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The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner

Literary FictionContemporary Literature
Pages
400
Published
2003
Language
English

Synopsis

Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner (2003) is a sweeping, emotionally charged debut that follows one man's lifelong reckoning with a childhood betrayal.

In 1970s Kabul, Amir is the privileged son of a wealthy merchant; Hassan is the loyal son of the family's servant. The two boys are inseparable, bound by kite-fighting tournaments and stolen afternoons — until a single act of cowardice, and the cruelty that provokes it, shatters their friendship and haunts Amir for decades. As the Soviet invasion and later the rise of the Taliban tear Afghanistan apart, Amir escapes to America, but the past refuses to stay buried.

Spanning continents and generations, the novel traces guilt, class, fathers and sons, and the long and painful road toward atonement. A powerful, often harrowing story of friendship and redemption that introduced millions of readers to Afghanistan's recent history.

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

SadEmotionalReflectiveGritty
BetrayalRedemption ArcComing of Age

Genres

Literary Fiction Contemporary Literature Drama Historical Fiction Graphic Novels

About the author

K
Khaled Hosseini

Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. In 1970 Hosseini and his family moved to Iran where his father worked for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Tehran. In 1976, when Hosseini was 11 years old, Hosseini's father obtained a job in Paris, France, and moved the family there. They were unable to return to Afghanistan because of the Saur Revolution. They sought political asylum in the United States and made their residence in San Jose, California. Hosseini graduated from Independence High S...

Characters

AmirProtagonist

A privileged Kabul boy who carries a childhood betrayal into adulthood.

AssefAntagonist

A cruel neighborhood boy who grows into a brutal figure.

HassanSupporting

The loyal son of the family's servant and Amir's closest friend.

All characters in The Kite Runner

Frequently asked questions

  • Is The Kite Runner based on a true story?

    While not a direct retelling of true events, The Kite Runner draws heavily on Khaled Hosseini's personal experiences and observations of Afghanistan's history and culture, particularly the political upheaval and the lives of Afghan refugees. The narrative weaves fictional characters into a meticulously researched historical backdrop.

  • Is there a movie adaptation of The Kite Runner?

    The Kite Runner was adapted into a feature film in 2007. The movie generally follows the book's storyline, though some narrative elements and character portrayals were adjusted for the screen.

  • Does The Kite Runner connect to Khaled Hosseini's other books?

    The Kite Runner is a standalone novel and does not share characters or a continuous plot with Khaled Hosseini's other works. However, it explores similar themes of family, guilt, redemption, and the impact of conflict on Afghan lives, which are recurrent in his bibliography.

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