One of the great adventure books of all time, Kim, first published in 1901, is Kipling' s last major work about India, a farewell look brimming with all the color and sound, squalor and splendor of that exotic land. Kim, the orphaned son of an Irish soldier, is a mischievous worldly imp growing up in the walled city of Lahore. A secret mission for the British and a heartfelt bond with a Tibetan lama in search of a sacred river soon lead Kim into a life of spies and secrets, danger and high excitement. But Kim is more than a boy' s adventure. Written by the laureate of the British Empire, it is also a profound look at the differences between East and West. For the first time, a British writer understood India in all its complexity, mystery, and spirituality. Here we enter the harems; mingle with thieves, jugglers, and beggars; and experience all that is India in one of literature' s most magical and moving masterpieces.

吉卜林（Rudyard Kipling，1865-1936）

著名英国作家、诗人，1907年获得诺贝尔文学奖，获奖理由为“他的作品以观察入微、思想新颖、气势雄浑和叙述卓越见长”。其杰出的叙事与高超的文学性备受后世推崇，对世界文学影响深远。

出生于印度，1870年被送回英国上学，1882年返回印度，成为一名记者并开始写作。主要著作有短诗《如果》，诗集《营房谣》《七海》，短篇小说集《山中的平凡故事》《正是如此故事集》《普克山的帕克》《丛林之书》，长篇小说《勇敢的船长》《吉姆》，等等。