1st Kite Runner blog post

In the first forty pages of "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini, readers are first introduced to an anonymous narrator who implies that he has gone through a catastrophic experience. Even though this experience is not named, the imagery in the novel evokes danger. The narrator details about how it is possible to repress the past even though others say it is not. I do not completely agree with this. I believe that it is possible but only to a certain extent. One can try to forget about an event in their lives for a temporary period of time but the memories will flood back eventually. The narrator shows this by receiving a call from Rahim Khan and believing that it was not just him calling but also his sins. He is beginning to address the anxiety he has been having over this traumatic experience.

Readers are not told the narrator's name, Amir, until we near the end of the first forty pages. The readers have also not been told what exactly happened to Amir that is so horrifying. I think that this sets the novel apart and adds a sense of suspense that draws the reader in. We are not told the entire story, so to speak, and for me, that makes it interesting. Another aspect of the novel that peaks my interest is the relationship between Amir and Baba. Baba is Amir's father who in my opinion, verges on abusive. Baba does not show much interest in his son which was horrifying to read. It seems that he does not believe that the two share much in common. He should still want to read a composition of his son's. One other scene that held my attention was the scene with Assef, Hassan, and Amir. Assef constantly wreaks havoc and is viewed as a bully. I was afraid that the two boys would get hurt. Luckily, they did not.

Finally, the main reason I truly appreciate this novel is because it is a third of the size of Atlas Shrugged.