Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A View of the India that was
Review: This is alleged to be Kipling's masterpiece, perhaps it is, but that doesn't make it move any faster. The Old Lama was interesting at first but quickly palled as he never said anything interesting and simply said the same things over and over and over. His view of Buddhism was shallow at best. The attachment between Kim and the Lama never seemed to have any real foundation or purpose other than to give Kim a reason to wander about. The characters may have had interest and relevance in 19th Century India but they are not very realistic today. Walking all over the country side while spouting "The Wheel of Life" doesn't make for much excitement. However, it does provide a real perspective on what India must have been like under Victoria. But the perspective is all Indian and the British play a very small role, which I think detracts from the story. Kim is pressed into service as a spy but his spying never seems to come to fruition and he never seems to have any direction. Creighton recruits him and then never actually uses him. In fact the entire story seems to wander around much like Kim. The teacher Lurgan may or may not have been a pedophile but like much of this book, it is long on hints and short on action. The Wheel Of Life seemd to turn relentlessly without going anywhere and the Great Game was mostly talked about rather than played. I read it to the end and I can now mark it off of my list of classics to be read, but I think it is a classic past its prime.

I gave three stars because parts are interesting and you do get a good view of what India must have been like in the 19th Century and how the natives saw the British, but it isn't a page turner.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A Review of Kim
Review: Kim, by Rudyard Kipling, is a book that can not relate to anyone who is not connected to India today. Kim came out in the 19th century when England was in India. This book appealed to the people back home because they wanted to learn about what their relatives were experiencing down there. In our day, England is not occupying India, so there is no connection at all to India. I think that people would appreciate Kim if they lived in the 19th century, but not now in the 21st.
I also think that the plot in Kim is weak. Kim is a son of two Europeans who have died; his father was in the British army, and his mother was a nurse. He is trying to find out is true identity; for even though his skin is brown, and he looks just like an Indian, Kim is of European blood. The book follows Kim and his llama(priest) friend as they journey across India in search of a special river the llama is determined to find. On the way, Kim is found by an English army regiment, and the army, after learning about who Kim really is, puts Kim in school. Kim eventually runs away from school, and becomes a spy for Britain. In the end, Kim and the llama find the special river, and Kim "finds" himself.
Another drawback to people living in this day and age trying to read this book is that the book, even though very well written, is brimming with Indian words Kipling sticks in in just about every paragraph. He says, for example," The old street vender gave Kim a piece of bread(nan) and told him to be off." In reading the book, I found it very hard to read around these "road blocks" without getting distracted.
I do not recommend this book to anyone who has never had any experiences overseas in the land of India.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A British Huckleberry Finn
Review: Kipling's tale has been compared to Huckleberry Finn since it is a story about boyish adventures with an older man of a different race. Most of the story's characters have mildly hostile criticisms against other people different from themselves. The characters vacillate between hostility and friendliness. Usually, these criticisms are put in a humorous context. Kipling seems to accept it all with a grin as if to say "Oh well, that's how people are. They do enjoy their prejudices". There is no discomfort or condemnation of what the characters think of others. The judgments can be against someone's religion, caste, race, or sex. But as far as religion goes, the characters seem to think that someone of different religion is a surprisely decent person, even though they are following a religion that will send them straight to hell.

The characters are all distinctive and the closeness between the Lama and Kim is presented in a convincing, moving way. I really got the sense of wonder that Kim felt as a boy on the road for the first time and how he joyfully looked upon the new sights. Kim grows up by having many mentors since he is an orphan. He is also seen as a good candidate to be a spy for the British government since he can move so easily between the world of the British Sahibs and the Indian natives they rule over. The author mentions that most Sahibs would not like to be among the natives so closely, but it all comes so naturally to Kim who considers himself halfway a native. In fact, he struggles with his identity. Is he to take on this new identity as a white sahib or will he remain a white totally assimilated into Indian culture? But this identity crisis also helps him become a spy because he can easily wear different masks, acting a part for any occasion.

The other part of the story is the quest for the river which will give the lama enlightenment and how Kim, as his chela, helps the lama on his quest. This is the Hindu theme of freeing yourself from desire, lust, and anger. Kim does not really become like the Lama in pursuing this religion. But the Lama does warn Kim to act to acquire merit or don't act at all. Whether Kim acquires merit in the great game of spying is questionable since the game itself requires you to be a shady character who serves the interests of the government with its ambiguous reputation. Kim manipulates the lama to move in his direction during their journeys, just as the British government manipulates Kim into working for them. I can't say the relationships are entirely pure.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: my review of Kim
Review: I enjoyed this book. I think it is a very good insight to older Indian culture under English control. The story is about a young boy who goes on a journey with a Buddist llama in his search for the river that will cleanse all sins. Kim encounters many adventures and interesting situations as he gets involved in British military affairs. I would recommend this book for those who are interested in more challenging reading have an attraction for both the cultural and the spiritual.

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