So, I'm about 100 pages into The Kite Runner

Lady Bug · Post by **Lady Bug** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:55 pm

. . . and I'm slightly disturbed. This is a really engrossing story, but there are certain plot twists (that I won't get into for fear of spoiling it for someone else) that truly bothered me. Those who have read it know what I'm talking about . . . The main character has just turned 18 in the story. I'll see where it goes.

By the way, I never made it to my book club meeting - I didn't finish it in time!

Marie · Post by **Marie** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:20 am

It is a disturbing story - but beautifully written. Stick with it.

Malanee · Post by **Malanee** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 1:53 pm

It is very disturbing, but so worth reading. I remember hating the main character for a while.

Suzanne · Post by **Suzanne** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 10:31 pm

I just finished it. Great book!! Keep reading it.

Lady Bug · Post by **Lady Bug** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 12:21 pm

Yup I finished. Definitely the best book I've read in a while

Crystal Meth · Post by **Crystal Meth** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 9:14 pm

Since we like to discuss books, do you want to discuss why those parts truly disturbed you?

Lady Bug · Post by **Lady Bug** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 9:40 pm

Sure

Spoilers Ahead!

Consider yourself warned . . .

I'm not kidding . . . I'm really gonna reveal stuff, I swear . . . .

Okay. The thing that disturbed me the most was what happened to Hassan in the alley. First off, that is the second book IN A ROW (:wtf) where that happens to a boy. But, what made this so disturbing is that it was one child doing it to another child. That is truly sick.

Oh, and how one father killed himself after his son died during their refuge from Afghanistan. That also made me very sick.

Crystal Meth · Post by **Crystal Meth** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 9:55 pm

No spoilers for me. I've read the book!

I think I interpret from your posts that you're shocked that those scenes even appear in books at all. The scenes certainly weren't being glorified. This stuff does exist, and I think it's important that it's acknowledged, so people can learn from it.

That's not to say that I didn't feel horrible for Hassan.

chickenlittle · Post by **chickenlittle** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:19 pm

Lady Bug wrote:
Oh, and how one father killed himself after his son died during their refuge from Afghanistan. That also made me very sick.

I haven't read the book and don't intend to, but are you saying that you dislike books that include suicide? I can understand being saddened by suicide, but not the point that you would go out of your way to avoid it in books. Isn't the whole point of a book to gain exposure to a different life?

In my junior year of high school, I wrote a poem about a middle-aged man who looks back on his life, decides it was a failure, and shoots himself. My teacher wrote "TRITE" across the top of it, in big letters and underlined

Lady Bug · Post by **Lady Bug** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 11:34 am

No, no . . . I'm not criticizing the fact that it was included in the book. Those things happen and are part of life. Rather, I'm just sad that it happened at all and that the characters went through such hard times that led them to those actions . . . .

Cathy, I can't believe your teacher wrote "TRITE" over your essay. Shoot, I would've called the school psych to make sure you're alright! *lol*

chickenlittle · Post by **chickenlittle** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 11:55 am

Gotcha, LB. That makes sense

Yeah, I was kind of surprised by her reaction too. Whatever

Post by **Spudd** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 10:30 am

Yep, the scene with Hassan in the alley was definitely the most shocking part of the book. I was listening to it on audiobook (read by the author) which I think may have made it even more impactful.