The Kite Runner

I had read The Kite Runner about two years ago, and the first time was definitely different than the second, although enjoyable both times.

For annotating this book, I used a lot of the "reading to writing"/"learning to write" style, because I love how detailed and descriptive Hosseini's writing is and I'd love to learn to do the same. He brings images to life for me, which is important with a setting and culture with which I'm somewhat unfamiliar. I also used the "text to self"/"establishing territory" style, because although the culture in which Hosseini's story takes place is very different from the world I live in, I found that there are similarities in people everywhere, and my emotional response to this book was very intense.

My emotional response to this book makes it stand out as one of the best and most touching stories I've ever read. Moreso the first time, but with each time I read this book I found myself so enveloped in the story that I felt the emotions of the characters almost like they were my own. I credit this mostly to Hosseini's writing style and effective story-telling, but also partly to the fact that I am aware how of life like the book is, which I think was done intentionally by Hosseini , so I suppose he deserves credit for that as well. Everything from the anger I felt towards the Taliban, to the shock and horror I experienced when Sohrab was found bleeding to death in the bath tub, and the joy and relief when I found out he survived, was so realistic. It made me cry a lot at how unfair the world can be, but also made me want to make a difference in the world. It made me want to change the lives of people like Hassan and his son so those unfair things can happen less often. For which I think again, Hosseini deserves credit. He is able through his writing to pass along such strong messages just by telling what first seems to be just the story of a simple man's life.

This book was amazing and I would seriously consider reading it a third time.