You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Me and Peggy are going to buddy read this for the geocache challenge for Afghanistan. We're looking to start on the 21st May, anyone is welcome to join in =]

Thanks for setting it up Sarah!

I've already read it and rated 5 stars. I'll follow your discussion. :)

Very good book indeed.

Darn, I just read this a week ago!

Your welcome =]

Aww that's a shame Almeta, you could still read the spoilers and join in the discussion.

I'm glad you all liked the book, have any of you ever read the other books by this author?

I was going to do Afghanistan on geocache I may join. See what May looks like. I read A Thousand Splendid Suns and lije it quite a bit. A lot more than I thought I would

I read all of his three books, and enjoy all of them. I hope you like this one.

What did you think of it Almeta?

Glad to read you enjoyed it so much Stuart and Sandra.

I read A Thousand Splendid Suns and it was very emotional. I have rarely been so affected by a book and it actually made me start doing charity work with war refugees.

I'm glad that you liked the books, I'm sure it'll be a good read even though it probs will be emotional.

Hiya Peggy =]

Still ready to start this weekend?

I think so! I thought for a while I might not be in the mood for it. I really want to like it but I don't always want to read such heavy books. But I am ready!

Oh, I had the 25th in my head.. But 21 is much better, I have almost finished my current book so I don't have to worry about the days in between.

I finished my other book on the train to work, so I'll start The Kite Runner on the way home. I won't be able to read much tomorrow though.

I read the first two chapters. I'm enjoying the writing style! Like A Thousand Splendid Suns, this is one of those books I need to read slowly and with my full attention.

I was a bit worried for a little too wondering if I would be in the mood or something like this. I think I'll be okay I'll just read it slowly alongside The Goldfinch and maybe have a happier book as well. Glad you have liked the first 2 chapters. I'll still be starting tomoz. Probs in the evening.

Okie dokie. Just starting now

I finished chapter 7. (view spoiler)[ So sad! Poor Hassan :( sometimes there are people whom for some reason you feel extra sad for when something bad happens to them, vulnerable people or people who just really don't deserve it, and Hassan is one of those people for me.

I can't believe Amir didn't do anything and I don't like his jealousy of Hassan, but I think it's also due to how his father behaves towards him and he being only 12 years old and just wants to be loved and be appreciated by his dad. (hide spoiler)]

I typed another message starting it with that I split my post in two and I tend to lose long posts when typing them on my phone, and guess what happened?

Oh no. You lost your message? I hate it when that happens. Especially on the phone. I'm just up to Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[His house, well mansion sounds amazing. It's a shame about Amir and Hassan's mothers. I'm guessing that because they only have their father's and had the same wet nurse? (in a sense) that they feel bonded and will be close to one another. (hide spoiler)]

Peggy wrote: "I finished chapter 7. ..." I read this book years ago. (view spoiler)[that part in the book still remains with me. Such a sad and awful part :( (hide spoiler)]

Same here Stephanie, (view spoiler)[ I read it 4 years ago, and still remember that scene so lively. I guess it's not only that it is a very, very sad part, but also Hosseini's writing. He has an ability to build images in your mind. (hide spoiler)]

Sandra wrote: "Same here Stephanie, [spoilers removed]"

He really does! I still haven't read his other book. (view spoiler)[mostly because of remembering that sad scene so vividly :( (hide spoiler)]

That's something I have observed, Stephanie. (view spoiler)[ This book, and particularly that scene makes people read all his books in a row, or skip them afraid of what they will find. (hide spoiler)]
My first book by him was A Thousand Splendid Suns. I also read And the Mountains Echoed, his last one, and although I liked all his books, I think this one is his best one. It's a little different in structure, but the writing is so much mature. I feel like he has grown as a writer.

Sandra and Stephanie, can I read your spoilers or do they include things that happen later in the book?

Yes, you are safe, Peggy. (view spoiler)[ We are talking about the hard scene you've already read (hide spoiler)]

sorry we didn't clarify that!

Thanks Sandra. I thought it would be safe, just checking to be 100% sure :)

On your comment 23: I have the same, but the other way around. My first book was A Thousand Splendid Suns, and it has such an emotional impact on me that it took me almost two years to get to The Kite Runner. I knew I would probably enjoy it, I rated the other one 5 stars, but I was afraid for another emotionally very hard read. I had heard about the book and the movie before, and I knew it was going to be very sad although I did not know exactly what would happen, so I was kind of apprehensive I guess.

I finished chapter 8 now. Like A Thousand Splendid Suns, it has such an impact on my mood. Often when I read emotional scenes it's just a scene and I forget later, when not reading or when further along in the book. But it seems that Hosseini's books just cause a long-lasting sad mood, lasting until some days after I finish.

(view spoiler)[ I always thought the book would be about Amir and Hassan as kids in Kabul, and I knew something bad would happen, but I expected it to be much later in the book. It has a different set-up than I expected, and I'm curious what the rest of the book will be like. (hide spoiler)]

Sarah wrote: "Oh no. You lost your message? I hate it when that happens. Especially on the phone. I'm just up to Chapter 3 [spoilers removed]"

It does sound amazing! I love how he can really bring 1970s Afghanistan to life.

I finished chapter 14. My comment in message 26 was a bit premature. (view spoiler)[ Until chapter 10 or so I felt that way, like I think I did all through A Thousand Splendid Suns, but now that they have moved to the US and Amir's getting married, I care less. Not sure if that is because I had other expectations (the book set in Afghanistan and about the two boys growing up together) or would have happened anyway. I'm still enjoying it, but it is more like a 4-star read now and not 5. (hide spoiler)]

I had the same rection Peggy (view spoiler)[I lost interest for a bit once they arrived in the US and I didn't much like the main character from what i recall but the events later on made up for that lag (hide spoiler)]

Good to know Sarah. It's been only 4 chapters which is not much in the whole book, but somehow it feels like more. I'm now at the point where Amir (view spoiler)[ takes a flight to Pakistan. Hope it gets better again from here. (hide spoiler)]

Okay I've just finished Chapter 7: (view spoiler)[It was a sad scene and thankfully not too graphic. I wasn't surprised that Amir just stood there and let it happen, I feel like what I've read so far, doesn't exactly go to show that Amir can stand up for himself, let alone anyone close to him. It's sad that Hassan classes Amir as his friend but up til now Amir hasn't seen Hassan as a friend.

I'm not sure I'm liking the main character at the moment, I can understand he just wants to be loved by his father and agree with you Peggy, but the way his charcter thinks (at least the way its written from his pov) it kind of comes across to me that Amir is whiney and very desperate for some attention from his father. I watched the trailer for the film and there is a scene where he's garduating and his father was looking at him, it just seemed to me that he's one of those characters who's going to be trying really hard to please his father.. and maybe never will. I suppose we'll see. (hide spoiler)]

Have any of you seen the film? I'm planning to watch it after I've finished.

I haven't seen it Sarah. I might watch it someday now that I have (almost) read the book.

Finished chapter 18: (view spoiler)[ the story has picked up again now that Amir is in Pakistan. I had tears in my eyes when I read about what happened to Hassan and his wife. So sad :( Incredible what a loyal and good friend Hassan was, I had really hoped they would meet again, or at least had been in touch.

And they're brothers! Didn't see that one coming but it explains a lot.

I find it interesting that Ali and Hassan both stayed so humble and remained loyal servants despite what Baba and Amir did to them. (hide spoiler)]

I'll read your chapter 7 spoiler tomorrow, only have my phone right now.

I have not seen the movie either. I don't plan on watching it.

I don't want to watch it either, Stephanie. There are some thing I can endure in words, but not in images. And I rarely watch movies on books I read.

I have seen the film. I watched it a couple of years ago after I had read the book. It wasn't as good as the book but I thought they did a reasonable job with it overall.

I won't be watching the film either. I know it won't be as good and it was emotiona enoughl the first time around.

Sarah, I agree with your thoughts about Amir in chapter 7. He's not very sympathetic. Partly that's due to his upbringing I think, so I can't blame him for all of it.

Also, on second thought, I don't think I want to watch the movie after all. Some scenes I can deal with in writing but not if they are on the screen as they are in my imagination. Also, it will probably make me feel to sad to voluntarily watch it.

I'm somewhere in chapter 22 and I don't like (view spoiler)[ the sound of what's coming... not knowing he would never see the beggar-teacher again? Not knowing those grapes would be his last solid food for a while? Yikes, this doesn't sound good.

It was the same in the beginning, when there were these hints that something bad would happen to Hassan. (hide spoiler)]

I've just read up to Chaper 14 so I can't read your spoiler yet Peggy, but nearly there =]

(view spoiler)[So Amir was getting much more attention from his father after the kite flying but I really didn't expect it to last long. It was so sad to see Hassan and his father leave, I can't believe Amir did that, I knew he wanted them gone but that was pretty cruel, and after that I really disliked Amir.

It was sad when they had to leave and blimey how many servants in 7 years.. 5 or have I got it mixed up? Crazy how many they went through, I'm guessing no one could ever replace Ali and Hassan, it seemed they knew excatly what to do around the house etc.

I was so glad when Baba stood up to the Russian. I had a bad feeling about.. Kamir was it? the driver who was going to get them to Peshawar where his cousin or something had a truck. I was worried for a little like it was a trap perhaps, but thankfully not and eventually Amir and Baba made it to the USA.

I liked the trips to the flea market where they could socialise with other Afghans. I liked that Amir went to high school in the states and was going to go to uni/college too. It was sad to see Baba dying but at least he got to see Amir marry first. I do feel sad for Soraya not being able to conceive, I'm wondering if she'll change her mind later on and wish to adopt.

I'm wondering now that soon he may be going back to Afghanistan and I swear from the movie trailer that he goes there to save someone, Hassan or his son or somethign I'm guessing, so I feel like the rest of the book will be about Amir's redemption. (hide spoiler)]

I've finished and I'm not really sure what to rate it at all so may wait a few days and have a think on it but at the moment I'm thinking 3 stars. It was good but I feel like it was predicatable in places and personally I'm not sure whether it really does reflect true Afghan life. Of course I would't know, but seeing through Amir's eyes (view spoiler)[he only saw one side of his country, the privileged side until he returned. (hide spoiler)]

I liked reading the Farsi words here and there and enjoyed finding out what they meant, and some of the foods sounded delicious. I must admit I felt like I couldn't connect to any of the characters much at all. I disliked Amir and unfortunately I still didn't like him by the time the book ended. I liked Hasan and Rahim the most, and sadly they didn't take up much of the book.

Don't read Peggy unless you've finished: (view spoiler)[When he got to Peshawar, I started to think then that it was more than just Hassan been his friend, and earlier on I felt suspicious of the fact that they could be brothers. When Sanuabar returned, I was wodering how difficult that may have been for Rahim to know that he wasn't really Hassan's mother at all. I think she may have wished she had a child perhaps and maybe that was why she was quite close to Sohrab. It was so sad to hear about Hassan and his wife being shot in the street.

It was saddening to hear that the orphanage was destroyed and the house that he grew up in was inhabited by strangers who would most likely kill him if he hung around much longer.

It didn't surprise me at all that Assef had joined the Taliban, he was quick to support Hitler and I felt like we hadn't seen the last of him. I was so amazed that Amir even managed to walk out of there.

I have a feeling it may have taken much longer to get a child out of Afghanistan at that point in time unfortunately, and with all the shocks that Sohrab had and his life up till that point could drive anyone to wish to take their own life. And he was so young to even believe or undertand that things could get better. That was a heart-wrenching scene.

Now after being in the states for a while and flying the kite at the end, it left me with a feeling that anything could happen, and in my mind as well as many others we hope it was only good things for Sohrab. (hide spoiler)]

It hasn't put me off his other books though and I shall read them at some point.

I finished too Sarah! I'm on my tablet so can't read your spoilers but I'll do so later.

(view spoiler)[ was that suicide attempt really necessary? it's not like it wasn't sad and bad enough already. I think I had the same feeling after reading a thousand splendid suns, that all the hard stuff is maybe a bit too much towards the end, when you really just want to have something positive happen for a change. (hide spoiler)]

Overall I really enjoyed it. obviously the story moved me and it kept me thinking about it even when not reading, but not to the same degree as I had with a thousand splendid suns.

In response to your post Sarah: I think the author did a great job depicting Afghanistan. Perhaps not the lifestyle of the average afghan because Amir grew up in wealth, but the life on the streets, the way the country looks, habits and customs, the food and all that really have me a feel for the place.

I started to like Amir more when he went back to Pakistan and Afghanistan, but he ruined it again (view spoiler)[ when he told sohrab he had to go back to an orphanage for a while. What was he thinking?! The boy was obviously traumatized and had been through so much already, he was abused there, and he wants to send him back and expect him to understand? I kind of blame Amir for the boy sohrab became after that, it's like that really was the last straw.. But you're right, the ending with the kite makes you think it will turn out alright in the end. (hide spoiler)]

Amir's character is a hard one. (view spoiler)[ I didn't love him, but I didn't hate him either. I wanted to know about him and the story all along the book. And I think at the end of the book he was really trying to do the right thing. (hide spoiler)]

Yes Peggy, rather Amir's experience on the wealthier side, that's why I agreed with Farid was it..? when he said (view spoiler)[You've always been a tourist here. (hide spoiler)]

I felt like the second half of the book when he (view spoiler)[goes back to Afghanistan (hide spoiler)] is closer to what a true modern-day reflection of Afghanistan would be like. Personally I just felt like there could have been more descriptions into some things, but then again from Amir's pov he only really saw his place in Kabul when he was younger. This is why I liked (view spoiler)[his return to Afghanistan (hide spoiler)] as like you said you got to see a little more what it would be like on the streets etc.

Yes, I felt like I could have liked him more when he (view spoiler)[went back but then he blew it when he mentioned staying at an orphanage. That was the worst thing he could have said =[ (hide spoiler)]

I actually watched the film last night, as soon as I found out that it was made by Dreamworks I knew you wouldn't see anythinkg explicit in there. Of course some things were different as it was based on the book, but I think they did a good job. I'll still admit the book was rather predictable but I really liked some of the quotes from the book and they got them into the film as well, so I think my rating of the book has gone up now too. I've had a bit more time to think about it and will be rating it a 3.5-4 stars.