Last time when I was coming from Hyderabad, I picked this book in the airport – The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini. Though this is his debut novel, this book edges on the border of perfection. So far, all the countless books that I read were taken a step back as this book outperformed the today’s literature standards. The novel has good bones and a strong impact. But its breath, its life lies in its narration and language.

The story spans through decades of transformation in Afghanistan starting from the dismissal of the monarchy until the fall of the Taliban. Everything I ever imagined about Afghanistan is painted as clear as a spotless canvas in this book. I have always wondered about life and political disorder in Afghanistan and Hosseini kills my inquisitiveness for good as he weaves a faultless fabric of human life in Afghanistan.

Series of things happen in The Kite Runner. Those things are terrible, on the gigantic human scale of things, but described with beauty and an aesthetic brutality. The central character, Amir, is the son of a wealthy merchant and his life is largely spent with Hassan - the son of his father’s servant and a close friend. In a malicious twist of fate, Amir observes a horrifying crime committed against Hassan but doesn’t come to Hassan’s protection. His choice not to speak up for Hassan haunts him a lifetime. In short, this sweeping story connects love, friendship, final betrayal and subsequent redemption.

I stumbled on myself perplexed with respect at the end of such an amusing reading ride. A spellbinding story, which would undoubtedly tear heart in pieces; probably a million times over.