledge of the rape a secret. Guilt over his inaction slowly poisons his relationship with Hassan.
On his thirteenth birthday, Amir receives a number of gifts from his father and his father's friends, showing respect for his having won the kite competition. No longer able to tolerate Hassan's presence in the house, Amir frames Hassan for theft by hiding money and a gift watch under Hassan's mattress. Although he is innocent, Hassan confesses to the theft rather than embarrass his friend. Ali feels compelled to leave the family's service, and so he and his son move to remote Hazarajat, despite the protests and tears of Amir's father. Though Amir never sees Hassan again, he is constantly haunted by how he betrayed him.
In 1980, Amir and his father leave Afghanistan for Peshawar in Pakistan, and eventually for the United States, to escape the new Soviet regime.
In 1984, Amir and Baba are living in Fremont, California. Baba works at a gas station and makes extra money selling junk at a flea market on Sundays in order to put his son through school. Amir meets Soraya Taheri at the flea market. Baba is diagnosed with lung cancer. Amir asks his father to approach the Taheri family so that he and Soraya can get married. They have a traditional wedding, Soraya moves in with Amir and looks after Baba until he dies.
Years pass. Amir embarks on a successful career as a novelist. Amir and Soraya are unable to have a child, and are unwilling to adopt.
In 2001, fifteen years after Baba's death, Amir receives a telephone call from Rahim Khan, his father's former business partner now living in Peshawar. Amir travels to Pakistan to meet him. Rahim Khan reveals the story of what happened in Afghanistan after the civil war.
Rahim Khan had moved into the family's old house, and brought Hassan and Hassan's wife and infant son back to tend it. Ten years later, Rahim Khan left Kabul for Pakistan. Hassan and his wife were murdered by the Taliban. His son, Sohrab, was taken to an orphanage.
Rahim Khan asks Amir to go back to Afghanistan to rescue Sohrab. To persuade him Khan reveals a family secret: Ali was sterile and Baba was the true father of Hassan, making Hassan and Amir half-brothers. Sohrab is Amir's half-nephew.
Amir returns to Taliban-controlled Kabul to search for Sohrab. He locates the orphanage and learns that the boy has been given to a Taliban official, who uses him as a sex slave. Amir locates the official and asks for Sohrab, only to find that the official, an executioner, is Assef, the sociopathic bully. They fight over the boy, and Amir is nearly killed, but Sohrab rescues him by shooting Assef in the eye with his slingshot.
Amir and Sohrab escape to Pakistan, where Amir is treated for serious injuries, including a split upper lip. Amir decides to adopt Sohrab, but he meets with opposition from the local American authorities. Amir tells Sohrab that he may have to put him in an orphanage for a while. Fearful of the same kind of brutal treatment he received in Afghanistan, Sohrab attempts suicide by slitting his wrists. Amir discovers Sohrab in time, when he runs to tell him that his wife in the United States has found a way to bring the boy back to America.
The book concludes with Amir and Sohrab back in the United States. Sohrab is emotionally damaged and refuses to speak. While celebrating Afghan's New Year's Day, complete with a kite competition, Amir purchases a kite. He uses one of Hassan's old tricks to down a rival kite. There is a hint that Amir's joy in kite flying has started to thaw Sohrab's frozen emotions, and Amir finally feels liberated from his childhood guilt for betraying Hassan.
