Kim by Rudyard Kipling is a tale set in colonial India, following the adventures of an orphaned boy named Kimball O'Hara, known as Kim, who grows up on the streets. The story revolves around Kim's journey of self-discovery and espionage as he navigates the diverse cultural landscape of India, encountering various characters and getting involved in international intrigue. Kipling's writing style is noted for its vivid descriptions of India, rich character development, and a blend of adventure, mystery, and spirituality.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include depictions of colonial attitudes and outdated racial stereotypes inherent in the text due to its historical context.
From The Publisher:
An epic rendition of the imperial experience in India, one of Kipling's greatest works
Kim, orphaned son of an Irish soldier and a poor white mother, and the lama, an old ascetic priest, are on a quest. Kim was born and raised in India and plays with the slum children as he lives on the streets, but he is white, a sahib, and wants to play the Great Game of Imperialism; while the priest must find redemption from the Wheel of Things. Kim celebrates their friendship and their journeys in a beautiful but hostile environment, capturing the opulence of the exotic landscape and the uneasy presence of the British Raj. Filled with rich description and vivid characters, this beguiling coming of age story is considered Kipling's masterpiece.
Ratings (8)
Loved It (2) | |
Liked It (3) | |
It Was OK (1) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (23):
Read It (8) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (9) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (3) |
1 comment(s)
True fact: Kipling won the Nobel Prize! In 1907, six years after the serial publication of
Kim ended.
Also true: Kipling was a raging racist and sexist. He is remembered for these characteristics almost as much as for the publication of
The Jungle Book and
Just So Stories.
Now that I have read
Kim, I will try to remember him as a great novelist as well.
Kim is the story of a white orphan (Irish soldier father, British maid mother) raised by an Indian woman as, essentially, an Indian. He meets a Tibetan Lama, whose spiritual journey becomes intertwined with Kim's search for identity and purpose. Their grandfather/grandson dynamic is touching without being sappy-sweet.
And it's a spy novel.
And it's a commentary on colonialism. As spoken by a white man traveling through India:
"'Why does [the lama:] make one feel that [Europeans:] are so young a people?' The speaker struck passionately at a tall weed. 'We have nowhere left our mark yet. Nowhere! That, do you understand, is what disquiets me.' He scowled at the placid face, and the monumental calm of the pose." (289)
Much of the book is concerned with "making your mark". This sahib (white man) wants to make his mark, which indicates the colonial desire to overcome and subdue native culture, in this context. Colonialism creates wealth and military power for the conquering nation, but in a way it just makes the nation's mark. The sun never sets on the British Empire because it is too big - the shape of it is always under the sun. Meanwhile, Kim doesn't even know what his shape is, much less what kind of mark he's going to make. The lama believes and continually reminds us that "the silly Body" is an illusion, so he's trying to fully realize that no one makes a mark. To him, the physical is (or should be) meaningless. Even so, he has to struggle to remember this, and thus he is also preoccupied with making a mark.
It's too bad Kipling has fallen out of favor. With the current popularity of postcolonial studies, this text should be on a lot more syllabi.
What can you read after
Kim?
About the Author:
Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, India, to British parents on December 30, 1865. In 1871 Rudyard and his sister, Trix, aged three, were left to be cared for by a couple in Southsea, England. Five years passed before he…
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
