Books to Read Poster No 45

Every once in a while (and not nearly as often as I would like) the poster throws up something really good. And this was one of those times. 

The book was The Kite Runner by Khaled Husseini. I avoided it when it first came out, partly because I didn't think it was 'my sort of book' and partly because I tend to avoid things that everyone is suddenly raving about. It's a silly attitude; there are far too many things I have put off for one or other of those two reasons which I have then thoroughly enjoyed and by my age I should have learned that. 

I loved this book.  It taught me a lot about Afghan culture, and recent Afghan history, but without serving that up in unpalatable indigestible chunks. It was all seamlessly blended in as part of the narrative. The story itself, and the writing were tender and lyrical and honest and moving - and in some places shocking. And  although the people in it were flawed they weren't completely  unlikeable as so many characters in too many books I have read recently have been.  With one notable exception, they were products of their upbringing, their environment and the circumstances in which they found themselves, and this made their stories, and the redemption arc of the narrator, all the more believable and poignant. 

A definite hit. It's been a while!