Khaled Hosseini. Let me just say, after suffering through a mountain of stream-of-consciousness and separated thought processing (Thank you very much, The Sound and the Fury...) I am truly grateful to be reading a book that one can actually understand. With The Sound and the Fury, I found myself double-guessing every other word and struggling to interpret just what exactly was going on. The Kite Runner, on the other hand, is written in a sensible way. The book is written in first person, the speaker doesn't shift around depending on the chapter, time changes actually make sense, and italics are used in a much simpler way. Not to mention, when flashbacks are occurring, it is clear what is going on, and the time jumps are used in a way that supports the chronological movement of the years. They are not random, nor unnecessary to the story - unlike some of those in The Sound and the Fury.
I did not intend to rant about how much I disliked reading The Sound and the Fury. Long story short, I did not love it (Did you catch the litote there?). The point is, The Sound and the Fury and The Kite Runner are two completely different books. I have only read part of The Kite Runner, but I believe it is going to be a much more constructed piece of literature than The Sound and the Fury - at least in my opinion. What I will say is that by understanding the book and what is happening more, I will most likely get more attached to the characters in this novel than I did in The Sound and the Fury - where I honestly stopped caring about the characters and their individual trials.
On the topic of characters, I have already decided that I hate the protagonist of The Kite Runner (Amir) as a little boy. He may have had a few good moments, but he showed no empathy for his best friend (Hassan) in the slightest. By taking actions that made him feel better but crushed Hassan's spirit (like throwing pomegranates in his face), Amir made his way onto my list of least favorite characters. However, I believe his character shows promise as an adult. I have only read a ways into the time gap, but it seems to me that "future Amir" is more likable than "young Amir". The character Hassan has only been included as a child so far, but he was a much more likable character than Amir. I also like the character Rahim Khan, a good friend of Amir's father. He is kind, sensible, and serves as a moral center for the characters in the first part of the novel.
I have this weird feeling that I watched The Kite Runner movie a few years ago, or at least part of it. This is because I seem to recall some of the events and characters of the book. I remember the scene at the beginning with the two boys (Hassan and Amir) chasing after a kite, as well as Amir as an adult holding a book that he wrote, standing next to his wife. There are a few scenes like these that I can remember faintly. However, I must have watched the movie quite a long time ago as most of the plot-line is still cloudy to me. This is another reason I chose to read this book. I look forward to the rest of the novel, as well. As I said before, I am much more invested in The Kite Runner than I was in The Sound and the Fury. I am ready for a new book full of new adventures and happenings.
