the kite runner graphic novel

33

Upload: bloomsbury-publishing

Post on 28-Mar-2016

503 views

Category:

Documents


130 download

DESCRIPTION

Check out the wonderful new graphic novel of Khaled Hosseini's THE KITE RUNNER

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel
Page 2: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

the kite runnerkhaled hosseini

the Graphic novel

illustrated by Fabio Celoni

Page 3: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

San Francisco. Summer 2001.

Yes, hello?

Rahim Khan…

it’s really you!

Amir jan?

4 5

Page 4: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Who was it on the phone,

dear?

I have to go to Pakistan.

To Pakistan? B-but… how?

Why? And when… ?!I have to

go back home.

“My wife, Soraya, continued speaking, but by then I was

no longer listening. The last thing Rahim Khan had said was echoing in my head: There is a

way to be good again.”

“Right… there really is a way to be good

again… but how?”

6 7

Page 5: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Right… and what about when you were first to realize where

it would fall? They couldn’t believe

their eyes!

I think you could be the

one to win the kite tournament

this year! Don’t be silly, Hassan!

Omar’s the best…He’s going

to win!

I’m serious, Amir agha, with the right

kite, you could wi- huh?

Hey, you! I know you!

You! The Hazara! I knew your mother, do you know

that?

Yeah… all of us knew her, real good…

We took her from behind by that

creek over there! Ha, ha, ha!

Ha, ha, ha! Did you see the face they made when you cut

their kite, Amir agha?!

Kabul, early 1970s.

6 7

Page 6: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Mmmm… what a tight little

sugary cunt she had… ha, ha, ha,

ha, ha!

Hassan, let’s go…

Hassan, come on, let’s go.

Hey, where are you going? Come back, Flat-Nose! We still have lots more

to tell you!

I’m sure he made a mistake. He took you for someone else.

That’s it: he took you for someone else.

… Tashakor. Thank you. Let’s go

back home now.

Amir, you know I would do anything for you, right? Even walk on fire, if you

asked me.

And why should I ever ask you to do something like

that?

8 9

Page 7: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Oh, please, my friend… this is foolishness and even you

know it!

You think it’s

foolishness to build an orphanage in Kabul, Rahim?

Come on, don’t pretend

you don’t understand what I mean!

Hmm… half, you say? Only? Well…

then I should consider myself

fortunate!

I… well… I imagine that… eh, eh, eh…

No, my friend, it’s

not the money I’m afraid of. I’m afraid the people here in Kabul will

forget too quickly…

You keep writing checks for that orphanage and

never even notice that half of that money ends up in the pockets of

bureaucrats and politicians!

8 9

Page 8: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Hello, Baba. Kaka Rahim.

He must be running to his

books, as usual. I wasn’t like that

when I was his age.

You know, sometimes

you’re the most egocentric man

I know.

Pfff… that’s

not the point.

The problem is

that… I don’t know, no… The

point is there’s something missing in that boy.

No?

No.

Amir jan!

Hello, my son!

10 11

Page 9: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

And so what? He’s not a coloring

book. You can’t choose the colors you want him to have: he has his own.

He just isn’t violent.

It’s not a matter of violence. It’s a lack of character. A boy who

can’t stand up for himself becomes a man who

can’t stand up to anything.

I just don’t see myself

in him.

Maybe he just

needs to find his own… path.

Oh, really?

What would that be, a

mean streak?

No, absolutely not. That has

nothing to do with it…

Well, you see, the other

day Amir was coming home from school

when some bigger boys started pushing him

around, trying to get his books. You know

what happened then?

No, what happened?

Hassan had to step in to make them go away. And when I asked

Amir how Hassan got that scratch, he told

me he fell!

10 11

Page 10: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Amir… what…

what are you doing

here?

Amir, wait!

Amir, wait, you

see… your father didn’t

mean…

I know. It’s

because of my

mother…

Huh? Your mother? What does it

have to do with your mother,

Amir jan?

12 13

Page 11: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Yes, Kaka Rahim.

You understand,

Amir?

O-okay…

I know. You’re a smart

boy, Amir. But now I have to go… I’m

leaving for Pakistan, you know? But when I come back, I promise

I’ll bring you a gift!

Really. Maybe I’ll bring

you a fine notebook to write some of your wonderful

stories in. In fact, when I get back, you have to let me read one!

He hates me because my

mother died giving birth to me.

You see… birth is always a gift, but

sometimes it can also be a risk. Both for

mother and child, and you must be thankful you’re alive… That’s

what your father does: every day he is

thankful you’re here with him.

Oh no, Amir jan,

don’t say that. Please don’t

say that again.

12 13

Page 12: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Hassan! Come inside!

“A father. A son. I often convinced myself I had no envy of Hassan.

No envy. Not even a little.”

…Coming, Father!

14 15

Page 13: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

“Sometimes, in thinking back on the past it seems I’ve spent the last twenty-six years

behind a wall. One of those tumbledown mud walls of which there are a thousand in Kabul.”

“It was behind just one of these that I became the person I am today.”

It’s useless to hide, Amir! I found

you!

Man! How come I

can never find a good hiding

place?!

…and that means now it’s

your turn!

You see, Amir agha, it’s only a question of …

Amir! Come… the wind is perfect, and

they’ve started a neighborhood kite

tournament!

14 15

Page 14: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

You’re doing great, Amir agha! Turn the

spool or else Yossuf will cut

your kite!

I know, I know!

Go, go, go!

Come on! You’ve got it!

Careful… he’s veering to

the right!

16 17

Page 15: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

You nearly

have it, Amir! You nearly

have it!

Now, Amir! Now!

Cut it!

16 17

Page 16: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Amir What are we doing here?

By this point someone else must already

have gotten the kite!

Trust me, Amir… follow

me!

Hassan! Didn’t you hear

what I told you?!

You cut it!

You did it!

What are you doing? Don’t you see they all went

that way?!

No, Amir agha, come…

over this way!

What are you waiting for, Hassan? You

want the others to

get it?!

18 19

Page 17: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

We didn’t lose it, Amir,

in fact…

(Huff… puff…) How can you say

that… ?

I’m not saying. I just

know!Yes, but, I

mean… How can you know?

I know because I’d never tell you a lie, Amir. I’d sooner eat dirt than

betray your trust.

Really? You’d eat dirt if I

told you to, Hassan?

If you asked I would. But I

wonder. Would you ever ask me to

do such a thing, Amir agha?

Don’t be stupid, Hassan.

You know I wouldn’t.

I know…

…then, I’d say I was right to run

over this way!

Hassan! The kite!

Look… Hassan got the

kite!

But, how did he do that… ?

18 19

Page 18: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Come on, Hassan! Hit ’em!

Go on, do it for

me!

…Oh, all right!

KAAAAAAAAIIIIII KAIKAIIIIKAAAAI

Hassan! Get back inside!

Oh, Amir…

But I don’t know

if…

20 21

Page 19: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Amir… still awake. What… what

are you doing?

At school they taught us that drinking alcohol is a sin, Father. If… if that’s true, it

means that you are a sinner and that… that…

What? That on Judgment Day

I’m going to be punished? Listen,

Amir, do you want to know

what your father thinks about sin?

You want to know?

Yes, Baba jan.

Very well. I mean to speak to you man to man. Never mind the

mullah and all the rest of those self-righteous monkeys. There is only one sin. Theft. Do you

understand that?

No… I don’t think so. Why? Why

theft?

You see, when you kill a man, you steal

a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his

children of a father. So every sin comes

back to theft.

And when you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth.

Do you see?

I see, Baba jan.

Bravo, Amir.

You’re a good son.

20 21

Page 20: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

“The weeks passed quickly, but one

night, the Afghanistan we knew suddenly changed forever.”

Baba jan! Babaaaaa! Where are

you?!

Hassan! What’s happening?! Where

is Baba?!

Boys… come back inside. Nothing is happening…

They’re… they’re shooting ducks.

Baba jan! I’m afraid! Where were

you?! Amir, calm down, it’s nothing! I

was working late and the streets were blocked. Everything’s all right

now. Everything’s all right.

“Later I discovered that they weren’t shooting ducks after all. Kabul awoke the next morning

to find that the monarchy was a thing of the past.

Daoud Khan, in the absence of his cousin,

the king, Zahir Shah, had taken Afghanistan in a

bloodless coup.”

“Whatever it was that happened, all I remember was suddenly feeling happy.”

22 23

Page 21: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

“Because I believed I

recognized the signs of which my mother recounted legends.

But vainly did I appeal to your heart, and

now the time of encounter has past… ”

“You have come to this end

for your obstinacy. I acted thusly because you

turned your soul to love.”

“…if you truly are my

father, then you have stained your

sword with the blood of your

son.”

And so concludes the

legend of the great warrior Rostam, who

mortally wounded his valorous adversary

Sohrab in battle, only later to discover

that he was his son, believed long

lost.

Ah, ah, ah! Bravo!

It’s a marvelous story, Amir

agha. Will you read it again,

please?Again,

Hassan?! Let’s do this: tomorrow I’ll read you a new

story from the Shahnamah.

22 23

Page 22: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Amir agha?

What is it?

Amir agha?

Does the republic mean that

Father and I will have to

leave?

I… don’t think so.

I don’t want them to send us away.

What is it?

Well… I wanted to ask you…

I wanted to ask you…

what’s a republic? On the radio all

they do is repeat that

word.

What?

Stupid, nobody’s

going to send you away. Never. I won’t allow

it.

Hey… look here. You know what we could do

with this?

24 25

Page 23: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

…the old man was right. The

villagers have won. Not us. We always

lose.

If I’m not wrong, this must be

the twelfth time we’ve seen this, right?

Mmmm… not sure. Maybe

thirteenth.

Catch me now,

gringo, if you can! Bang!

Bang!

Ha, ha, ha, ha!Ha, ha,

ha, ha!

24 25

Page 24: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Come back, you bandit!

Bang! Bang! You can’t escape the

sheriff!

Tsk! The last sheriff who said that to me is still rotting in the desert! Rat ta ta ta!!!

Hey, Hassan! Careful!

Oooof… What happened?!

Look who’s here,

crawling like worms through the

bazaar alley-ways…

26 27

Page 25: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

A fine pair of little

fairies going around hand in hand! Aren’t

they cute, guys?

Hey, Flat-Nose. How is Babalu, your

father? And his leg? Maybe one day we should break his

other leg, so then he’ll stop limping!

Eh? You like the idea?!

Guys, excuse me… I have a question. If I

pay you, does that make you my friends… or

my slaves?

Oh no, Assef, if you pay us, we’d be your

servants.

26 27

Page 26: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Leave us alone!

Put that slingshot down, Hazara! What do you think you’re

doing?

…Just as I thought. So

Hassan is Amir’s little slave.

We aren’t bothering you

at all. Why don’t you leave us in

peace?

Oh yes, you do bother me.

You make my stomach turn. If

idiots like you and your father didn’t

take these people in, we’d be rid of them

by now.

Afghanistan is the land of

Pashtuns. It always has been, always

will be. We are the true Afghans, not this

flat-nose here.

The Hazaras pollute our homeland. They dirty

our blood. And today your blood will dirty the dust.

Please. Assef agha.

Hey, did you hear that? The Hazara is

brave!

28 29

Page 27: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

I forgot… you don’t know

how to count. Maybe you didn’t notice,

but there are three of us and two

of you.

You are right, agha. But

perhaps you didn’t notice

that I’m the one holding the slingshot.

Tsk… as you wish.

You should know something

about me, Hazara. I’m a very patient

person.

This doesn’t end today, believe

me. This isn’t the end for you either, Amir. Someday, I’ll make you face me one

on one. Let’s go, guys.

…Tashakor. Thank you. So… you

want to go to our tree?

There… done.

“Hassan and Amir, the sultans

of Kabul.”

28 29

Page 28: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

It’s made in America. I thought if you’re

going to be my bodyguard, you’ll

need a serious weapon… right?

Here. Happy Birthday, Hassan.

It’s wonderful,

Amir, it’s really…

Amir agha. Can I…?

Hey, Hassan! Leave those

pigeons for a minute… Come

on up!

Father…?

Go on. He called you, go!

30 31

Page 29: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

Boys, would you like

to go for a spin in the

car… ?

Did you see, Amir?!

That’s the same car that was

in Bullitt!

Wooo-oooh! Steve

McQueeeeeeeeen!

Amir! Today is Hassan’s birthday. Let him sit in front

for today.

Tell me, Hassan, would

you like to know what your

gift is?

Oh yes, Agha sahib!

Fine, it won’t be long. We’re

almost there.

Doctor…

Salaam alaykum,

Mr. Qadiri.

I have the honor of presenting you your birthday gift:

Doctor Kumar.

A pleasure, Hassan.

P-pleasure…

30 31

Page 30: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

I had Doctor Kumar come

straight from New Delhi. He’s

a plastic surgeon.

Do you know what plastic

surgeons do, Hassan?

So, you see, plastic surgeons make corrections

to small physical defects of the body… or

of the face.

I realize it’s an unusual gift.

But after tomorrow your harelip will be

only a memory.

Oh…

Oh no. It won’t hurt a bit. You know why?

Because the doctor will give you a medicine to put you to sleep.

Now let’s go.

But… I… this…

32 33

Page 31: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

“The end of winter 1975 finally arrived. Winter was

kite season, and even if at that time I would never

have imagined it, in that winter Hassan ran his

last kite for me.”

I’m being sincere with you,

Amir jan, your story is really fine. You should read it, my

friend. I’m sure that one day your son will be a famous

writer.

Of course, all the stories Amir writes are

fantastic!

Well… then why don’t you tell us

this story if it’s so good, Amir?

No, I… don’t… it’s different

than…

Come on, Amir, your father

wants to hear your story.

Well… my story is about a man. Yes. It tells of a man who found a cup. It’s a magic cup. And one

day this man made a discovery…

And then? Then what happens?

He learned that if he wept

into the cup, his tears turned to pearls! And he…

he was very poor…

The man became rich,

but as the pearls piled up, so did his greed grow. The

story ends with the man sitting on a

mountain of pearls, knife in hand, weeping

helplessly into the cup with his beloved wife’s slain body in

his arms.

32 33

Page 32: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

First published in Great Britain 2011

Copyright © 2011 by Khaled and Roya Hosseini Family Charitable Remainder Unitrust

[Is there a copyright for the graphic designer?]

The moral right of the author has been asserted

Bloomsbury Publishing, London, Berlin, New York and Sydney

36 Soho Square, London W1D 3QY

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 4088 1525 010 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Typeset by Jim Lockwood

Printed in **** by ****

[FSC logo]

www.bloomsbury.com/khaledhosseini

Page 33: The Kite Runner Graphic Novel

4 5