Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Penguin Classics (1991), Paperback, 304 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. Short Stories. HTML: Plain Tales from the Hills contains 40 stories written by Rudyard Kipling, the author of The Jungle Book and Kim. Published in 1888, this was the first short story collection by Kipling. With the geographical meaning of "Plain" contrasted with "Hills", the title's pun hints at both the cleverly simple narrative style of the stories, and that many of the them are situated in the Hill Station of Simla, which served as the British Raj's capital during the hot months..
User reviews
LibraryThing member edwinbcn
Having published only three novels, viz. The Light that Failed (1891), Captains Courageous (1896) and Kim (1901), Rudyard Kipling is mostly remembered for his poetry and short stories. He won the Nobel Prize in 1907, but as his prose and poetry is most closely associated with British colonialism,
Plain tales from the hills, a collection of 40 stories, is one of the first prose works of Kipling to be published. But for twelve, these stories had first appeared in a local newspaper in India. They are sketches of various aspects of life in British India.
However, these stories and the sentiments they refer to stand very far off modern readers. Most of the stories come across as gossip, and would only seem interesting to an incrowd readership, either British colonials of the time in India or the home country. Among modern readers it is unlikely to find either staunch defenders of the Raj, or readers to whom the intricacies of life in Simla would be appealing enough to read.
The stories appear dull, and as some stories are interrelated, with characters repeatedl appearing, it is not clear to modern readers what is going on. Besides, what appears to be going on, seems of very little interest to readers now.
Plain tales from the hills is clearly dated to beyond shelf life, and best left alone.
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his work is now but little read.Plain tales from the hills, a collection of 40 stories, is one of the first prose works of Kipling to be published. But for twelve, these stories had first appeared in a local newspaper in India. They are sketches of various aspects of life in British India.
However, these stories and the sentiments they refer to stand very far off modern readers. Most of the stories come across as gossip, and would only seem interesting to an incrowd readership, either British colonials of the time in India or the home country. Among modern readers it is unlikely to find either staunch defenders of the Raj, or readers to whom the intricacies of life in Simla would be appealing enough to read.
The stories appear dull, and as some stories are interrelated, with characters repeatedl appearing, it is not clear to modern readers what is going on. Besides, what appears to be going on, seems of very little interest to readers now.
Plain tales from the hills is clearly dated to beyond shelf life, and best left alone.
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LibraryThing member hrissliss
Definitely interesting. I've never read much about the English colonization of India (any recommended reads? Factual or fictional?) so this offered some interesting tidbits. Racism was subtle but there, more disturbing for being so inherent. (I know, racism in that sort of situation = given, but I
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still found it disturbing.) Found the dialects hard to get used to, but if you have any experience with dialects I doubt they'd be that hard. (I didn't at the time of reading this, which is why I mention.) I found Kipling to be a great storyteller, able to connect well with the audience in a psuedo-casual way (startling, after 100+ years) and to have a very engaging manner. Rather quick read, fun, and perfect if all you have is a few minutes of free time at once. Show Less
LibraryThing member ben_a
I cede ground to no man in admiration of Rudyard Kipling. These stories, however, lack the crackle I associate with Kipling at his best. They are all perfectly serviceable, but none so far has caught hold of my heart.
LibraryThing member EricCostello
A collection of stories from Kipling written in the 1890s, all of which are set in the India of the Imperial Raj. They're of varying quality. The ones rendered in the argot of the soldiers can be quite difficult to parse, owing to the thickness of the accent, which lessens their effect. Others
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simply meander. But there are a half-dozen stories in the collection that are definite winners, including a hilarious sort-of ghost story involving a beloved horse of a regiment, and an affecting story of employee management where the truth is kept from a recalcitrant and critical employee. Might not be for everyone, this collection, especially given the odour in which Kipling is held by some. Show Less
LibraryThing member m.belljackson
Winding through this slow-moving book of thankfully short short boring and redundant stories
of the English experience with the natives of British India, I tried to find a favorite.
The "object-letters" in "Beyond the Pale" were intriguing, then came the horror story ending.
Instead, there was this:
"A
keep to his own caste, race, and breed.
Let the White go to the White, and the Black to the Black."
Worse still, on pages 254 and 255, ever so casually appear the N-words.
Geez, even from the expected taint of Mr. White Man's Burden, this was unexpected.
The book is valuable only for the illustrations of Howard Mueller.
of the English experience with the natives of British India, I tried to find a favorite.
The "object-letters" in "Beyond the Pale" were intriguing, then came the horror story ending.
Instead, there was this:
"A
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man should, whatever happens,keep to his own caste, race, and breed.
Let the White go to the White, and the Black to the Black."
Worse still, on pages 254 and 255, ever so casually appear the N-words.
Geez, even from the expected taint of Mr. White Man's Burden, this was unexpected.
The book is valuable only for the illustrations of Howard Mueller.
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LibraryThing member renardkitsune
This collection of stories from Rudyard Kipling is a mixed bag--some are really good, and some are meandering, and some are outright unintelligible, in the case of the few that are written in the dialect of some of the soldiers. I tried to read those few out loud, which helped to a certain extent.
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I am a fan of Kipling--I liked Kim, and the Jungle Book, and some other, longer short stories, so I came to it with positive feelings. I enjoy the way he seems to be tongue-in-cheek poking fun at the British aristocrats and military in India. The unfortunate thing about Kipling is that, well, he lived in colonial India, and the underlying racism and otherizing of native Indians is cringingly evident, and can make a couple of the stories, not hard to read, but I feel like I am embarrassed for him, and the fact that the culture he lived in will make him increasingly unpalatable for modern readers. There are some gems though, and those who enjoy his writing will find a few stories in this collection that reflect what we love about Kipling. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1888
Physical description
304 p.; 7.56 inches
ISBN
0140183124 / 9780140183122