Review of Novel
We enjoyed The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini very much. Not only as an academic text, but for personal pleasure as well. It is a very fast read, but very rich with meaning and complex. It is very readable for a high school class, but some of the content is very mature and disturbing to read. However, this is not a reason why this book should not be included in a classroom setting. Rather, it brings up important issues of diversity and difference that is rich and relatable on all levels. The novel also details the history of Afghanistan from the late 1970's to the present day. Hosseini does a good job of contextualizing the content with the history without making it feel like a dry history lesson. It is so easy to think of the conflict in Afghanistan through the eyes of an American. Our knowledge of Afghanistan is of a war-torn country filled with terrorists. While this is not how all Americans view Afghanistan, for those without any knowledge of the country, the first things that come to mind are terrorism and war, because they is how the country relates to America in our current time. That is why it is so important to expose this book to students because it discusses a history that we were not familiar with until now.
This novel is very teachable. Hosseini is an excellent writer and does a good job of using readable language and accessible vocabulary for secondary students that is still complex and filled with literary devices and themes and meaning. In addition to the rich history that is narrated throughout the story, Hosseini discusses important themes of belonging, familial relations, right vs. wrong, and many more. Because the story is so compelling, it lends itself to interesting and fulfilling conversation and discussion topics. The novel discusses serious topics that are hard to tackle in a school setting such as graphic violence and rape. This would be the one aspect of the novel that would be difficult to teach, but it is also important to talk about because although the novel is a piece of fiction, it is responding to a historical truth that is very real for millions of people and it is important to talk about. Overall, the novel is teachable, readable, and accessible to adults and children. It leaves you curious about the conflict in Afghanistan, but also feeling as though you are much more informed about a very serious conflict that is still occurring today.
This novel is very teachable. Hosseini is an excellent writer and does a good job of using readable language and accessible vocabulary for secondary students that is still complex and filled with literary devices and themes and meaning. In addition to the rich history that is narrated throughout the story, Hosseini discusses important themes of belonging, familial relations, right vs. wrong, and many more. Because the story is so compelling, it lends itself to interesting and fulfilling conversation and discussion topics. The novel discusses serious topics that are hard to tackle in a school setting such as graphic violence and rape. This would be the one aspect of the novel that would be difficult to teach, but it is also important to talk about because although the novel is a piece of fiction, it is responding to a historical truth that is very real for millions of people and it is important to talk about. Overall, the novel is teachable, readable, and accessible to adults and children. It leaves you curious about the conflict in Afghanistan, but also feeling as though you are much more informed about a very serious conflict that is still occurring today.