The Kite Runner [book,audiobook]
The Kite Runner [book,audiobook]
I GOTTA SAY, I HAVE WEIRDLY MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK. I FEEL LIKE THE FIRST THIRD IS AS GOOD AS EVERYONE SAYS IT IS. BUT WHEN THEY GET BACK TO TALIBAN CONTROLLED AFGHANISTAN I JUST DON'T KNOW. IT'S NOT LIKE IT GOT SILLY, THE STUFF WAS TOO DARK TO BE SILLY, BUT IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH. IT FEELS LIKE IT COULD BE FIXED IF SOME STUFF WAS HIM WALKING BY SOMEONE AND HEARING THEM SAY SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING, OR CHANGING THE TIMELINE SO HE WAS THERE FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS, IT FELT LIKE TOO MUCH FOR HIM TO BE THERE LIKE A DAY AND A HALF AND WALK DOWN ONE STREET AND LIKE 40 DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPEN. LIKE I AM NOT BEING THE TALIBAN DEFENDER, JUST THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN GOT MORE AND MORE CONTRIVED FEELING. IT FEELS LIKE THE BOOK GOT POPULAR RIGHT AFTER 9/11 AND THE AFGHANISTAN WAR, IT FEELS LIKE THE BOOK GOT A LITTLE TOO MUCH WRITTEN IN A LABORATORY TO MAKE PERFECTLY SURE TO SHOW THE AFGHAN PEOPLE AS GOOD AND THE TALIBAN AS BAD, WHICH IS A TOTALLY REASONABLE GOAL. IT JUST LAYED IT ON A LITTLE THICK. A BOOK WHERE A CHILD IS SOLD INTO SLAVERY IS GRIM AND SERIOUS, A BOOK WHERE A CHILD IS SOLD PROVERBIAL MOMENTS BEFORE YOU COME TO RESCUE HIM AND IT TURNS OUT THE LOCAL TALIBAN LEADER IS A PEDOPHILE WHO BUYS CHILDREN FROM THE ORPHANAGE AND THERE IS A TIME LIMIT TO SAVE HIM BUT THEN ALSO HE IS YOUR CHILDHOOD BULLY WHO NEEDS TO BE DEFEATED IN A FISTFIGHT, IS JUST WAY TOO FANTASY SLASHBUCKLER NOVEL. THE LAST THIRD GOES BACK TO BEING MORE GROUNDED, BUT FELT WEIRD THEMATICALLY. IT'S OKAY FOR BOOKS TO NOT HAVE HAPPY ENDINGS, BUT THIS ISN'T BASED ON A TRUE STORY OR ANYTHING, THERE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE ANY SPECIFIC REASON TO HAVE IT ALL GO BAD. OR RATHER IT COULD HAVE ENDED STRONG IF SOMETHING WENT REAL BAD AND CONCLUDED THAT SOME BELLS CAN'T BE UNRUNG, OR IT COULD HAVE ENDED OPTIMISTICALLY, BUT A LAST MINUTE "EVERYTHING SUCKS, YOU RUINED THIS KID TOO" ENDING WITH ONLY A TINY TINY REDEMPTION SEEMED JUST WEIRD. LIKE, WHY?
PS. AFGHANISTAN IS IN ASIA, I DO A LOT OF CATEGORIES BY TECHNICALITY, BUT IT'S EASY TO THINK OF AFGHANISTAN AS MORE CLEARLY MIDDLE EASTERN THAN IT IS. IT'S GOT HEAVY PAKISTAN INFLUENCES AND PAKISTAN IS HEAVILY MORE MUSLIM INDIA, IT DEFINITLY HAS A LOT MORE ASIAN INFLUENCE THAN IT'S OFTEN PORTRAYED.
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