Back to last week. On Wednesday, my neighbor and I went to see The Kite Runner at CIBS Theater. No, they didn’t make a musical out of this book. The same as with To Kill a Mockingbird, it is a drama, and it was pretty close to the book and very well done.
I know that many readers criticized this book for not being accurate in a number of aspects, but I still find it incredibly valuable in presenting an insider perspective on Afghan society through many years of history. It turned out that my neighbor never read this book, so after the first act she asked me whether it was going to be similarly depressing till the end.
Living through the events described in the book one more time, I have recalled how I felt during the first time reading. Not like I didn’t know at that time about the Soviet aggression in Afghanistan, but it made me feel how Afghans perceived this invasion. I was wondering whether my neighbor would comment on the scene where the refugees are stopped by a Soviet patrol, but she didn’t say a word about it. To be honest, I was relieved. Usually, when we go to concerts or shows together, and she finds from the program that some of the performers are Russian or studied in Russia, she makes a point to mention it to me with a clear intention to please me.
I do not know how to explain to her that these days, I do not feel especially proud of any Russian cultural achievements. And it’s not like I consciously cancel everyone, not like I force myself to dislike anything that comes from Russia. I just genuinely can’t enjoy it; it makes me uncomfortable. I do not think I would be able to attend any concert of any performer who currently resides in Russia, so if I look at the program notes, it’s just to make sure that an artist does not live in Russia at the moment.
The show is great, and I highly recommend it.
Hettie's Reflections 