Plain Tales from the Hills (Aziloth Books) - Softcover

Kipling, Rudyard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1908388730 ISBN 13: 9781908388735

Publisher: Aziloth Books, 2012

Synopsis

Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay in 1865. His early years, lived among exotic sights and sounds, were a constant delight, but from the age of five he was sent to foster parents in the UK, only returning to Lahore in 1882 to work on the 'Civil and Military Gazette' as a reporter. Here his writing career blossomed - along with poems and novels, numerous short stories flowed from his pen, the best of which were published as 'Plain Tales From The Hills' in 1888. Kipling skillfully compresses the whole of India into a single volume: the fabulous customs, the grandiose scenery, India's kaleidoscopic ethnic mix of tribe, caste and rank, and over it all, the British Raj. The tensions and absurdities of the subcontinent are mercilessly catalogued and exposed in this remarkable series of tales.

About this title

About the Author

Rudyard Joseph Kipling was born in the then named Bombay, India on 30th December 1865. Aged six, he was sent to England to be educated, firstly in Southsea, where he was cared for in a foster home, and later at Westward Ho, a United Services College in Devon. A life of misery at the former was described in his story 'Baa Baa Black Sheep', whilst Westward Ho was used as a basis for his questioning the public school ethic in 'Stalky and Co'. Kipling returned to India in 1882 to work as an assistant editor for the Civil and Military Gazette of Lahore. His reputation as a writer was established with stories of English life in India, published there in 1888/9. ‘The Phantom Rickshaw’, ‘Soldiers Three’ and ‘Under the Deodars’ are amongst these early works. Returning to England in 1889, Kipling settled in London and continued to earn a living as a writer. In 1892 he married Caroline Balestier, an American. They travelled extensively in the following four years, including a spell living in America, and it was in this time most of his enduring work was written, not least ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘The Second Jungle Book’. Kipling once again returned to England in 1896 and continued his writing career, although tragedy hit the family when his eldest daughter, Josephine, died in 1899. Nonetheless, in 1901 he completed ‘Kim’, often considered to be his best work. The following year, having settled in Sussex, he published ‘Just So Stories’, a book he had planned to write for Josephine. Having refused the position of Poet Laureate, which was offered in 1895, he did accept the Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming the first English author to be so honoured. By 1910, however, Kipling’s appeal was waning. His poems and stories were based on values that were perceived as outdated. There was widespread reaction against Victorian imperialism, highlighted by the incompetent management of the Boer War. When World War I came, Kipling had difficulty in adapting to the mood of the public and after his only son, John, was reported missing in action believed killed in 1915, he became very active on the War Graves Commission. After the war he became an increasingly isolated figure, although some of his best writing was to come, with ‘Debits and Credits’ in 1926 and ‘Limits and Renewals’ in 1932. Kipling died in 1936 in London and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Today, however, he is once again avidly read not just for the quality of his writing and storytelling, but through a renewed interest in the behaviour and values he represented.

From AudioFile

Jornado is a journey, for revenge. With clarity and feeling, Gene Engene reads the story of Clint Evans's search for his wife's murderer. His accents, especially that of Mexican Phillipe, are neither overdone nor too emphatic. The characters are differentiated, and dramatization adds individuality to each one. The story highlights the way that seeking revenge changes people. A traditional story of the Old West well told. S.C.A. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: Aziloth Books
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1908388730
• ISBN 13: 9781908388735
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160