Adventure fiction Spy fiction Bildungsroman Imperialism Identity Spirituality Friendship Coming of age
Kim is a historical fiction novel written by Kim and originally published in 1901. The novel is set in Colonial India.
Kim is a young orphan who grew up on the streets of the city of Lahore in modern-day Pakistan. He is the son of an Irish military man, but has fully adopted the culture, language and customs of India.
Because of his situation, he has become a cunning rogue who roams the bustling streets and markets of his city. But his life changes dramatically when he meets a Tibetan lama traveling to the Ganges River, and together they embark on a journey across the country.
On this journey, Kim is recruited by the British Empire to work as a spy and participate in the "Great Game", an espionage conflict between Russia and the British Empire. This will lead him on a dangerous adventure set against the backdrop of India, with themes of colonialism and cultural fusion ever present.
"He sat, in defiance of municipal orders, astride the gun Zam-Zammah on her brick platform opposite the old Ajaib-Gher—the Wonder House, as the natives call the Lahore Museum. Who hold Zam-Zammah, that 'fire-breathing dragon,' hold the Punjab, for the great green-bronze piece is always first of the conqueror's loot."
#18 in Adventure (this month)
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The Kim book is available for download in PDF, ePUB and Mobi:
Copyright info
Kim by Rudyard Kipling is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading Kim in PDF or ePub.
Spycraft, pilgrimage, and a boy choosing who he’ll be. The Grand Trunk Road becomes a classroom for language, loyalty, and layered identities.
Read it both as adventure and as a historical artifact of empire. The novel is rich in place and craft while inviting critical conversation about power.
Maps, mentors, and quick wits.
Multiple worlds navigated at once.
Admire skill; discuss context.
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Adventure craft and cadence; empire era tales and poems that probe duty risk and identity.
We have 3 books by Rudyard Kipling in the AliceAndBooks library