Fiction That Hit Me on a Deeper Level
The book that kindled all the emotions
When I finish reading a book, the experience is always surreal. I begin searching for different authors and genres.
I soon realized it is a never-ending desire to have read every single book ever written.
What makes a book a good one is how it’s structured and if it forms a connection with the reader — the characters and storyline.
In all the reader’s life, there comes a point when a book leaves them speechless; that hit deep.
The fiction that ended up on my list of favorites had me hooked on them. But one book that stayed deep in my heart, the one that stirred so many emotions, was the one I never thought would.
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
If I say this book sparked a change in me; it would not be wrong. The emotions I felt are unexplainable. There have been many fictions that made their places right in the center of my heart, but this differs from all the experiences — also coming from a completely unexpected place.
The kite runner is historical fiction, and the author set the story in the 1970s and 80s when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and the rise and fall of the Taliban.
In this novel, Amir is the narrator and protagonist. The author drew a spell-bounding picture of friendship, loss, guilt, and forgiveness.
The story revolves around two friends, Hassan and Amir. It also depicted the loyalty of Hassan towards Amir.
Hassan, who was the son of the servant of Amir’s father, belonged to an ethnic minority. Because of this, Assef, one boy who lived in the same area, tortured him. Amir, despite knowing what happened to Hassan, stayed quiet.
When the Soviets attacked Kabul, Amir and his father escaped the war zone at the back of a truck in 1981. Following the horrible journey, they reached Pakistan and then to the US after two years.
Hosseini sets the story back in Afghanistan when Amir receives a call from his father’s dear friend, Rahim Khan. He returns in the hope to correct the mistakes of the past.
The author highlighted the original issues surrounding those times in Kabul. The ill-treatment of minorities, for one.
Why you should read it
If you have a thing for historical fiction, give this book a read. It was amongst the first books I ever read.
It was a roller coaster of emotions. I was teary-eyed when Hassan was being tortured and then left alone by his only friend. My feelings were running with Amirs when he was recalling all the events that happened in the past.
I looked forward to how Amir was going to come out of his guilt and let me tell you; the writer did not disappoint.
The author structured the plot beautifully. There was never a loss of connection. It comprises all the elements that made it one to stay with you forever.
Lessons from the book
- Some friendships are precious — sometimes a friend like Hassan is all you need, but they are the people we least value. Taking care of relationships should always be on the top of priorities.
- Forgiving oneself is the righteous and the toughest thing to do — to move on in life; it is important that you forgive yourself for the mistakes made in the past. The only way to move forward in life is to let go of the past deeds.
- Some decisions in life can change everything — we all took decisions, some of them holding more value in shaping the next moment or entire future. Through this book, I learned extreme emotions such as love, hate or jealousy should stay out when taking these decisions.
Here is one of the many great quotes from the book to sum up:
“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime…” ― Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner
