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The Kite Runner (Free Excerpt)  By  cover art

The Kite Runner (Free Excerpt)

By: Khaled Hosseini
Narrated by: Khaled Hosseini
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Editorial reviews

Why we think it's Essential: We've learned the hard way that authors don't always make great narrators, but Khaled Hosseini is remarkably gifted in both roles. I have listened to the The Kite Runner again and again to be transported to Hosseini's Afghanistan and can appreciate it all the more because of his authentic pronunciations. — Diana Dapito

Publisher's summary

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, while Hassan, 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 and betrayal, and about 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 & Schuster Inc. All Rights Reserved. AUDIOWORKS. is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division. Simon & Schuster Inc.

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)

What listeners say about The Kite Runner (Free Excerpt)

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

cool

This story was interesting. Its a good book. Its cool to understand how people in Afghanistan lives and the wars. Compared to people in America.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Creative writing

Enjoyed the excerpt - now trying to download the whole book. Really well done. Was told about it years ago but just now got to it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

home again !

loved it, I grew up in San Francisco ,do it hit home. brought back memmories !

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good

Would you listen to The Kite Runner (Free Excerpt) again? Why?

Yes, I thought it was an interesting book.

What other book might you compare The Kite Runner (Free Excerpt) to and why?

cant think of a book right now

Which character – as performed by Khaled Hosseini – was your favorite?

none, i have no favorite character

Who was the most memorable character of The Kite Runner (Free Excerpt) and why?

none

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very Good

I like ir it is a very good book to read and this audio is very enjoablelike it like it

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I am glad I listened to this.

I have been on the fence about whether or not to buy this book. I have read so many mixed reviews both good and bad that I was very confused about whether or not to buy this book. I am definitely going to buy it now as soon as I get caught up on the backlog of books I presently have now.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

it made me want to read the book.

how the difference between the boys were. it told a good story. It gave a good image of the characters.

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