If you’ve ever thought that there was an Erich Seagal and no one could beat him...think again. If you are an ardent worshipper of the almighty Puzo...then its time to change your religion !! ’’
’’O ye who tread the Narrow Way
By Tophet-flare to judgment Day,
Be gentle when ’the heathen’ pray
To Buddha at Kamakura! ’’
Rudyard Kipling was the master storyteller, in original. There was no one behind him that could take his throne. The stories that the great man had written more than a century ago are still relevant, still fresh, still so inspiring. If you do not believe me, think about the Jungle book. Ok Ok...I know we all saw it on TV when we were kids. But how many of you have read the BOOK ? the Jungle book, too was written almost a century ago, but that doesn’t take anything away from the fact that it is still extremely popular among kids. Oh yes, the Harry Potters will come and Harry Potters will go. The Jungle Book will still be there and I guess we’d be still reading it out to our children a few years from now (That doesn’t mean that I’m extremely old !!...I’m just 20 ...and more importantly....SINGLE).
I basically loved it when I first read it in school. I really wouldn’t mind reading it again. It really is not a novel thats prescribed for a certain age. You could read it whether you are 5, 15 or 50. I once read a very very well known writer mention this about Kipling...’’When I was a kid, I liked him. When I was in school, I hated him. When I was 20, I adored him. When I was 35, I despised of him. Whatever I did, one thing was for sure....I could never forget him’’. THAT, my friends is Rudyard Kipling for you. Unforgettable - the true master. Getting to the point, I have to tell you about KIM. Well. KIM is short for Kimball O’Hara. Kim is a little orphaned kid living on the streets of India. He is actually a ’gora’ whose parents have been long gone.
This is how the Kipling’s described him :-
’’Though he was burned black as any native; though he spoke the vernacular by preference, and his mother-tongue in a clipped uncertain sing-song; though he consorted on terms of perfect equality with the small boys of the bazar; Kim was white - a poor white of the very poorest’’.
One fine day, a certain Tibetian Llama comes visiting. Again, quoting from the novel,
’’for there shuffled round the corner, from the roaring Motee Bazar, such a man as Kim, who thought he knew all castes, had never seen. He was nearly six feet high, dressed in fold upon fold of dingy stuff like horse-blanketing, and not one fold of it could Kim refer to any known trade or profession. At his belt hung a long open-work iron pencase and a wooden rosary such as holy men wear. On his head was a gigantic sort of tam-o’-shanter. His face was yellow and wrinkled, like that of Fook Shing, the Chinese bootmaker in the bazar. His eyes turned up at the corners and looked like little slits of onyx.’’
He needs to go to the four holy places, the first of which is Benares. The old man is looking for someone who will help him in his journey, a ’Chela’. His chela who had assisted him earlier, had died en route in Kulu due to fever. He happens to find the spunky little Kim, whose street smartness and sharp wit attract the Llama and he thinks of Kim as his next disciple, sent by God himself. Kim, on the other hand, comes to know who the Llama is and where he is headed. The prospect of the vast and exciting journey doesn’t fail to entice the free-minded, fun loving protagonist.
The whole desription of their journey is painstakingly captured by the master in his words. The attention to detail is breathtaking. The whole countryside comes alive with Kipling amazing narrative prowess.It really is so amazing to know that a non-Indian can know so much more about India than we Indians ourselves sometimes. Each and every part of their long journey is described right from the heart, it seems. The first train journey that the pair take, the walk through the woods and along the Grand Trunk Road...they all seem to be so REAL. You almost wish that you were Kim, going on that ever-exciting journey. Of course, it wouldn’t be fair to call Kipling a total ’non-Indian’ !! Thats coz Kipling was born and brought up mostly in India (if you did’t know !!). Kipling, obviosly was in love with our great country when he wrote this. As a matter of fact, he never could forget India. Thats why most of his stories are related to India.
The novel follows the journey of the old Llama and Kim. The Llama is growing weaker by the day, and Kim’s life is changing. He’s turning into a wise young man, from a cheeky street urchin. He sometimes feels love for the old man and sometimes, he loathes him. Sometimes the old man becomes too much of a burden and sometimes he’s a guiding light. The old monk teaches him so many things that had seemed confusing to young Kim. Obviously, all the years of learning that the Llama has done has not gone down the drain. He is an extremely wise man.
Yet, in some instances, Kim does have his differences with the old man. But one thing remains firm. That is young Kim’s commitment to the Llama. He never leaves his side even for one moment. One particular instance does make them to part ways for some time though. The British officers attempt to make Kim into a good officer to serve the queen because he is English after all, and make him stay in their quarters for training. All through the novel, the same pace is maintained. The same breathtaking detail prevails. The emotions are always strong. Be it hate, contempt, love , affection, pity or lonliness.
PLEASE do attempt to get hold of a copy of this novel somehow. I do think that todays generation is slowly getting out of sync with the past. The old English literature really is a HUGE treasure that we all must cherish !! The veteran breed of authors ike Kipling, Dickens, Twain, Somerset Maugham, O henry, Thomas Hardy etc are still alive in their books. Years after they were written, these stories still hold relevance. I hope you people do get hold of a copy and then do send me a line as to whether you liked it or not. Constructive or destructive(...grr) comments are always welcome [;-)]. P.S. : I had written about KIM in one more review before this, but that review had somehow got deleted. But anyways, this is a different review altogether, coz I wrote it just now. It might seem similar though...after all, I am the same guy !!