Books – March 2008
March 31st, 2008 by Blythe
The Kite Runner
It’s difficult for me to read a book like this, that has been praised and discussed so widely, with clear eyes. I loved the descriptions of Afghanistan’s land and culture, and the depiction of how the country changed. The characters and story lacked complexity and seemed manipulative to me.
I had a sneaking suspicion Kite Runner wouldn’t live up to the hype.
It seems every so often a book comes along and everyone jumps on the bandwagon and hails it the second coming of Christ (Lovely Bones & The Notebook are prime examples)… and when I eventually get around to reading them, I find myself scratching my head wondering what all the fuss was about.
This is a prime example of a book being released at the right time, just as Americans were ready to read about Afghanistan. It’s not terrible – it has good momentum and kept me interested – but the characters were pretty flat for my taste. Either Bad Guys or Good Guys, nothing complex about them. Definitely better than The Notebook (heavens).