THE KITE RUNNER

Like many nonprofessional narrators of their own work, Hosseini cannot be considered highly skilled in terms of nuance, characterization, or dramatic pacing. Nevertheless, there's much to appreciate in his performance, not the least of which--and this is hardly a surprise--is his authentic rendering of Afghan pronunciation. Of course, the exotic locale of Afghanistan is what Western readers are likely to find most compelling in this novel, rich in its evocation of the foreign, deeply anguished culture that has come, so tragically, to be familiar to Americans. An émigré himself, Hosseini tells the story of two Afghan boys, friends divided by class, who grow up in a Kabul buffeted by the misery of war and repression. M.O. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 05]