The Kite Runner

Tuesday January 4, 2010

Malibu, California

Cold with abundant sunshine!

Over X'mas holidays in Boulder, in between fun with the family, I managed to read another book from stash of books that I never read while in Japan.   I finally read "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini.  I found it amazing that the author is a physician and writing was his hobby.  Makes me think, maybe, just maybe, I can do it too!  Not!  I loved the book but it also made me very sad about what is happening to Afghanistan.  It is one country on my list that I have always wanted to visit since reading "Caravans" by James Michener, oh, 30 plus years ago.  The book brought memories of reading Michener, and now I have decided that once I read all the books from the Japan stash (which could take 4 years, by the way), I will buy hardcovers of James Michener books for my library.  You see I'm trying to go digital and only keep books which have a profound impact on me in my physical hardcover library.   All the books that don't have a profound impact will be donated to friends and the library.  After completing the Japan stash, I'm going digital and if I love the digital book, I'll buy a hardcopy that will go into my library.

Anyhow, back to the book "Kite Runner".  I recommend it but most of you probably have read it.  It is an eloquent book, written in English  by a first time author who is not a native English speaker.  It is about  trust and betrayal of a friendship between two boys of different ethnic backgrounds.  At the end it is about atonement set in Afghanistan during the constant state of war and Northern California.  However, I believe Michener's book goes more into detail about Afghanistan, the land, culture and people albeit it is about Afghanistan in the 50s.  So if you liked the Kite Runner and it peaked your interest in Afghanistan,  "Caravans" by James Michener is a must read.