The Sacred Fount (published in 1901) - A strange book, written by Henry James

Henry James was one of the greatest literary figures of the 19th century and his works are considered mini masterpieces of the time. He was born in New York City into a wealthy and intellectual family. Young James was tutored in the many learning centers of Europe and also studied at the Harvard Law School for some time. But he liked his literary pursuits to the study of law. James preferred living in Europe than in America and even renounced his American Citizenship for its refusal to enter in to World War I. He was a regular contributor to literary magazines and started his first novel “Watch and Ward” in his early twenties. His masterpieces like “Daisy Miller” and “Portrait of a Lady” quickly followed. His protagonist are complex individuals battling personal and provincial prejudices and many a time bring about the complexities of American and European lives. Henry James died at the age of 65 and his ashes are interred at Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The Sacred Fount is a theory espousing, jargon filled book by Henry James which may be incomprehensible for many. At least it was for me and to put the book down after twenty five odd pages was a real temptation. The whole book coils and uncoils like a huge python which has just eaten and just cannot do anything else. It smells the air just to satisfy the curiosity and lies down listlessly again. Even the staunchest of Henry James's fans would not be able to digest this humongous waste of paper which ultimately amounts to nothing.



The novel starts with an unnamed narrator getting on the train to Newsmarch to immerse himself in his social circle for the weekend. Many critics point out that the narrator is Henry James himself and sometimes I am not surprised. To be going to your brilliant circle who do not have much to do, but to eavesdrop on idle sexual gossip sounds to be a good time for an author. Anyways the narrator espouses a new theory that he can divine the love lives of his fellows with out any detective work, just by observation and knowledge, phew!!!!. So to prove his theory he spies on poor Gilbert Long who seems to be radiating vitality unlike his earlier avatars. So he feels that Long might be channeling some sexual energy from a poor lover like a vampire-- so the vampire theory of attraction comes to being.
He spots Mrs. Brissenden who is looking 10 years younger than her haggard earlier self. Again the vampire theory comes to the fore – that the sacred fount of sexual energy is tapped from some poor soul. He sees a lady May server looking listless and immediately deduces that she is Long's lover. Soon at the party he espouses his theory to everyone, especially a Ford Obert, about who is giving whose energy etc etc. I think it is a miracle that Ford Obert survived the weekend at Newsmarch or worse the narrator escaped from him.
So these tedious discourses do mercifully come to an end when he has a midnight encounter with Mrs. Briss, who tells him to can his bottle of worms. She essentially terms his theories utter rubbish, which is evident for the readers and tells him point blank that he is crazy. The narrator is left overwhelmed and the readers put to their hands together for the dear Mrs. Briss. If you love the inexplicable, immeasurable, unknowable and crazy arguments, this book is for you. If you are a sane, good chap you can really do with out it.

Kim (Published in 1901) - Written by Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling, a Nobel laureate was born in India to a vivacious Alice Kipling and sculptor Painter, John Kipling. His works range from poems, to children's books. Rudyard was a English language writer whose prose is peppered with colloquial usage and languages mainly from India which opens a window to the prevailing culture and customs of the time. His children's stories are the most endured classics of the time and his short stories are the most sought after. Many of his works are deemed to be controversial as the time progressed. Rudyard Kipling was the product of an imperial India where imperialism under Queen Victoria was at its heights. His poems like White Mans burden are often cited as a clarion call for the imperialist and has been criticized by subsequent humanist. But as the youngest Nobel Prize recipient for English Literature, the place for Kipling in human history cannot be discounted and his prose and poems enthuse millions even today. Kipling died in 1936 in London and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Kim is one of the classics of the twentieth century and all of Kipling's angst is thrown in to the story of an orphan who reaches self awareness. Kim is Kimball O'Hara, son of a Irish soldier and a poor white mother whose is destined to grow up as a vagabond on the streets of Lahore. He is the poorest of the poor, a waif fending for himself and Kipling himself writes that he looks like any other Indian urchin. All the sense of whiteness in him is obscured by the indian-ness of the environment.



But Kim is street smart, savvy and courageous with an inquisitive and intelligent mind. He works for Mahbub Ali who really is a British spy in Lahore. Kim befriends a Tibetan Monk, Teshoo Lama who reaches Lahore looking for Buddhist Relics. He is looking for the River of Arrow supposed to have sprung from the arrow of Buddha and can cleanse all the sins. Kim is fascinated by the Lama and agrees to become his Chela or disciple. So the wanderings of Kim begin and they reach Benares and the foothills of the Himalaya's in search of the river. Kim is captured by a group of British Soldiers whose flag depicts a Red Bull on a green field. This fulfills the prophesy ringing in Kim's mind about “nine-hundred first-class devils, whose God was a Red Bull on a green field”. Anyway, initially thought as spies the chaplains of the regiment ascertain his identity from his papers and tell him that they knew his father. They take it upon themselves to make a white man of him. But Kim hates the sense of superiority and the nastiness present in the British soldiers. His deliverance arrives in the form of Colonel Creighton who befriends him and takes him under his wings for training as a spy. Soon Kim is above all the soldiers and is inducted in to the secret service.
He goes with the Lama, but as an undercover agent to the Himalaya's ostensibly to look for the river of arrow. Here he finds the Russian and other enemy spies plotting against the empire. Here Kim is forced to fight as the Russians try to harm the Lama. In the melee he obtains the secret papers and with the help of the natives manage to rescue themselves to the plains. He and the Lama are nursed to health by a native woman and Kim delivers the papers. Teshoo Lama is aghast about the violent streak innate in him and leaves to seek the ultimate path of renunciation. Kim also ponders his life and becomes of aware of his existence. In the end we find Kim as Kim, not needing any father figure, or mother to stand on his own. He just says “I am Kim” nothing less or more a person.
Kim is Rudyard Kipling's stellar works. His views on Buddhism, imperialism and nuances of native culture come through in this book. He very stoically supports the British way of life and supports her claim of Indian territory. But I feel we see a Kipling who understands native culture and abhors the white man who considers “nine tenth of the earth heathen”. His dislike of strict discipline and intense religious pontification comes through in Kim. A good read anyways.