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45th out of 285 books
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561 voters
The Man Who Would Be King
The rugged mountains of 19th-century Afghanistan serve as the backdrop for this humorous and action-packed tale of two happy-go-lucky Britons who take over a remote kingdom. The colorful inhabitants and beautiful prose enrich a beautifully powerful ending.
This beautifully packaged series of classic novellas includes the works of masterful writers. Inexpensive and collectib...more
This beautifully packaged series of classic novellas includes the works of masterful writers. Inexpensive and collectib...more
Paperback, 80 pages
Published
May 23rd 2005
by Melville House Publishing
(first published 1888)
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Mar 27, 2012
Yuki
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Yuki by:
Film with Sean Connery & Michael Caine (1975)
'"Don't let's quarrel, Peachey," says Daniel without cursing. "You're a King too, and the half of this Kingdom is yours; but can't you see, Peachy, we want cleverer men than us now--three or four of 'em, that we can scatter about for our Deputies. It's a hugeous great State, and I can't always tell the right thing to do, and I haven't time for all I want to do, and here's the winter coming on and all." He put half his beard into his mouth, all red like the gold of his crown.
'"I'm sorry, Daniel,...more
'"I'm sorry, Daniel,...more
I found the imperialist and womanizing tone to be off-putting but I overcame that to appreciate this compilation of short stories for what it is: An insight into the mind of a Victorian writer.
I found it fascinating that a person can be both derogatory and yet respectful of the people he is writing about. For example, my favorite story was In Flood Time because of the tone the author used and how convincing the narrator, a native Indian, was.
On the other hand, I thought A Way Side Comedy and...more
I found it fascinating that a person can be both derogatory and yet respectful of the people he is writing about. For example, my favorite story was In Flood Time because of the tone the author used and how convincing the narrator, a native Indian, was.
On the other hand, I thought A Way Side Comedy and...more
The short book is charming in its British colonial racist way. The lingo is hard to read sometimes, but it does help to set the tone of the characters and their adventure. It was made into a movie in the 1970's and remains unparalleled in richness and grandure. It's one of the best movies ever made! It is the epitome of the "guy movie" or "buddy movie" genres. I've watched it as a child, then in my 20's, then in my 30's, and now in my 40's, and it still entertains and amazes me, and each time I...more
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The twenty-two year old Rudyard Kipling wrote THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, one of his best short stories in 1888. The tale is inspired by the true story of an American adventurer, Josiah Harlan who claimed the title of Prince of Ghor in 1840 when he lead a military force into Afghanistan.
The short story is atmospheric, adventuresome, and predictive of the pitfalls of colonialism specifically related to the British Empire in India. There are allusions and other realities which contain the story in...more
The short story is atmospheric, adventuresome, and predictive of the pitfalls of colonialism specifically related to the British Empire in India. There are allusions and other realities which contain the story in...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Oh my fickle heart. Oh my shifting allegiances.
I find a curious principle at work in my reading. And that priciple is that I will often change my mind... with a fervor. To wit: I will love love love an author and then years later I will find myself passionately renouncing their writing for absolutely no good reason. I used to love C.S. Lewis and Jack Kerouac. But now Lewis' charming Britishness grates on my reading ear and Kerouac's free-spirited writing just sounds like what it is: the work of...more
I find a curious principle at work in my reading. And that priciple is that I will often change my mind... with a fervor. To wit: I will love love love an author and then years later I will find myself passionately renouncing their writing for absolutely no good reason. I used to love C.S. Lewis and Jack Kerouac. But now Lewis' charming Britishness grates on my reading ear and Kerouac's free-spirited writing just sounds like what it is: the work of...more
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Had to read this for an English class for CSUSB. While I did not really enjoy it too much, there were aspects that were humorous that made it okay. For example, the fact that these guys have such dumb-luck and one actually succeeds at becoming king is hilarious. What made it challenging to enjoy is the style used and the disassociation from the actual events of the story. The beginning is confusing since the narrator just describes the train and lists a bunch of cities that flew over my head. It...more
The first paragraph, written in the first person, is vague, ambiguous, and ironic, raising questions and answering none. Only gradually does the setting and plot begin to emerge and develop. The story, taking place in India and Afghanistan, involves the narrator to a certain extent but is primarily about two English adventurers who set out to become kings in northern Afghanistan. Woven into the story are strains of Freemasonry, which the protagonists use to gain authority over the natives. The t...more
A longish short story published by Rudyard Kipling in 1888. Two ex-NCOs from the British Army in India, Peachy and Daniel, make a pact to swear off alcohol and women and embark on a crazy venture to establish themselves as kings in a far-off province of Afghanistan. They achieve success beyond their dreams until Daniel breaches their pact by taking a bride. Disaster follows and only Peachy survives to tell the tale.
A lot of the story, with its references to long-forgotten events in British imper...more
All the reasons here why RK was such a great interpreter of empire to the ordinary masses. In this little tale the business of ruling over dominions has nothing to do with maintaining a global economic system and the conditions which would allow British capital to flourish: it was all about adventurous rogues stumbling along and seizing whatever opportunities came their way.
After motley careers as soldiers and railway engineers, Peachey and Dravot have lately turned to presenting themselves as n...more
After motley careers as soldiers and railway engineers, Peachey and Dravot have lately turned to presenting themselves as n...more
I was recently reading a literary review that referenced this particular classic, and I was irritated and chagrined when I realized I didn't understand the allusion. Spent today rectifying that oversight.
Kipling's ripe, exotic flavour has perhaps been diminished by the 21st century's pan-cultural globalization. Nevertheless, his unique characters and colorful prose still capture the imagination.
Two high-minded British wastrels set off to the furthest reaches of Afghanistan in the later years of...more
Kipling's ripe, exotic flavour has perhaps been diminished by the 21st century's pan-cultural globalization. Nevertheless, his unique characters and colorful prose still capture the imagination.
Two high-minded British wastrels set off to the furthest reaches of Afghanistan in the later years of...more
Very dated with its Victorian, imperialist ideals, but it remains a great story of adventure, friendship and exotic peoples. You could enjoy the book as a socialogical study of British attitudes of Kipling's day, or as the adventure it was written to be. It has a mythical quality to it, and employs interesting story-telling conventions. This is probably more of a man's story. Given current events, it's intriguing to read about the perils of skirmishing with Afghan tribes.
To better understand the mind of a Victorian colonialist, this is one who is well suited for the job. However, and this is a big however, it is imperative to understand that most Victorian colonialist did not full comprehend the negative ramifications of colonialism like Kipling pointed out.
Aside from the obvious imperialistic racism and sexism, there is an underlying "moral" to the story which forewarns the impending demise of the colonialist who doesn't adhere to humble character traits like...more
Aside from the obvious imperialistic racism and sexism, there is an underlying "moral" to the story which forewarns the impending demise of the colonialist who doesn't adhere to humble character traits like...more
This would be my first Kipling read, very interesting. Although I wouldn't say it was the best I've read, I am quite curious to investigate more into his literature.
The story in my opinion is quite cool, A publisher is advanced by two adventurers who have an almost fantastical idea to become kings. And although they succeed, it soon turns to disastrous results. It seems to be a reflection on humans and power in general. A great message I got was the corruption of man equally transfers to when...more
The story in my opinion is quite cool, A publisher is advanced by two adventurers who have an almost fantastical idea to become kings. And although they succeed, it soon turns to disastrous results. It seems to be a reflection on humans and power in general. A great message I got was the corruption of man equally transfers to when...more
What happens when you read something in which the form, public, content, style, content, and voice are entirely familiar, to the point where they do not register as objects of thought, but only as tokens of the familiar? That's my experience reading "The Man Who Would Be King." Kipling is an author who does not need to be read to be experienced, because every mannerism, every narrative move, each racist and colonialist clich�, is already lodged in our culture. I'd seen the movie, which is a John...more
A very imperialistic view on a maddeningly improbable event. While it was vaguely interesting, the writing was very colloquial and antiquated. I'm all for history books, but fictionalized history about a soldiering society I have no ties to or understanding of was difficult without proper preparation, which I really wasn't ready to invest in.
Intriguing story, slightly different from the eponymous movie starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine (good flick, by the way). My great books discussion group did not like this one, saw too much of British imperialism in it, which offended their sensibilities. I rather liked the bigger-than-life heroes (they're actually physically too big for the room in which we meet them). I also liked the odd tension in the book, which was reinforced on two fronts: first, the story splits into too neat halve...more
I was pretty disappointed by this book. Even if it was only about 100 pages long, and free on the Kindle, I still felt a bit cheated. The story itself is an interesting one, but for me it failed on 2 accounts.
The first, and probably most aggravating, was that it wasn't too in depth. Places where details and descriptions would have been interesting and enriching are just skimmed over. Granted, this is a novella, but if it was twice as long, I would have liked it more.
Secondly, it uses the old de...more
The first, and probably most aggravating, was that it wasn't too in depth. Places where details and descriptions would have been interesting and enriching are just skimmed over. Granted, this is a novella, but if it was twice as long, I would have liked it more.
Secondly, it uses the old de...more
It somehow feels a bit dodgy giving just three or four stars to something that has been considered a classic by so many, but here I go doing it anyhow.
The good parts of the book were the setting and something of the insight into the thought processes of the imperial powers of the day. The vivid descriptions of the heat of India, the businesses of the day, were fun to read -- even though I resorted to Wikipedia afterwards to learn more about the exceedingly complex way that India was governed bac...more
The good parts of the book were the setting and something of the insight into the thought processes of the imperial powers of the day. The vivid descriptions of the heat of India, the businesses of the day, were fun to read -- even though I resorted to Wikipedia afterwards to learn more about the exceedingly complex way that India was governed bac...more
The story's rather far fetched, but it's a good read nonetheless. as a novella, you have to accept a lack of information and a few dark corners with backgrounds, but you're drawn into the story quickly. There are a few wars, bit of drinking, plenty of bravado and a man pretending to be a mad priest, what more do you want? You do feel like the protagonist sitting listening to someone telling you an outrageous tale through sceptical eyes. It's a good read for a lazy afternoon, but you have to clos...more
I'm sure if I was more eloquent I could tell you why this book is important. I'm sure there is tons of symbolism throughout this short story that teaches of the dangers of wanting and seeking power and the bad consequences that will come because of that desire. However, since my analytical writing skills are still developing, I will just say this was pretty weird and I don't know why I read it except for the fact that it was a free classic download I had on my kindle. The more I read classics, I...more
Jun 25, 2012
Dan
added it
My first experience with Kipling. It is very important to place his writing in the proper historical context. This story was a perfect representation of British colonialist writing. Some of the terms are downright racist. But at the same time, the Indian and Afghan characters come out as fully realized and strong as the two British lead characters. Fanatical liberal readers would have a problem getting through this story. But like I said in the beginning, the story has to be placed in the proper...more
I am sure there is a lot more to this book than I was able to discern by reading it... there must be. I didn't find the two main characters particularly agreeable; they seemed crass and greedy, moreso for Dan than Peachy. The narrator/listener was the character that interested me most, as I work in the print industry, but I am at a loss for why there was even a narrator/listener to begin with. While perhaps he represents the reader, his (much more sensible) presence created a standard of humanit...more
I'm reading this both because I LOVED the film when I saw it and because I allude to the novella in my screenplay. Rudyard Kipling figures into my plot in a big way, and referencing this work allows me to make a prescient crack about Afghanistan. :)
Wow. That was hardcore. Slightly difficult Lorna Doone-like reading whenever someone is speaking in dialect, but as long as I read that stuff out loud (pretending to be Michael Caine), I managed to work it out. I'm SO glad I saw the film 9 years ago,...more
Wow. That was hardcore. Slightly difficult Lorna Doone-like reading whenever someone is speaking in dialect, but as long as I read that stuff out loud (pretending to be Michael Caine), I managed to work it out. I'm SO glad I saw the film 9 years ago,...more
Il fouilla dans l'épaisseur des loques qui entouraient sa taille tordue, retira un sac de crin noir bordé de fil d'argent, et en secoua sur la table la tête desséchée et flétrie de Daniel Davrot !
Le soleil matinal, car depuis longtemps les lampes avaient pâli, frappa la barbe rouge, les yeux aveugles dans les orbites creuses, de même que le lourd cercle d'or incrusté de turquoises brutes que Carnehan plaça tendrement sur les tempes blêmies.
- Vous contemplez maintenant l'empereur en son apparei...more
Le soleil matinal, car depuis longtemps les lampes avaient pâli, frappa la barbe rouge, les yeux aveugles dans les orbites creuses, de même que le lourd cercle d'or incrusté de turquoises brutes que Carnehan plaça tendrement sur les tempes blêmies.
- Vous contemplez maintenant l'empereur en son apparei...more
Kipling is one of those authors that I just about always enjoy. This collection was the Dover Thrift Edition and it had 5 short stories in it: The Phantom Rickshaw, The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes, The Man Who Would Be King, Wee Willie Winkie, and Without Benefit of Clergy. Of the 5, I liked the title story and the last one the best, but I enjoyed them all. The first one was a ghost story, the second a sort of horror story/suspense, and the rest were tales of Englishmen abroad and getting in...more
Interesting tale of two Englishmen who strike out from India to set up a kingdom (and become kings) among the heathen tribes (yet caucasian people) bording Afganistan. Before leaving India, they make a contract which limits certain earthy pursuits. They meet with great success and indeed become kings, until one of them attempts to break the contract, at which point fate turns against them. Rudyar Kipling employs 19th Century jargon and idioms unique to England and India which makes the reading a...more
I, too, had assumed this would have been a much longer work, having first been exposed to the movie some years ago. I find it amusing that only women--no, not ALL women!--seem to feel the story was "drawn out" or "couldn't get through it" and I fail to really see the "womanizing tone" -- they *swear off* of womanizing for gods sake! When it boils down to it the story is s moral tale in which the opportunistic and misguided protagonists get their just desserts. Yes, there's imperialism here. Yes,...more
Errrr.....An imperialistic view on an insanely unconvincing event. The writer, Rudyard Kipling, employs heavy usage of 19th Century jargons and idioms unique to England and India which makes the reading a bit challenging and difficult for 20th Century Americans. I am fan of history however, fictionalized history about a soldiering society is foreign to me which I was not prepared to invest in. I noticed there were few typos and misspellings. Not too bad for free book.
There is a movie named, "Th...more
There is a movie named, "Th...more
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| Books2Movies Club: August 2012 - The Man Who Would Be King | 5 | 28 | Oct 03, 2012 03:24am |
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author."
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudyard_...
More about Rudyard Kipling...
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudyard_...
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Feb 24, 2013 12:14am