The Kite Runner by Khaleid Hosseini: A Book Review

The Kite Runner by Khaleid Hosseini: A Book Review

Setting: Afghanistan, America, Pakistan

Characters: Amir, Baba , Hassan, Ali, Rahim Khan

Setting:  - 1980’s –

Genre: Family, Historical

Publication date: 2003

Summary:

It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan's monarchy through the Soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.

Hosseini has commented that he considers The Kite Runner to be a father–son story, emphasizing the familial aspects of the narrative, an element that he continued to use in his later works.^[2] Themes of guilt and redemption feature prominently in the novel,^[3] with a pivotal scene depicting an act of sexual assault that happens against Hassan that Amir fails to prevent. The latter half of the book centers on Amir's attempts to atone for this transgression by rescuing Hassan's son two decades later. (Wikipedia)

Themes:

Father-son

Amir and his Baba

Amir had always craved for his Baba’s( father) attention and love.  He felt like his Baba was not proud of him because he was not good in soccer nor he could not stand up for himself. Amir was also jealous of Hassan ( his friend) because whatever toy his father gives him, he would also give one to him and his father would always invite Hassan when they wanted to go out. Amir wanted his father for himself.

In the long run, during their travel to Pakistan and life in America, Amir and his father became closer.  His father worked hard to provide him food and education. Note that Baba was popular, influential and well-off in Afghanistan but all these, they left so they can start anew in America , away from the war.

Baba’s last fatherly duty before he died of cancer was asking permission from the General to let Amir marry his daughter. People spoke of his greatness when he died especially how he helped those in need.

Baba and Hassan

Hassan and Ali are Hazaras. They belong to the lower class and considered as servants. 

Hassan never knew that his master was his real father. All he thought was that his father was Ali, another Hazara and that his mother left when she saw that he had cleft pallet, Hassan was the good child.  Ali was the good father.

Baba’s sin was Hassan.  

Brotherhood  and Friendship

Amir and Hassan were childhood friends; however, Amir never admitted that Hassan was his friend. They nursed from the same woman , they climbed trees together and flew kites. Because of jealousy and guilt, Amir hid his watch and some cash under Hassan’s bed. Hassan and Ali decided to move out despite Baba’s pleading for them to stay.

It is important to note that Amir did not save nor defend Hassan when he was being raped by Assef. He saw this but turned a blind eye and he carried this for a long time until Rahim Khan called him and said that it is not too late to be good again.

Amir wept and was devastated when Rahim Khan confessed that Hassan was his brother. It was too late since Hassan was shot by the Talibans. His wife was shot as  well leaving their only child, Sohrab in an orphanage.

Amir’s redemption was getting Sohrab out of Assef’ claws (he became a Taliban and kept Sohrab to satisfy his demonic urges). He was almost killed in the process but at the end, he was able to get him out of Afghanistan and adopted him.  The story ended with Amir flying kites with Sohrab in America.

Overall impression of the book

Khaleid is very skilled in describing scenes. HE speaks vividly as if you are being transported to Kabul, Pakistan and America. The way he characterizes are also haunting. 

The themes of his first book may not be as heavy as the second novel but it gives light to how our past affects our present. It lets us reflect that when you live carrying secrets and guilt,  these would haunt you for the rest of your life. 

Amir did not have the chance to ask forgiveness from Hassan but with his struggle to save Sohrab, he knew that he had somehow made peace with him , most especially his ownself. 

Favorite quotes:

11.       “When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.” -  Baba

22.    “She said, 'I'm so afraid.' And I said, 'why?,' and she said, 'Because I'm so profoundly happy, Dr. Rasul. Happiness like this is frightening.' I asked her why and she said, 'They only let you be this happy if they're preparing to take something from you.” – Amir’s mother

33.    “It's wrong what they say about the past, I've learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out.”

44.    “That same night, I wrote my first short story. It took me thirty minutes. It was a dark little tale about a man who found a magic cup and learned that if he wept into the cup, his tears turned into pearls. But even though he had always been poor, he was a happy man and rarely shed a tear. So he found ways to make himself sad so that his tears could make him rich. As the pearls piled up, so did his greed grow. The story ended with the man sitting on a mountain of pearls, knife in hand, weeping helplessly into the cup with his beloved wife's slain body in his arms.” – Amir

5. “Better to get hurt by the truth than

6. “One time, when I was very little, I climbed a tree and ate these green, sour apples. My stomach swelled and became hard like a drum, it hurt a lot. Mother said that if I'd just waited for the apples to ripen, I wouldn't have become sick. So now, whenever I really want something, I try to remember what she said about the apples.”  -Sohrab

77.  “The problem, of course, was that [he] saw the world in black and white. And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You can't love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little.”

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini: A Book Review

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini: A Book Review

Genre: war narrative, historical fiction, love story

Setting: Afghanistan, last 33 years of its history of war and oppression

Main Characters: Mariam , Laila, Rasheed, Tariq, Jalil

Release Date: November 25, 2008

Summary:

The novel is has three parts.  It tells the story of two women: Mariam  and Laila who later became the two abused wives of Rasheed, a rich shoemaker.

Part 1

The novel kicks off with Mariam’s story wherein she introduces the word harami . Harami became a part of her persona until the end. She is the 11^th child of Jalil, a businessman and a cinema owner to a house servant. In short, she is an illegitimate child. Jalil has three more wives who lives with him in his mansion whereas Mariam and her mom lives in the hills. Every week, Jalil visits Mariam to teach her and tell her stories about Herat. Mariam worships her father despite her mom’s contempt.

On Mariam’s birthday, she wanted to visit her dad’s place; however, this was not approved by her mother and said that if she goes away, it means that she is abandoning her. Mariam picked up her courage to go to the city alone and was awe stricken by the new environment but then when she arrived in her father’s house, her father did not let her in. She even slept outside and was awakened by the  guard’s prodding that she needs to go back home.

When she returned home, her mother’s body was hanging on a rope from the willow tree. Mariam felt guilty, blamed herself and concluded that her mom is right, that the good things she conjured about Jalil is nothing but lies. Later on, she lived with her father who together with his wives, decided to fix her marriage with Rasheed, a shoemaker.

She got married at 15. Rasheed was nice to her at first but when she had several miscarriages, Rasheed abused her for years.

Part 2

Laila’s story starts when she was 9 years old. She is a consistent top student of her school and has two close female friends and one male friend named Tariq. She lives with her father, a former teacher and her mom in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her mom was once a cheerful being but when her sons joined the war, she lost the will to live.

In this part, it revealed the war in their country. Children killed. Houses and buildings pulverized. Laila stopped schooling because of the war and when her parents finally decided to move out so as to start a new life, they were bombed. She got lucky but her parents did not survive. Rasheed took her to his house and proposed for marriage. At that point, Laila knew that she was pregnant with Tariq’s child and she didn’t have any choice but to marry Rasheed before it gets too late. Tariq was assumed to be dead.

Rasheed, Mariam and Laila lived together in the same house. When Laila delivered a girl, Rasheed was disappointed. He has always wanted a boy because he once lost his son in his first marriage. The beatings started again. Rasheed made it a point to punch, slap and whip both of his wives.

Eventually, Laila got pregnant again. Rasheed was happy because it was a boy.

Part 3

Laila and Mariam eloped but they were caught by police officers. They were handed to Rasheed again and the abuse became worse. Even Aziza, Laila’s first child almost died because of his cruelty. Aziza was also put in orphanage because Rasheed could no longer sustain their needs. His shop was burned down and he couldn’t find any decent job.

Then one day, Tariq came back. Laila and Tariq talked about everything that has happened. Rasheed learned about this and he was ready to kill Laila. But before that happened, MAriam got the shovel and killed him first. Mariam convinced Laila to go away and start a new life with Tariq while she stays to receive her punishment.  Death penalty ended her life.

Laila and Tariq reunited with the two children in Pakistan. They got married and were happy but later, Laila told Tariq that she wants to go back to Afghanistan. They went back. Laila visited Herat, Mariam’s hometown and traveled back to Kabul where she helped rebuild the orphanage. She became a schoolteacher there.

Theme and Highlights

Domestic Violence

This book gave me so much emotions. This Rasheed is a  sadist. How can a human being torture his wives and children? How can he not have shame, guilt and conscience? He deserved to die earlier. All the bombs should have gone to his direction and not to the helpless, innocent children.

But the question is, why do people stay in a very abusive relationship? A study says that being abused gives a certain addiction to the victim and provides her a piece of familiarity and safe zone. She cannot get out psychologically and the trauma it brings when she finally walks out will still be there. And maybe, at some point, she still has the urge to go back to him because that’s what she was used to.

Women, and men, who are abused, must be awakened from the reality that that person will not change in an instant. Staying there will only tolerate that behavior. We need to have that power to stay out from the people we cannot fix. Whether that person was abused and neglected in the past, that is not an excuse to displace it to the people around him. If you want to be broken and damaged further, go on and turn a blind eye. It is your life anyway. But is the life you really want?

Fixed Marriage

Nowadays, children are still being married off to older men. Imagine being forced to grow up and living together (having sex) with someone you barely know and you don’t love. It’s almost the same as being raped and the childhood you ought to experience just smoked out.  Fact: The parents are likely to be less burdened when there’s less mouth to feed.. but what about the child’s future? Do you think that her future will be better if she will be taken away from a man who you only approved because of his riches? If there’s one thing that I learned, riches should not be the basis of marriage or any relationship. Love should always come first.

Suicide and Depression

Mariam’s mother hanged herself. Suicide had never become an option for me even when I was in my most depressed state. Suicide is a sin. They said that suicide has no face. Your friend might be smiling at you but deep inside, he is formulating ways to end his life. You can never tell.

As time passes by, more and more people commit suicide and the number one cause is depression. They either shoot, poison, cut themselves or jump off a building. I cannot visualize the horror of seeing someone terminating this gift of life. Life is the most precious gift that God has bestowed and only Him can decide when to take it back.

We need more counselors. Mental Health should be part of the curriculum now.

War

The Afghanistan war is still going for 18 years now. The Taliban is still managing most of its areas and during the 9/11 attack, Bush declared war because they did not want to hand Osama Bin Laden, the leader of AL Qaeda.

Reflection

This book is an eye-opener for me who is over engrossed to social media. I am constantly browsing the digital world without any knowledge about all these wars happening around the world. It is devastating to see those photos of homeless families, the silent cries on their sulken bony faces, the fresh scars on their skinny dirty bodies. It is more heartbreaking to read the news that until now, Afghanistan is still war-stricken and food-deprived. Many more countries are out there, wallowing in the mud of bombs and cannons, of guns and blood. And where are we?

We are very fortunate that we are here living a peaceful life. We are very lucky that we still have the chance to be with our loved ones. We are lucky that we don’t have to send our brothers and father to war. We are lucky that we have our necessities. Who are we to complain when we have a roof on top of our head? 

I am recommending this book to everyone. It will hurt you to read this but I am sure that it entails you to be more sensitive to world issues.

Favorite Quotes

“Like a compass needle that always points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.”

“God’s words will never betray you, my girl.”

“I know you’re still young, but I want you to understand and learn this now…. Marriage can wait, education cannot. You’re a very, very bright girl. Truly, you are. You can be anything you want, Laila…. I know that when this war is over, Afghanistan is going to need you as much as its men, maybe even more. Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance.”

“Laila, my love, the only enemy an Afghan cannot defeat is himself.”

“[S]he was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last.”

“God has made us differently, you women and us men. Our brains are different. You are not able to think like we can. Western doctors and their science have proven this. This is why we require only one male witness but two female ones.”

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER BY SIDNEY SHELDON: A BOOK REVIEW

Setting: San Francisco

Characters: Paige Taylor (surgeon) and Jason Curtis (architect)

Secondary Characters: Honey Taft and Kat (both are doctors , too)

Genre: medical thriller

Publication date: 1994

Summary:

This medical thriller tells the story of three female doctors trying to prove themselves in a profession dominated by men. Each of them has their own story, and each of their tales are well connected and intertwined with each other. But suddenly there is chaos, one dies, another is about to get the hospital shut down, and the third faces the death penalty for murder. (credits: WIKIPEDIA)

Reflection

I only knew that this book was published in 1994 when I researched about it right after reading the entire novel.  When you are an avid reader of his works, you’ll know that his style  is weaving  intricate twists and turns. Indeed, Sheldon has proven to the world that he is one of the greatest master storytellers. With this book, eventhough it was a bit old, it didn’t fail to give me the suspense I was dreading. I like that it is a medical thriller and it gives three different views about three women. So, here are some positive notes from the book:

1. It gives light to gender discrimination. Paige, Honey and Kat were treated as if they don’t belong to the medical field. Male doctors referred to them as ladies or judging them as incapable and incompetent. Not only doctors, mind you, but also with their patients. Nevertheless, they proved to be deserving of title and respect.

2. Honey received the highest grades and commendation from her school; however, during the internship, she was incompetent. The grades she got were all obtained by seducing her professors , even the dean. She learned the art of lovemaking because she felt that she was valued when men gained pleasure through her. Her lack of self-confidence escalated because of this and eventually, she got away from being sacked from her school and work through her sexpertise.  

A person cannot be judged without looking at her past. Honey was a wallflower and much more, she came from a family of geniuses and beauties. They made sure that she was the odd one out. Her family only accepted her when she started gaining attention from the school and the males.

3. Kat was a black doctor. She was also discriminated because of her color. At an early age, she was raped by her step-father and when she confessed to her mum, she refused to believe. She didn’t have a choice but to leave her brother behind and live with her aunt. Later on, she found out that she was pregnant. She decided to abort the child and found an inspiration to become a doctor.

In the hospital, she was labeled as the manhater because no matter how the doctors try, they cannot get hold of her until she played a game with Dr. Mallory. Dr. Mallory and the other doctors placed a bet of 10,000 dollars to see  if he could have sex with her. Kat knew about this and she tried to play it cool with him. Like all women who feel like they could changed someone, she believed it. She fell inloved. She lost.  She got pregnant. Mallory killed her.

Overall, it was an unfortunate life for Kat. She was highly intelligent and skilled but she was just unlucky.

4. Paige’s life as a kid revolved around the third world countries. She traveled with her father who was a WHO doctor and Alfred, the son of another doctor. They were sweethearts for so long until Paige was brought back to the city to live and her father was killed in a tribal war. They remained corresponding but when Alfred visited her, she was surprised that he got married. She busied herself with work and then she met, Jason Curtis, a rich and renowned architect.

But the center of the story was Paige’s court case. She was accused of murdering her patient with million dollars involved. She was a victim of circumstance and jealousy of her colleagues. In the end, she was acquitted and married Jason Curtis.

Confess by Colleen Hoover: A Book Review

Confess by Colleen Hoover: A Book Review

Main Characters: Auburn Mason Reed and Owen Mason Gentry (They are not blood related, fyi.)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Setting: Texas

Summary

Part One of the book introduces the tragic past of Auburn wherein she lost her first love named Adam because of a serious medical condition. The story unfolds to the present where Auburn was talking to a lawyer and it was also revealed that she has financial issues because she is considering about getting three part-time jobs to pay for the fee. She works as a hair cutter/stylist in a salon in Texas, which she recently moved in.

As fate has a great significance to the story, she came across this signage infront of a studio looking for a helper. As she was reading it, she noticed some notes written on the walls which turned out to be anonymous confessions. Owen suddenly opened the door with another “desperate” signage and that’s when he met Auburn.

Owen Mason Reed is a young painter. He knows Auburn from the past but of course, Auburn does not.

Owen did not tell Auburn about this throughout the novel. Going back, the two had felt their connections. For one night, Auburn helped Owen sell his paintings in an Art Exhibit. The inspiration of the paintings was also given light and it all ended with hanging up in a bar.

The story became more intense when Trey entered. He is the brother of Adam who works as a police officer who is in love with Auburn. Lydia, Trey’s mother also stepped in with a surprising twist – that Auburn has a child from Adam and his name is AJ. Auburn wants custody over her child.

Trey caught Owen for possession of drugs. He was imprisoned. Trey warned Auburn about him. Auburn and Trey started dating but Auburn likes Owen but still dates the former because of her son. Later on, Owen was released and the two got back together. They faced more struggles and Trey just kept on destroying their relationship even resorting to attempted rape. Eventually, Auburn had finally found the courage to defend herself and fight for what is right and she succeeded. She got her son and her second fate in love, Owen.

The ending went back five years earlier revealing how Owen met Adam in the hospital. It was another confession that you have to find out for yourself.

Highlight

1.       The idea of paintings inspired by a confession is new. I like that it is more realistic but it also adds suspense and mystery. Imagine if you wrote a confession then you saw the painting based on that, would you buy it? I am following Colleen Hoover on instagram and in her stories, she asked her readers about their confession and all just poured in. 

2.       There were photos of paintings on the book. All were sentimental and deep.

Favorite quotes

1.        “I’m afraid if I listen to my heart once, I’ll never figure out how to ignore it again.” – Owen

2.       “Selflessness. It should be the basis of every relationship. If a person truly cares about you, they’ll get more pleasure from the way they make you feel, rather than the way you make them feel.” – Auburn

3.       “I think love is a hard word to define. You can love a lot of things about a person but still not love the whole person.” – Owen

4.       “Sometimes we don’t get second chances, Owen. Sometimes things just end.” – Auburn

Reflection

        The story is not so extraordinary. If the confessions and paintings were removed, I would not have continued reading it. It did not give me the chills or intensity that I am looking for a romance novel. I want a novel that can make me cry or laugh or not go to sleep.

        Anyways, if you’re looking for something that shows a mother’s love despite young age, read this. If you are looking for a love story that has no psychological dilemma , read this.

               

Personal Say

        Reading this book made me question all the mistakes that I did and if I am ready to confess all of them. My secrets are safe with me but with time, maybe these will be revealed. The last time I confessed was when I was in grade 6- that was 16 years ago infront of a priest.  I remembered saying sorry for being a stubborn child. Until now, I am still a stubborn child and I might add a stubborn believer.

        I’ve been thinking about confessing but I always back off everytime. I am too scared to admit my sins and I am afraid that I might do those again after saying them. It’s a vicious cycle. Mind you,  I do not regret the decisions I made in the past because those are part of me now and I embraced them.