Let me preface this post by saying that I do not protest book quitting. There are billions of books out there; if you aren’t getting into a book for whatever reason, be it the writing style or super lame characters or a sucky plot, then by no means should you push forward just because you started it. Put that book down and pick up another one that will transport you in a way that all book lovers love to be transported.
No, this post is about something different. I’ve quit books. I’ve quit books that most people like without looking back (I really, really hated Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Sorry, not sorry.). But this book is different.
I have somehow managed to make it to the age of 24 and 9 months without reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. How? I’m not sure. It has a Goodreads Rating of 4.20 and is recommended by every person I talk to. But I quit it.
This book is written beautifully. The writing style of Hosseini drew me in from the first page, and his descriptions of the Middle East provide an insight into a culture I know nothing about. He made Kabul sound beautiful and exotic and thrilling. It was not the writing style that threw me off.
The story follows two young boys who were raised together from birth, just like their fathers were raised together. However, one is of the Pashtun culture, while the other is the Hazara minority. While these boys were raised as brothers, one of them was a servant in the other’s household.
Last night, I realized I couldn’t read any more of this novel. It is so dark. I refuse to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it yet (although I feel like I might be the last person on Earth who hasn’t read the whole series…) I will say that it is haunting and beautifully written, but I couldn’t stomach the plot, and that is why I quit this book. It hit me in a way that most books don’t hit me, and maybe, for that reason, I consider it a wonderful novel, even if I could only read 60 pages.
Would I recommend it to anyone? I’m not sure.
Will I ever pick it up again? Probably not.
Does it deserve the praise it has gotten? Absolutely.
