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The Kite Runner

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The Kite Runner

By: Khaled Hosseini
Narrated by: Khaled Hosseini
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About this listen

 Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of its monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is the unforgettable and beautifully told story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Raised in the same household and sharing the same wet nurse, Amir and Hassan grow up in different worlds: Amir is the son of a prominent and wealthy man; Hassan, as the son of Amir's father's servant, is a Hazara - a shunned ethnic minority. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him.

The Kite Runner is a novel about friendship, betrayal, and the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of fathers over sons - their love, their sacrifices, and their lies. Written against a backdrop of history that has not been told in fiction before, The Kite Runner describes the rich culture and beauty of a land in the process of being destroyed. But through the devastation, Khaled Hosseini offers hope for redemption.

©2003 Khaled Hosseini (P)2003 Simon and Schuster Inc. All Rights Reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon and Schuster Audio Division, Simon and Schuster Inc. Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Political War & Military Tear-jerking

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Critic reviews

Alex Award Winner, 2004

"A beautiful novel...ranks among the best-written and most provocative stories of the year." (The Denver Post)
"Powerful first novel...tells a story of fierce cruelty and fierce yet redeeming love." (The New York Times)
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I absolutely adored this novel. So much to absorb page by page. Storytelling magnificence from Khaled Hosseini. This novel got me bad, jolted me upright. Made me cry out in shock, it took me on a journey to Afghanistan made me feel a rollercoaster of emotions as I listened to the story of Amir.

I never fail to enjoy audio books that are narrated by the author themselves. Audible did not dissapoint ~ download and devour!

Exceptional. Quite wonderful. A classic Novel.

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I didn't know this was an abridged version of the actual book so felt robbed when I discovered at the end it was. I did wonder why it was so short!
the ending was great. the start and middle not so much. I really didn't like or warm to the main character. OK. he was a child and children are selfish and attention seeking, but I thought the start was a more of a story about his friend/servant than him.
growing up in America, he still failed to change from selfish childish ways.
only returning to Afghanistan made him wake up.
the trauma of his friend's boy didn't seem to register with him until the end, when finally he got it.

Good but robbed!

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Hearing the author tell the story moved my heart even more. I don't think I've ever been so transfixed by a novel before. I listened to Kite Runner during my morning run and it was the perfect companion.

Captivating and heart wrenching

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An excellent, albeit difficult and uneasy read in parts. The descriptions really brought the story to life. I was rooting for everyone to have peace at the end. I was 100% invested in all of the characters and once the final words had been spoken, I wanted to know more. It was beautifully read too. Thank you

Kite Runner Review

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Better than I expected. The storyline is intense yet moving at the same time!

Highly recommended, well worth a listen.

Gripping and moving storyline!

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I have also read the book, unfortunately there were some bits missing. The major scene at the end of the 1st chapter is told in significantly less detail to give an example!

fantastic, captivating

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I didn’t expect to but I thoroughly enjoyed this. I found it a little tough to remember the names early on but once I had some blocks of time then I really got to grips with it. I really enjoyed the full circle. Well worth a listen.

Brilliant

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I found it enlightening listening to this story based in the Afghan culture. It is both moving and compelling.

Very enjoyable and poignant.

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