Kim

By: Rudyard Kipling

Narrated by: Sam Dastor

Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

Kipling's masterpiece Kim is his final and most famous work and one of the first and greatest espionage stories ever written. It explores the life of Kimball O'Hara, an Irish orphan who spends his childhood as a vagrant in Lahore. When he befriends an aged Tibetan lama his life is transformed as he is requested to accompany him on a mysterious quest to find the legendary River of the Arrow and achieve Enlightenment. The pilgrimage will take them across the vast continent, across rivers, and up the Himalayas.

While Kim wishes to take part in the imperialistic Great Game, learning espionage from the British secret service, he feels spiritually bound to the lama. Kim has a difficult choice to make: his companion or his country?

A rich and colourful depiction of India's exotic landscape and culture in the imperialistic world of the late 19th century, this audiobook celebrates their friendship and explores a young man's quest for identity.

Rudyard Kipling was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist who was the first English language author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Some of his most memorable works include The Jungle Book and Just So Stories.

In 1998 Kim was ranked at Number 78 on the Modern Library's list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 2003 it was listed on the BBC's The Big Read poll of the UK's 'best-loved novel'.

Narrator Biography

A Cambridge graduate who trained at RADA under the direction of Sir Laurence Olivier, Sam Dastor has long featured on screen and stage. He is best known for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004) and for twice portraying Gandhi in both Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy (1986), and Jinnah (1998).Sam Dastor has starred in many West End productions with roles such as Ariel in The Tempest, and Orlando in As You Like It. His most recent work has included starring on stage at the Wolsey Theatre in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016). He has narrated a large catalogue of audiobooks including V.S. Naipaul’s A House for Mr Biswas.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Great narrator! Disappointing plot.

The narrator is exceptional, able to skillfully mimic many different voices. However, the story disappointed me a bit. I was expecting a story mainly about espionage. However, the espionage part ends up being only a subplot. Most of the story concerns Kim's relationship with a wandering lama from Tibet, with whom he travels across the country. The listener learns a lot about Indian culture in the 19th century, and also about Buddhist religious beliefs. But if you are looking more for adventure, you will probably be disappointed.

Stellar performance of a great book

I hadn’t read this book in more than twenty years, and was quickly captivated by this brilliant and lively performance of it—I will definitely be on the lookout for more of this reader’s work! His accents are exceptionally accurate and varied, and his characterisations equally diverse and vivid. The novel is even better than I’d remembered it—perhaps Kipling’s best work of prose fiction. All in all, this recording was a joy. Highly recommended!

Kim

A wonderful story. I really enjoyed Sam Dastor’s reading. He gave the characters personalities. I also enjoyed his accents.

Wonderful narrator!

I’ve always loved this book, and the narrator does a wonderful job with it. Would love to hear him read more classics!

what??? No!!! is there a book 2?

loved this story its everyone's dream to come from nothing and be a something.
I only wish it was longer. I could keep listening for hours more.
completley enjoyable

Totally delightful story of a boy coming of age, torn between four cultures, Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Buddhist.

A clever English boy is orphaned as a toddler, raised by Hindus in colonial India, and is subsequently befriended by a Muslim horsetrader, and a Buddhist holy man. After he leaves his life as a street urchin, (think Charles Dickens), he becomes a gifted spy, but must struggle to discern what culture he really belongs to and who he is. He must figure out whether various invitations are paths to destruction or paths to success. Spoiler, alert coming! Buddhism wins, and we are invited to accept that belief system as the true path to enlightenment. Islam and Hinduism are presented in a largely favorable light. There are very few references to Christianity, and it is usually in a very negative light. The portrait of India is beautiful and sensitive. It made me want to go there! The performance of the book was spectacular and gave every character a unique and delightful voice.

Best reader imaginable!!

Can’t wait to listen again. Kipling’s love if the people and cultures of India weaves through Kim’s adventures with amazing detail and fun.

Spellbinding

Loved every moment of the story. Lighthearted fun and wit . Had me hanging in which way the. story would take me

A Stunning Experience

I finally read this classic because I wanted the background on the character when reading "The Game" by Laurie R. King as part of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. What I got was a stunning and fulfilling experience that I wouldn't have missed for the world!

Not being an expert on Indian dialects, I can't say if Sam Dastor's narration is technically correct, but it is perfect for enhancing the listening experience. I came to know and love the many characters as though they were real people, and Dastor's performance was what brought them to life.

The story itself was one that the summary didn't really prepare me for. I had at first thought that this tale of wandering through what for me is an alien culture wouldn't be something that could involve and capture me on a personal level. But I discovered that some things are truly universal, regardless of the cultural trappings, and I was captivated. Like so many in the tale who came to love him, Kim is one of those characters who somehow worked his way into my heart and I will carry him with me for many years to come. The same must be said of Kim's holy man. Other characters have written themselves in my heart as well.

I am so glad, whatever the outside motivation, that I finally read this book and had the opportunity to meet and love Kim and all of those around him. My only regret is that I deprived myself of knowing Kim for so long.

Books that are Firm Favourites

Would you consider the audio edition of Kim to be better than the print version?

I first met Kim at High School. It was a setbook for our English Literature class. That was over 60 years ago!! I have carried that book around the world with me - I travel quite a lot - and read it on planes and trains. Sometime ago I found out about a version on DVD, which I purchased. Now I have it for my computer and MP3 player (which I listen to on my treadmill) and I am still listening to it. Mr Kipling encapsulated the essence of the time in History and where it took place to perfection. Thanks for the audible version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Kim?

When he gets acquainted with Llama.

Have you listened to any of Sam Dastor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I have never listened to any other Sam Dastor performances to my knowledge.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it is the kind of book which must be listened to in its separate parts. However, if the occasion arose, it could well be listened to all in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

Do some more audio books like this please.