Speechless (although the text below suggests otherwise)

I just finished the Kite Runner.  I am still trying to figure out how I feel about it.  I think heavy and depressed are close.  Its been a while since a book that has had such an emotional impact on me.

The good things: Hassan (a character).  The book gave me a lot more perspective, and respect (in some ways), about some of the culture of Afghanistan.  The prose is direct and unflinching.  He tells the story.  I felt very attached and repulsed to/by the characters.  I appreciate the indirect and direct attention to forgiveness, and how necessary it is because of our humanity.  It is possible to accept and love people and not their sins.

The bad things: Bad things happened to the melodramatic level.  After the suicide attempt I just skimmed the rest to see what happened at the end because I was frustrated with bad thing after bad thing happening.  I don't like those movies that have characters just missing each other when its important that they meet, or making abnormally stupid decisions on which the entire plot rests upon.

Swearing, rape, suicide attempt.  I think shockingly bad things like these are trendy now and could have been replaced or omitted.  However, I did see some symbolism to the situation in Afghanistan and these negative events.  

Conclusion: I still feel like I took a hit to the gut so its too soon to say.  A well-written and moving work.  I read that the author works for the UN helping refugees; I think this book is educational for those of us in a more stable region of the world.  I don't mind something like this every now and then but I just like to see the good guys win, ideally without such gritty conflicts to overcome. 

Moses 7:28, 37

And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; ...wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?

Those verses sum it up pretty well.

Any thoughts?