Have you read Kim? What did you think of it?

[bobbieinok]

I tried several times over the years to read it. Finally after many years I read it and found it intriguing.

I think for many literary works you have to be at the right place in your life to grasp, much less enjoy, them.

[Polly Hennessey]

1. My opinion is that

Kipling was one of the best story tellers. Kim is rated 78 on the list of 100 best in English literature.

[ProudLib72]

2. I haven't read it, but I have a different tale of literary weirdness

In college I was assigned Virginia Wolff's To The Lighthouse no less than three times. I tried, man! I really tried to get into it. But I ended up hating Wolff. Then I was assigned The Waves. I begrudgingly started reading it. Then I found I couldn't put it down.

I always thought it was strange how I could detest one book and adore another by the same author.

[mikehiggins]

3. Great story but white supremacy wasn't hard to find in Kipling's works

One of the best "coming of age" books I've ever read and did dig into a lot of Indian culture as Kipling experienced it. Worth the time to read it.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. I have found Kipling almost impossible to read.

[Wolf Frankula]

10. A friend tells this story about a Kipling incident in school.

He is Afrikaner and went to a school where both English and Afrikaner kids went. One day the teacher assigned some Kipling poems that included 'Bobs' his praise of Lord Roberts and 'Kitchener's School' his praise of Kitchener, who put the Afrikaner women and children in concentration camps. An Afrikaner girl rose and declared "Kipling is 'n vyand van die Afrikaner volk." meaning Kipling is an enemy of the Afrikaner people. All the Afrikaner kids rose (including my friend) and walked out.

There were no more Kipling poems assigned.

Wolf

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

11. Wow. I'm impressed.

[msongs]

5. kipling had it right about afghanistant, as brits, ruskies and yanks learned...

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.
- last verse of “The Young British Soldier” - 1892

[bobbieinok]

6. At 1 point Watson is said to have fought in Afghanistan. IIRC was on disastrous retreat

The retreat where, I believe, less than 5% survived

[eppur_se_muova]

8. I enjoyed it for what it was -- had to read it after reading this book --

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140329.Quest_for_Kim

(Careful -- addictive topic ! You may find yourself reading all of Hopkirk's books cited at the end of the review.)

[bobbieinok]

9. Thanks for info. His works sound very interesting.

[abqtommy]

12. As an avid reader I've always enjoyed Kippling's writing.

Perhaps my enjoyment of Kim as book and movie is due to the fact that I spent 4 of my first 6 years of life living in West Pakistan in the 1950s and the story reminds me of my life there.