One thought: That was a powerful experience!
After departing from the Amir's old life in Kabul, the middle deals with more about him starting over, remaking himself in America. Without Hassan, I thought it wouldn't be as fun read, but the new characters introduced really weren't bad at all. They were each unique and believable. Amir's courtship of Soraya at the flea market was cute in a way. They seemed like children again, Amir talking about how his "heart stuttered at the thought of her. [... his] Swap Meet Princess" (142). It's like touching back on the childhood innocence he once had.
The structure of the book is particularly interesting. Khaled Hosseini uses flashbacks and dreams to juxtapose certain scenes and bring them out very well. Whenever Amir dreams, it's for a reason. His feelings and fears are displayed through twisted scenes that the book has already gone through except with Amir as the "bad guy." When he hears from Rahim how Hassan died, he feels so guilty, dreaming of a "man standing behind [Hassan...]. He takes a step back and raises the barrel. Places it on the back of the kneeling man's head [...and he sees] the face behind the plume of smoke swirling from the muzzle. [He] is the man" (240). Amir's remaining guilt about what he had done to Hassan is delivered to the reader in such a clear and interesting way. His subconscious is showing what he dares not put out on the outside.
Rahim, Amir's dad's old friend, is a fascinating character. He's always hanging around in the back, but he's Amir's tie to his old life. He's the driving force behind Amir coming back to Afghanistan to atone for his past sins, and he really knows what he's doing. He knows that Amir's conscious will not be clear and he will not be able to rest easy if he does not wipe away all the residue guilt from his old life. At one point Farid (Amir's driver) tells Amir that the Caldwells, the orphan caretakers that Rahim suggested never existed. Rahim knew Amir well enough to know that he would not have gone to rescue Sohrab (Hassan's son) if he knew that there was nowhere to take him. He knew Amir better than himself, knowing that taking Sohrab back himself would be good for him, but Amir's distrust of himself would not let him. Rahim lied for Amir's own good, one last one to help his friend's son.
My rating of the book so far: 10/10 (and still going strong!)
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