Miller 1
Lauren Miller
Professor Lomashvili
English 1101-40, Formal Essay 5
November 10, 2015
The Kite Runner: Review
So do you look at a book that is four–hundred pages or more and say to yourself you will
never have the time to read that? That is the case with many people these days. The book The
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is more than four hundred pages and many people refuse to give
it a chance because of how lengthy it is. The truth is once you begin reading this historical fiction
book, you get lost in it and the time just flies by. This happens because The Kite Runner is a
beautiful mix of facts, well developed characters, and an interesting plot. This book is perfect for
teens who are interested in learning about the history of Afghanistan as well as becoming
infatuated with the characters.
The Kite Runner is categorized as historical fiction, and this is what attracts readers
among other realistic genres of fiction. Historical fiction is when a movie or novel has a made-up
story but is told in a way that could have really happened and sometimes the story borrows true
characteristics of the time period in which it is set. “The Kite Runner teaches the non-Afghan
reader about the history and culture of Afghanistan” (Jefferess 389). The events that take place
throughout the book could have all happened during the Taliban rule in Afghanistan. “This novel
is an epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal that takes us on a journey in
Afghanistan from the time of the monarch’s overthrow to the tyranny of the Taliban”
(Dabbaghian and Solimany 632). Since the novel takes place in Afghanistan during the tyranny
of the Taliban in the 1980s, many tragedies happen because of the wrong Taliban laws. It would
Miller 2
publicly beat someone if they thought the person was not following their laws. The Taliban
would also stone people to death in a public arena for entertainment purposes no wonder how
heinous this can be.
Another merit of this novel is how life-like its main characters are. Amir is the
protagonist, and the book follows his life along with Hassan who is Amir’s childhood friend and
the son of Amir’s servant. Amir’s father called Baba is also an important character. As a child
Amir was overcome with jealousy because his father would show more affection to Hassan than
he would to his own son. Amir appeals to the reader because he is relatable. All he wants is
affection from his father, and he would do anything to achieve that. Hassan appeals to the reader
because he has a kind heart and would do anything for his friends and family even if it would
turn out to hurt him. Amir would be mean to Hassan because of his jealousy, and Hassan would
