I completed this task early last night and then spent the entire evening reflecting on it. It is truly captivating how the author vividly描绘s life and times in 19th-century colonial India. Kim (Kimball O'Hara) is continuously on the move, encountering various people during his travels. There comes a moment when I became completely engrossed in all that was happening around the young boy. However, instead of getting completely lost in the story, I found myself somewhat detached from it. During the final part of the book, I would stop numerous times and wonder, "Where is this headed? What is going on?"

It is quite evident that the author spent many years in British India, and his writing proficiency and skill with a pen are rather remarkable.

The problem is that I cannot claim it is an outstanding story. All I can state is that it is a story, and a significant portion of it was enjoyable to read.

This book is an absolute delight and, most importantly, it is not racist. Initially, I was quite concerned that it might contain racist undertones. However, Kipling demonstrates an almost equal level of disdain for every ethnic group. He refers to whites contemptuously as "the creed that lumps nine-tenths of the world under the title of 'heathen'" (88).

I am currently giving it four stars. I'm not entirely sure why, but perhaps it doesn't seem as significant as some of the other books I've been reading lately. However, this could very well change. It is a masterfully crafted adventure novel, and that is no small feat.

If you have the opportunity to find an edition that includes a map, I highly recommend going for it. I, for one, would have greatly appreciated having one. It would have added an extra layer of depth and immersion to the reading experience.

Holy. Hell.

Why did 19th century white guys have such a profound love for writing about India? It's truly a mystery.

YOU'RE NOT GOOD AT IT, GUYS. Their depictions often seemed to lack authenticity and understanding.

It's like me and comedy. Just because I'm passionate about it doesn't mean I should attempt it. (buh dum ch.) Maybe these 19th century writers thought they could capture the essence of India, but in reality, they fell short. Their works might have been influenced by their own biases and limited perspectives.

India is a complex and diverse country with a rich history and culture. To truly understand and represent it accurately requires more than just a passing interest. It demands in-depth research, respect, and an open mind.

Perhaps if these writers had taken the time to immerse themselves in the Indian way of life, they would have been able to produce more meaningful and accurate works.

But as it stands, their attempts to write about India remain a curiosity, a testament to their misplaced enthusiasm.

“Um bom porrete é o melhor argumento.”

“Um ato é como uma pedra lançada em uma lagoa, cria círculos de consequências imprevisíveis.”

Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936), the youngest winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature (1907), was born in India and educated in England. He was the son of English parents, just like Kim O’Hara, the mischievous protagonist of Kipling's last novel, “Kim”. Kipling's personal experience and knowledge of India bring the country and its people to life in this adventure and espionage book.

Kim is a book that is both entertaining and intense. Kipling leaves a great sample of his excellent literature and his extensive knowledge of what happened in India. Borges emphasizes that Kipling “always sought the epic” and it is enough to read Kim to experience the feeling of having known India and its thousands of inhabitants in depth.

Kim is a 13-year-old orphan who wanders the streets of Lahore in British-ruled India. He is known as “the friend of everyone.”

Kim becomes a “chela” or disciple of a lama, a wise Tibetan who comes to the city and is looking for the River of the Arrow, which purifies sins and renews the soul: “this river is of such a nature that whoever bathes in it washes away any stain or speck of sin.”

Kim proposes to the Lama to accompany him in the search for this sacred river because he was also looking for something: a red bull on a green field.

That's where Rudyard Kipling's phenomenal narrative skill comes into play.

In this search for the sacred river, Kim and the lama go through great difficulties and dangers but are also helped by pious people who give them shelter and food. Kim was even recognized by a sergeant who was part of the same regiment as his father and even had his education financed by studying at a Catholic college.

Although he is an orphan, in this epic journey through India, Kim, as already said, will not have only enemies; he will have several “fathers” who will take care of him and teach him, all with a final objective in mind. And Kim does not disappoint. He will be a great spy and messenger of the British Empire, a great trickster and mainly a great companion and helper of the chela.

Will the lama find his river? What would be the great game mentioned several times in the book?

I loved the book. My favorite style, classics with epic adventures.

It’s truly difficult to surpass the following acclaim for Kipling’s writing from his 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature citation. Many of these qualities can be detected in his outstanding 1901 novel, “Kim”. The citation reads, “in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author.” Kipling remains the youngest author to receive this prestigious award. Today, he is more renowned for his captivating short stories such as “Riki Tiki Tavi”, “The Jungle Book”, and “The Man Who Would be King”, as well as for his poetry rather than his novels.

The story, set in India, chronicles the adventures of the orphan boy Kim from the ages of 13 to 17. Although Kipling never explicitly stated it, many reviewers have estimated that it occurs during the early 1890s based on his allusions to the “Great Game”. This was a spy network established by the British government in Northern India to safeguard the country from Russian invasion.

Kipling offers the following wonderful introduction to Kim: “For Kim did nothing with an immense success. True, he knew the wonderful walled city of Lahore from the Delhi Gate to the outer Fort Ditch; was hand in glove with men who led lives stranger than anything Haroun al Raschid dreamed of; and he lived in a life wild as that of the Arabian Nights, but missionaries and secretaries of charitable societies could not see the beauty of it.” Kim embarks on a journey as a chela to a Tibetan lama who desires to free himself from the “Wheel of Things” by seeking the “River of the Arrow”. Simultaneously, he is undergoing the seemingly incompatible training required to become a “chain-man” or spy in the Great Game.

In addition, as Kim grows older, he begins to question his identity. For instance, when he asks himself, “What am I? Mussalman, Hindu, Jain, or Buddhist? That is a hard knot.” However, it is precisely these abilities to blend effortlessly with the diverse cultures and religions he encounters that make Kim both a successful chela and spy. Sadly for me, after finishing the book, I discovered that this was Kipling’s fourth and final novel.

Wow, Kipling!!

This was a literature read for A and C that we unfortunately didn't get to last school year. So, we decided to pick it up over the summer. After reading the first chapter, I thought we wouldn't be able to make it through. We were all kind of lost.

That was flipping awesome!

It was truly an amazing experience. I still can't get over how great it was. The excitement and energy were palpable. It felt like everything just came together perfectly.

Rtc. Hopefully. I really hope that there will be more opportunities like this in the future. I'm looking forward to it with great anticipation. I can't wait to see what else is in store. It's going to be another unforgettable adventure, I'm sure of it.

Kim is my initial adult encounter with a Rudyard Kipling work. I find myself in a bit of a quandary regarding this book. I'm not entirely sure how I truly feel about it; my emotions are somewhat muddled. I don't even attempt to pen an analytical review here because I'm quite clueless about what the story is truly all about. I'm certain there was a narrative, but whatever it was, it failed to seize my attention. Yet, for some reason, I persisted in reading, and that in itself is rather incredible.

The book is a complex mixture. In a relatively short span, it delves into diverse cultures, religions, politics, social attitudes under imperialism, and espionage in the context of the Great Game. These topics were both interesting and informative.

Amidst these multiple themes, Kipling weaves the tale of Kim or Kimball O'Hara - a white orphaned boy who was brought up in the native Indian culture. Exactly what his story entails, I couldn't quite fathom. However, certain parts of his story, presented as separate episodes, managed to hold my interest. To start with, I took a liking to the character of Kim. I relished his relationship with the Lama. Kim's love, devotion, and loyalty to the old Lama were truly admirable. Kim is a clever child, despite leading a vagabond life. And I enjoyed witnessing his progress and development from a carefree child to a responsible youth. That much is quite certain.

But my overall impression of this book remains muddled. The story neither bored me nor fully engaged me, thus creating a dilemma in formulating my overall opinion of the book and determining an appropriate rating. Parts of it I did enjoy, but the rest left me feeling rather indifferent. Nevertheless, to do justice to the depth of the author's thoughts, his accurate portrayal of the diverse themes mentioned here, and to my partial enjoyment, I've settled on a middle rating.

Having said that, I would like to recall Rudyard Kipling as a poet. I did enjoy his Jungle Book as a child. But that was such a long time ago; I don't know how I would feel about it now. All I can assert is that Kipling is a poet at heart and not a novelist. His thoughts are profound, and I appreciate them. But he is a rather poor storyteller. That much I can attest to.

Even though I bear the same name as the hero of this novel, I have chosen not to read it until now. There are multiple reasons for this. The main one is that I'm not naturally inclined towards picaresque novels or espionage novels, although I've read a fair number of books from both genres. I've also had an instinctively negative reaction to Kipling due to my not very well-informed perception of him as an apologist for British imperialism.

However, in the past few days, I've begun reading the seventh book in Laurie R King's Mary Russell series, The Game, which features an older Kim, approximately thirty years after the events of this novel. While King's homage to Kipling's work led me to download the audiobook narrated by Sam Dastor, it was Kipling's skill as a writer and storyteller that kept me completely engaged with the narrative.

Kim is the story of Kimball O'Hara, the orphaned son of an Irish soldier and a poor Irish woman. He lives by his wits on the streets of Lahore, becomes the disciple of a Tibetan Lama seeking the river that will bring him enlightenment, falls into the hands of the British military, acquires an education, is trained as a spy, and participates in the Great Game - the battle for supremacy between the British and Russian Empires in Central Asia.

Kim is a book that I could easily have disliked. The boy's own adventure elements, the lack of significant female characters, and the references to "Orientals" and "Asiatics" could all have irritated me and/or offended my politically correct sensibilities. It is true that I found the espionage plot somewhat less interesting than the rest of the plot. However, my lasting impression of the novel will not be those things. Instead, it will be the vivid picture that Kipling paints of India under British rule in the late 19th century. Kipling portrays India in all its bewildering diversity: the various religious communities, the cities and rural areas, the plains and mountains, and the influence of the British on India and of India on the British. Another aspect of Kim that will stay with me is Kipling's treatment of the theme of identity. Kim has to discover where he belongs in a land where social standing is determined by family, caste, and religion. His questioning of his identity at different points in the novel is deeply moving. What I'll also take away from Kim is the love for India and its people that Kipling clearly brought to the writing of the novel.

Sam Dastor's narration is truly amazing. He has a distinct voice for each character. In fact, he subtly (and in the case of one character, not so subtly) alters voices depending on whether the character is speaking English, Hindi, or Urdu. I am convinced that listening to the novel rather than reading it significantly enhanced my appreciation of the work. Listening to Kim has been a highly enjoyable experience, worthy of a 4.5-star rating.

You know those books that from the very first page, you just know you're going to love it. Well, this wasn't that kind of book.

You also know those other books that start out slow and it takes you a while to get into, but soon you find yourself completely hooked. Nope, this wasn't one of those either.

In fact, I managed to get through the entire book without ever really feeling invested in it in any way, shape, or form. I persevered only because I started it a few months ago, gave up, and then restarted it, convinced that I'd be able to get through it. It's one of Kipling's most highly praised books and it's on countless must-read lists, so there has to be something more to it. But in the end, it just didn't work for me.

The story is about a young Irish boy named Kim who is orphaned in India during the 19th century. He becomes a disciple of a Tibetan Lama named Teshoo Lama and travels with him on his quest. Eventually, a British regiment takes him under their wing and enrolls him in an English school. They decide to groom him to become a spy.

I really loved some of Kipling's short stories, like "The Jungle Book" and others, but this one left me feeling completely cold. It's supposed to be a "spy" novel in some sense, but instead of having a solid plot, it just meanders and ruminates about life. It felt both boring and tiresome, and I couldn't help but wonder why we were supposed to care about what happened to Kim.

I know I should probably have more to say about this book, but to be honest, I was just glad to be done with it. If anyone out there loved this book, I would be really interested to hear why.

ETA: Ooops, I misspelled lama, using instead the spelling for the fuzzy animal sort, which IS spelled llama! ;0) Thanks Kim for telling me!

You CAN listen to a Librivox audiobook in the car. I have now discovered that you should click on the download buttons found next to each chapter visible in the Librivox app. You must click on all of them. If you don't click on each chapter's download button, you need wifi to listen when using the app. In the car you also must use an AUX jack. Leslie and Greg explained this to me. Thank you, both of you!

Now the review:

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I didn't hate the book, but I definitely wanted it to end as soon as possible. I liked one thing and that was how I felt the atmosphere of India, or how I imagine it might have been. The clatter, the exotic Eastern foods and smells, the feel of the air, the light. Musky sometimes. Clear and sharp, dazzling and sparkling at other times. Indians are composed of so many different castes and subgroups with varying beliefs, traditions, customs and religious affiliations. This book draws this well. I enjoyed the adjectives chosen, the descriptive metaphors for the mountains and hills, for all the different landscapes. The book is partially a travelogue, and this is what I enjoyed most. However, I cannot say I now have an understanding of the cultural differences and traditions that divide Pashtun from Sikh or Sufi. Although the book describes different culture groups, it doesn’t give much depth.

There is humor, it you care to see it. The Himalayas are referred to as the "hills". Primarily, this is an adventure story and about the fond relationship between Kim, a twelve year old orphan at the book's beginning, and a lama. Kim is a half-caste; his mother had been Indian and his father Irish. He is a scamp, managing well in both worlds, the British world of power and spies and intrigue and the subservient but not self-deprecating Indian nationals. I am not sure of the date. I am guessing the end of 1800s because Russians were active along the northern border. The plot consists of a thread of adventure escapades. Kim grows into adulthood, and the lama, he seeks understanding and wisdom. We don't stop maturing at a set age! The plot is a thread of stories, drawing a path toward wisdom, understanding and maturity. I was neither drawn into the tales of adventure nor the path toward spiritual growth.

Neither am I a fan of Rudyard Kipling's writing style. It is old-fashioned, wordy and ambiguous. The native Indians spoke imperfect English, but this made them just look silly. Adjectives were used when adverbs should have been chosen. I listened to this on my Ipod from a Librivox recording narrated by Adrian Praetzellis. Getting this to function properly took umpteen hours!!! Installing a Librivox app was absolutely necessary, and even then it didn’t function well. I could NOT listen in the car and Ipod's "Voice-Over" function did not work. I was not fond of the narrator, and he is one of the best at Librivox. What I hated most was that he made the lama sound like a moron. He spoke one word pause and one word pause.... this made him sound, well, stupid. A lama is wise, but not here! He read Kim’s part well. He spoke clearly and at a good speed. Others like a narrator to dramatize the lines. I don't, and he did here. I am glad I tried Librivox, but boy do I appreciate Audible even more after this experience. Nevertheless I still want to thank the numerous GR friends who have helped me test Librivox.

Pues... miren, voy a serles honesto. The book cost me a lot, which is not news because it happened to many in the group who read it. But after finishing it, I looked for a more clarifying summary (it always helps me when I finish difficult books to know if I have managed to understand them well). And the truth is, it's not for nothing, but... it's more attractive and calls to you more when you read its synopsis, because the book is very different.

That is, the story itself is very well written and it is interesting to portray an orphan boy who starts working as a spy and gets involved in a conflict like that of the Russians and the English (the Great Game). But I attribute it to the fact that being published in 1901, that's why they felt the need to make so much explanation. It's a pity that it lost its flavor in the last 100 pages. And the best thing is that yes, in the end I found the glossary of all that already organized.

I don't want to be cruel, and this will be one of the books in which I feel that the rating I give it now will be temporary, because I hope in the future to read it again with more detail, calm, and maturity, once I have better assimilated all the terms, so that, probably, the grade will go up. Because I repeat: the book is quite good, and it also has adventure, but I had trouble connecting enough. And I'm sure that if you try to read it, maybe the same thing will happen to you. But be sure that the book is not like so many others in which you say that the rating they get is deserved, but that this one can change at another time. Yes, despite that, I managed to like the story.