What a wonderful, wonderful story!
Cowardice. Courage. Redemption. Regret and grief. This novel is about so many things. Social class. America versus Afghanistan. Fathers and Sons. Political change. And it's about so much more than just this.
I kept hoping Amir would see Hassan again. That he would confess his wrongdoings and ask for forgiveness. That they'd reunite and rekindle their friendship. Their story, what happened between them, how much they meant to each other, is as heartbreaking as anything I have ever read. It's powerful.
Hassan was such a loyal friend. He protected Amir, notably from Assef, just like Sohrab did. They ran kites together. They loved each other, and that endured through everything. What is lost between them is sad, and it's sad that the invasion by the Russians and the eventual usurpation of power by the Taliban turned their homeland into a oppressive, poor shell of rubble, one that kept them forever apart.
Amir learns not to let others fight for him, to stand up for something. He becomes the man Baba wanted him to be. That Baba saw his son marry, which brought him happiness, that Amir's relationship with his father blossoms, and that Amir learns much about Baba, is poignant.
This is such a marvelous novel.
Tashakor, Fred, for this recommendation!
3 comments:
Glad you enjoyed it! I have the author's new one, A Thousand Splendid Suns, but haven't read it yet.
What thoughts do you have about the novel?
Mainly that it's just a great story with classical elements of redemption. Plus it's about a different culture. My reading is largely provincial; I tend to read only American stories. This one expanded my horizons. The plot is well-done. The characters clearly drawn. It seems realistic.
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