I dislike it for its emotional manipulation -- how it repeatedly sets up implausible situations for maximal tear-jerking.
A couple weeks ago, Tom and I were walking around downtown Mountain View:
Tom: "Did you see the author of The Kite Runner has written another book?"
Me: "Yes, unfortunately."
Tom: "The Kite Runner was so awful! It was pure shit, in book form!"
Me: [nodding]
Tom: "It's like a brick, that you can throw at people! Except some of them would actually like it."
how it repeatedly sets up implausible situations for maximal tear-jerking.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think of "The Joy Luck Club" movie? Because for me, I thought it was a good movie and I was moved, but I also thought it was right up to my limit for manipulative storytelling.
Oh! I was surprised to find such a strong negative sentiment against it. I really liked it, but I can see where you're coming from - sometimes I did wish there was less sentimentalism and more focus on the context, the changing city/country...
ReplyDeletedid you know it's coming out as a movie now? eheh
ReplyDeleteWhat?? Grrr!
ReplyDeleteNever heard of the book until your posting. Just saw the movie being advertised in Adwords / Gmail.
ReplyDeleteHere is the trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/thekiterunner/large.html
Cinematography looks good.
Looks good??? The Kite Runner movie trailer looks good?
ReplyDelete[coughing up blood in anger]
Don't ever talk to me again.
It's so good to find other people who disliked The Kite Runner as much as I did. I'm sick of people telling me how wonderful it is, when I thought it was emotionally manipulative. It's also written terribly -- like a stilted memo. Thanks for the validation!
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is probably too emotional, but it might be also because of the whole middle east situation. Everything that is going on in that region is dramatic.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hating The Kite Runner. I only made it through the first 20 pages--I couldn't stand how heavy-handed it was. Who throws all that foreshadowing around on the first few pages?
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed what I've read of My Forbidden Face by Latifa, so it's not an aversion to a tough subject or the Middle East as one commentor suggests.