I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to The Kite Runner club and thank you for the support and encouragement that you have given me over the last four years. In many ways, the success of The Kite
Runner is an unlikely story. It is populated by characters who live in a distant and, to many in the west, enigmatic country. It is often dark and brutal. Its central character, Amir, is weak, and his behavior is often infuriating. It was published in mid 2003 without much fanfare without the benefit of a huge marketing plan. However, this book has connected now with millions of people around the world. To me, that is a testament to the power of the word-of-mouth phenomenon. From very early on, the response among readers to The Kite Runner was intense and passionate. A grassroots-based, groundswell of support among readers like you kept building over the span of a year or more. Until one day in late 2004, while flying across the country, I saw the passenger next to me reach into her bag and fetch a copy of The Kite Runner. The success of this book is also testament to the ability of fiction to connect people of differing religions, cultures, languages, and nationalities. Regardless of our background, we identify with experiences that are universally human. We identify with Amir’s guilt, his self-loathing, his desire to transcend his own weak nature. Friendship, loss, guilt, forgiveness, atonement are not Afghan experiences but human ones, and fiction is uniquely able to tap into what is common in us all.
I want to thank you for reading The Kite Runner, and for communicating to me over the years what this story means to you. When I set out to write this book, I never imagined that it would be published, let alone that I would receive such warm and kind letters from Paris, Tel-Aviv, Cairo, Rio, Kabul. As a writer, I could not possibly ask for more. I can never thank you enough.
Yours,
Khaled Hosseini.
September 4th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Mr. Hosseini you have thanked us all for reading your book, but I’d like to thank you for writing such a great novel, which really opens up our eyes. This book was inspiring and brings us the point of view of average Afghans. I believe in these days of war, we are so used to hearing about 10 or 20 people dying each day, that we forget that each one of these people had a life, a family, and a story to tell. It is books like these that will rid the world of intolerance one day. I look forward to the movie.
September 5th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
myspace.com/thekiterunnermovie
September 7th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Mr. Hosseini, I would like to thank you too for writing such a great books. I had to read it because it was part of a university assignment. I was grateful that my teacher chose such a great book. I kept me up and could not stop reading it. It is definitely inspirational. I have to say that I completely agree with mkhan in all he stated. I am really looking forward to the movie, too.
September 13th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Salaam,
Ramadan Mubarak! You truly are a great writer and while reading the Kite Runner, I could see a truly passionate Afghan who has written a profound novel.
Good Luck with all you have to offer in this world!
September 14th, 2007 at 1:33 am
Please join the fan page for this incredibly talented actor, Khalid Abdalla
Myspace.com/khalidaballa
September 16th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Along with the people that have already commented, I would like to thank you for writing The Kite Runner. As a Junior in high school, I was assigned to read your book for summer reading. I was suprised to find how attatched I felt to this book when I finished, even though I was reading an assigned book over the summer. I am very excited to see this wonderful book become a movie.
September 24th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
dear amazing writer,
i was so caught up in this book that i read it in 4 hours. it inspired me soo much and i began to think about how here in america we have it so good and while it might not be as bad as it was it is still not like america and i think somethime we take it for granted how blessed of a life we live where overseas dozens of people are dieing everyday and we are just like oh well as long as we are not personaly connected to them then we do not care but we need to realize that although we are not related to them somone is and they are at a lose not and i would like to thank you so very much for opening my eyes to that you truly are a great author. and i am on the second one 1000 splendid suns and i expect it to be just as great as The Kite Runner
September 25th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
thank you for bringing a voice to your country and enlightening us with this touching story! I’m so glad you decided to write- this will definetly be a classic!
September 27th, 2007 at 12:11 am
I remember first getting the book for my mom as a mothers day present because she heard about it through different sources. At first, im reluctant to admit but, i didnt actually want to read the book. I set it aside for a while to read other books instead. Then one day i decided to pick it up because it was the only book on my shelf i hadnt read.
Honestly, it was one of very few books i read from cover to cover on the same day. The book had this intensity i had never felt before in my entire life. I laughed, I cried, I felt what they felt. It takes a truly talented author like yourself to pull people into the book and make them experience it not just as a story in a book but another Life in itself. I didnt just read your book Mr. Hosseini. I lived it. and i loved it. Thank you so much for leading me through such a wonderful journey. This is the book of the era in which we live. The book of the century.
Zeba is just a word but in comparison to the others, it describes your book better than all the rest.
A devout reader,
Fatima A.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
This book was very amazing. I read it in school for an English class, and I’ll admit I didn’t think it would be very good. But I was completely wrong! I loved this book and it helped me connect better with my friends who are from Pakistan. This was very very inspirational and I thank you for writing this book and I can’t wait to read the others!
Sara West
October 11th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
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October 12th, 2007 at 9:22 am
After reading a thousand slendid suns, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. I’m thrilled that the movie is coming out soon. I don’t think I’ve ever written an author before, and I’ve been an avid and voracious reader for as long as I can remember.
Both your books kept me up deeply enthralled. I cryed and gasped out loud. I yelled softly to Amir and cursed him, but I kept reading for Hassan. I knew he had to get some sort of redemption, but I never imaged what you had in store for both of them.
Truly a story of human pain, struggle, and redemption; I’m glad you shared your wonderful talent with all of us.
Dawn- Wiscsonsin
October 16th, 2007 at 9:32 am
When my english teacher first introduced this book she said that we were going to read a book by someone who is still alive
Then when she said it was The Kite Runner I was immediately excited! I had heard things about this book before and was going to purchase it anyway. But now I got to read it as a collective group at my school. I discovered that there are many hidden symbols and lessons weaving throughout, and it’d take a lifetime to reach them all. This book exceeded my expectations.
Thank you for writing a much needed novel
October 25th, 2007 at 5:29 am
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October 25th, 2007 at 7:50 am
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October 30th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
just finished reading the book yesterday in the bus. and up to now, the memories of amir and hassan are still in my mind. i love the book. was just thinking of a movie version of the book and now, i’m here. looking forward to seeing the movie in december!
October 30th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
I live in Quebec, at the moment. I was born here.
1 month ago, I received a book called : ” Les cerfs-volants de Kaboul ” , called in french. At first, just the name bored me.. I didn’t read it , but 29 days later, when the French course Test about the book time had come, the day before it, on the evening, I still had 250 pages to go.. Well.. I concentrated and dove into the book , from 19:00 pm to 3:30 Am .. It means almost 9 hours! ! ! I didn’t believe it my self.. But it was SOOO GOOD! Its always like that.. I think you , Khaled, made me learn a very fundamental lesson : Don’t take a the moderate form, important things of values and else..
Another thing, every 10 pages, ( I ‘m like that I can’t do anything about it ) there is a sentence, or a word, that capts my attention and bugs me , in every book. I always try to find the perfect meaning of the word ; to imagine the perfect situation in real life, imagine it in front of me .. Realise it , for real , before I can go on.. Sometime , it took 2 min.. some time 10… or 20 .. Well, thats why It took me so long.
What else? I loved this book, I LOVED IT! It makes us think so much.. The way things happened with hassan.. Made me feel so bad.. almost made me sick.. But I loved every little characters and they were so attaching.. But one thing is bugging me and I really need an answer form you KHALED AGHA : Will Sohrab ever laugh again? Will he ever smile again ? I’m actualy in a deep hysteria and « out of mind » state. Why? Because in the last page Amir tells himself that this smile never settled any problem and that it won’t either… This bugs me a lot and it keeps me bugged… Please do something.. Answer the real meaning about the ” For you, a tousand times ” … ANd ” I ran.. and I ran ”…
I beg you.. Khaled Hasseini , clear my minds and tell me what that last and important passage means…
You have all my gratitude and my infinite admiration,
Antoni Loignon ( Rebaptised personaly Antoni Agha Loignon
October 31st, 2007 at 5:04 am
HEllo ! this was the most amazing book in my whole life.. Please, keep writting, FOR EVER!
Antoni Agah Loignon
October 31st, 2007 at 7:59 am
This book was an amazing one. i usually dont enjoy reading but this book was just simply amazing! It really points out the relization in life that not everything is Daisys and butterflys. There are real troubles in the world wityh social classes and fighting and killing. and it points out alot about people’s mistakes. Everyone makes them rite? The things Amir did BUGGED the heck out of me and stirred up sooo many emotions. and to tell the truth i really didn’t like Amir all that much, but towards the end i would have to say all the things he did to make up for his troubled past -although it wont help anything for hassan- really made me see him in a different way. and i really injoyed how you didn’t end the book perfectly with a happy ending. It amazed me because not everything end PERFECT! you capture the real things in life.
November 29th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Salaam, ye kithab ithna acha tha jis ki koy had nay. mera jan nikalgia. Mere dost, Shan maswala amereeca me kite runner ko bhothi acha laktha hae.