Kim
SynopsisPlot
First published serially in McClure's Magazine from December 1900 to October 1901 as well as in Cassell's Magazine from January to November 1901, and first published in book form by Macmillan & Co. Ltd in October 1901. The story unfolds against the backdrop of The Great Game, the political conflict between Russia and Britain in Central Asia. It is set after the Second Afghan War which ended in 1881, but before the Third, probably in the period 1893 to 1898. The novel is notable for its detailed portrait of the people, culture, and varied religions of India. "The book presents a vivid picture of India, its teeming populations, religions, and superstitions, and the life of the bazaars and the road."
Story
About this book
Kim follows Kimball O'Hara, the orphaned son of an Irish soldier, growing up on the streets of Lahore in British-ruled India. Known simply as Kim, the boy speaks local languages, moves freely among different communities, and passes easily across boundaries of caste and religion. When he encounters a Tibetan lama searching for a sacred river, Kim becomes the old man's companion and disciple, and the two set off together on a long journey across northern India.
Their travels bring them into contact with horse traders, soldiers, monks, spies, and villagers along the Grand Trunk Road and into the Himalayan foothills. At the same time, Kim is drawn into the Great Game, the shadowy contest between Britain and Russia for influence in Central Asia. The novel is set roughly in the 1890s, after the Second Afghan War but before the Third, a period of uneasy watchfulness along the northern frontier.
Rudyard Kipling first published Kim as a serial in McClure's Magazine from December 1900 to October 1901, with book publication by Macmillan in October 1901. The story presents a wide view of Indian society, its bazaars, roads, religions, and daily life, drawn from Kipling's own years in the country. Kipling later received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.
