Khaled Hosseini: The Kite Runner

Finished reading this book at 11:15pm last night. I really enjoyed it. Very evocative. I think it was the author's simple language that did for me. I've always classed myself as a popular fiction writer (aka easy read). This, in part, is due to my rebellious nature. I want to break down the walls of literary snobbery. Easy read doesn't necessarily mean 'low read'. Maybe one day, the literati will know the difference.

Khaled Hosseini's use of language is deceptively simple. His description of Afghanistan in the 1970s was nostalgic, mournful almost. Like the lead character, I found myself mourning the country it used to be, before the Russians, Northern Alliance and Taliban did their best to blow it into smithereens.

The Kite Runner is about redemption. It's about courage. It's about doing what we know to be right yet doing nothing. It's about an Afghani man seeking to right the wrongs of his past. It's about Amir and his friend, Hassan's ultimate sacrifice for him, and Amir's journey to redemption.

It's a great book.

What I've learnt as a writer from this book: simple works.

If you don't do anything else this Christmas, buy this book. It's currently part of Borders 3 for 2 deals. I'm starting Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go this evening.