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My Boy Jack: TV tie-in edition
The year is 1913 and war with Germany is imminent. Rudyard Kipling's determination to send his myopic son to war triggers a bitter family conflict which leaves Kipling devastated by the conflict between his two greates passions: a love for children-above all his own-and a devotion to King and Country.
122 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 11, 2017
This play is astonishingly multifaceted, combining classical dramatic dialogue with cohesive narrative, reflection and poetry. And it acts as an accurate account of a historical development as well, featuring one of the world's most famous authors in a less than glorious role.
As I am preparing to guide students through the woes of the first world war, I am thinking of having them act out some scenes in "My Boy Jack", to make them relate personally to the lives of teenage boys a hundred years ago. The play is based on Rudyard Kipling's son and his tragic death in the early stages of WWI. I previously taught Kipling's poem, that gave the play its name and leading theme, and compared it to the more commonly known "If". This play is a good complement to those poems, and very effective in illustrating the ambiguous situation of the young boy, pushed by his father to sign up for the war, only to go missing a couple of weeks later, never to return.
While going through the well-known plot for the second time, I am struck by the incredibly skilful adaptation of the complex situation: there are scenes that act as flashbacks, showing Kipling and his son before the war, in happy times, and with an intact pre-war value system. There are intense political dialogues, demonstrating Kipling's blind patriotism and his denial of the fact that his son's myopia make him inadequate for military service.
There is the family tension, then blaming, then hate, and there is the reality of Jack's experience of trench warfare, reflecting the same kind of hardship that Wilfred Owen expressed in his poetry collection The Poems Of Wilfred Owen.
It ends with Kipling's chilling disillusion, to the tune of the BBC radio in the background, announcing the rise of Nazi Germany in 1933, and the sorrowful recitation of the poem from 1915:
"HAVE you news of my boy Jack? "
Not this tide.
"When d'you think that he'll come back?"
Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.
"Has any one else had word of him?"
Not this tide.
For what is sunk will hardly swim,
Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.
"Oh, dear, what comfort can I find?"
None this tide,
Nor any tide,
Except he did not shame his kind---
Not even with that wind blowing, and that tide.
Then hold your head up all the more,
This tide,
And every tide;
Because he was the son you bore,
And gave to that wind blowing and that tide. "
I would love to see a stage adaptation of My Boy Jack, and recommend it to anyone interested in history or theatre, along with Kipling's poems.
As I am preparing to guide students through the woes of the first world war, I am thinking of having them act out some scenes in "My Boy Jack", to make them relate personally to the lives of teenage boys a hundred years ago. The play is based on Rudyard Kipling's son and his tragic death in the early stages of WWI. I previously taught Kipling's poem, that gave the play its name and leading theme, and compared it to the more commonly known "If". This play is a good complement to those poems, and very effective in illustrating the ambiguous situation of the young boy, pushed by his father to sign up for the war, only to go missing a couple of weeks later, never to return.
While going through the well-known plot for the second time, I am struck by the incredibly skilful adaptation of the complex situation: there are scenes that act as flashbacks, showing Kipling and his son before the war, in happy times, and with an intact pre-war value system. There are intense political dialogues, demonstrating Kipling's blind patriotism and his denial of the fact that his son's myopia make him inadequate for military service.
There is the family tension, then blaming, then hate, and there is the reality of Jack's experience of trench warfare, reflecting the same kind of hardship that Wilfred Owen expressed in his poetry collection The Poems Of Wilfred Owen.
It ends with Kipling's chilling disillusion, to the tune of the BBC radio in the background, announcing the rise of Nazi Germany in 1933, and the sorrowful recitation of the poem from 1915:
"HAVE you news of my boy Jack? "
Not this tide.
"When d'you think that he'll come back?"
Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.
"Has any one else had word of him?"
Not this tide.
For what is sunk will hardly swim,
Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.
"Oh, dear, what comfort can I find?"
None this tide,
Nor any tide,
Except he did not shame his kind---
Not even with that wind blowing, and that tide.
Then hold your head up all the more,
This tide,
And every tide;
Because he was the son you bore,
And gave to that wind blowing and that tide. "
I would love to see a stage adaptation of My Boy Jack, and recommend it to anyone interested in history or theatre, along with Kipling's poems.
September 3, 2018
For such a short play, David Haig has built in so much emotion and connection to the characters
February 21, 2023
this had no right upsetting me so much
September 13, 2019
Haig's drama succeeds by avoiding the clichéd and simplistic narrative so common in World War I literature. Yes, Kipling is vain, pompous, blindly patriotic and emotionally distant, but he still comes across as likeable, with a boyish enthusiasm for life and a genuine affection for his family. Jack, his doomed son, is a rounded and complex character, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere at home, while the daughter Elsie ("Bird") is a vigorous and strong-willed force in the family, rivalling her mother.
The story focuses on Rudyard Kipling's efforts to get his teenage son into the army, even before the war has begun. He has already been turned down by the Navy because of his appallingly bad eyesight. We see Jack enthusiastically following his father's efforts, but for his own reasons. We then see him with his men before going over the top at Loos and being reported "missing believed wounded" to his family. Apart from a tender flashback in which Rudyard shows his favouritism to his son above his daughter, this is the last we see of Jack.
The rest of the play focuses on the quest to find out Jack's fate, including a harrowing scene with a shell-shocked veteran who saw Jack's final moments.
The play's only weakness is the ending, where Haig sees Bird married off and then reacts to Hitler's rise to power, persuading him that his son's sacrifice was wasted. Finally, he reads his own poem 'My Boy Jack'. This feels like three different endings when only one was necessary.
The story focuses on Rudyard Kipling's efforts to get his teenage son into the army, even before the war has begun. He has already been turned down by the Navy because of his appallingly bad eyesight. We see Jack enthusiastically following his father's efforts, but for his own reasons. We then see him with his men before going over the top at Loos and being reported "missing believed wounded" to his family. Apart from a tender flashback in which Rudyard shows his favouritism to his son above his daughter, this is the last we see of Jack.
The rest of the play focuses on the quest to find out Jack's fate, including a harrowing scene with a shell-shocked veteran who saw Jack's final moments.
The play's only weakness is the ending, where Haig sees Bird married off and then reacts to Hitler's rise to power, persuading him that his son's sacrifice was wasted. Finally, he reads his own poem 'My Boy Jack'. This feels like three different endings when only one was necessary.
June 7, 2020
A good play, showing the truth behind war and the hardship young men had to deal with. A big F*** you to the customs and conventions of Edwardian patriarchal society.
July 11, 2024
Enjoyable play, Haig utilises dialect in a way you feel as If you are within the room where all the scenes are developing. This lead to me (admittedly more times than one) get audibly frustrated at the character of Rudyard. The scene shift at the end of the first act leaves one on edge, not fully knowing the outcome of Jack which provides a good sense of tension as the play develops. You see another dimension to the figure that is Rudyard Kipling and his pursuit of utter patriotism which proves to be detrimental to not only himself, but also his family. Quite short and at certain points feels a bit stationary, but this also adds to the intimacy of war and the personal/local damage it can wreak on a family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2023
This is a truly harrowing story which says so much without any commentary, but I do feel the playwright failed to make more of the story than its facts. There are themes here which could do with much more attention, Kiplings enthusiasm for war, his belief that we needed to stop the Hun, any antiwar sentiment.
I don't think the wedding scene added anything to the plot and the end felt unstructured,
I don't think the wedding scene added anything to the plot and the end felt unstructured,
June 30, 2022
I would not read this again; the play was too fast paced and short for one to really care about what happened to the protagonist but the context behind the play is very interesting and the storyline is unique
November 18, 2017
BLOG: www.adictaxictoxico.blogspot.com.co
Confieso que no pensé que me fuera a gustar, y si solté una que otra lagrima *últimamente estoy muy sentimental*...
Confieso que no pensé que me fuera a gustar, y si solté una que otra lagrima *últimamente estoy muy sentimental*...
July 11, 2019
kinda boring ngl
March 21, 2020
am absolutely shattered. wasn't expecting to sob my eyes out but, well! here we are.
February 15, 2021
fuck this play it is boring and shit
July 21, 2021
For an 88 page play there is true meaning behind a father-son relationship presently really eloquently!
Read
December 10, 2021Yeah slay (ish)
January 24, 2022
Needed to read it for A-level English but was very enjoyable :)
November 17, 2025
The only thing of entertainment that happens in this book is that Jack gets his balls touched.
February 28, 2019
*SPOILERS*
Whilst the story and the sentiment of the story was there, I found the play on the whole frustrating. I understand it attempts to re-tell a tragic war-time tale of a prominent historical figure, and show the tragic ideology many people were brainwashed with during the war years due to propaganda, however I still feel unfulfilled reading it. After every mistake the family makes, the ending seems to show no remorse for Jack, and his "heroic" death is seemingly forgotten by the end, other than the addition of Kipling's iconic poem.
Haig's interpretation and legacy around the play is also problematic in some ways. Whilst I appreciate this is a semi-fictionalised account based on true events with some creative licence, I feel as though Haig's representation of the events is somewhat biased by his personal appreciation of Kipling; the character of Rudyard is (and this is by no account my same feelings towards the real Kipling) dislikeable, arrogant, and does a selfish, cruel thing in sacrificing his own son; yet somehow ends up idolised and the important household figure again by the finals scene. This, for me personally, does not sit well.
Overall, an interesting read, but be very aware of the differences between this play and the true story, especially concerning those involved.
Whilst the story and the sentiment of the story was there, I found the play on the whole frustrating. I understand it attempts to re-tell a tragic war-time tale of a prominent historical figure, and show the tragic ideology many people were brainwashed with during the war years due to propaganda, however I still feel unfulfilled reading it. After every mistake the family makes, the ending seems to show no remorse for Jack, and his "heroic" death is seemingly forgotten by the end, other than the addition of Kipling's iconic poem.
Haig's interpretation and legacy around the play is also problematic in some ways. Whilst I appreciate this is a semi-fictionalised account based on true events with some creative licence, I feel as though Haig's representation of the events is somewhat biased by his personal appreciation of Kipling; the character of Rudyard is (and this is by no account my same feelings towards the real Kipling) dislikeable, arrogant, and does a selfish, cruel thing in sacrificing his own son; yet somehow ends up idolised and the important household figure again by the finals scene. This, for me personally, does not sit well.
Overall, an interesting read, but be very aware of the differences between this play and the true story, especially concerning those involved.
January 30, 2022
I'm no expert on plays so my review should be taken with some grain of salt, saying that I thought this was fine. My main problem is that I found the characters to be underdeveloped emotionally and thus the ending lacked resonance. As to the quality of writing apart from that, it was good, at least better than Priestley who is the only other playwright I've read from the last century (god I hate Priestley.)
Also, as a slight aside, I'd just like to note how wrong people are to think that this play is some kind of exploration of a legitimate conflict between love of country and love of one's child. This, to me, reads as significantly anti-war and depicts Rudyard as a rather callous, even if at times remorseful, character. Sending your child to his death whether it be for the "good of the country" or with no purpose stated is still in the last case sending your child to death. I don't think I can hold any sentimentality to that, and I don't think David Haig was attempting to outline that either even when he did explore Rudyard's thought process.
Also, as a slight aside, I'd just like to note how wrong people are to think that this play is some kind of exploration of a legitimate conflict between love of country and love of one's child. This, to me, reads as significantly anti-war and depicts Rudyard as a rather callous, even if at times remorseful, character. Sending your child to his death whether it be for the "good of the country" or with no purpose stated is still in the last case sending your child to death. I don't think I can hold any sentimentality to that, and I don't think David Haig was attempting to outline that either even when he did explore Rudyard's thought process.
June 18, 2022
Absolutely heart wrenching!
The slow burn of the differing opinions of the war embodies the feelings of patriotic vs duty and makes you think about how much agency soldiers ever had.
For me, Jack's death wasn't what made me cry, it was the argument between Carrie and Rudyard after finding out was what did it for me. It makes it so personal and a reader feels much more compassionate for the characters who have been through so much and even though have closure, doesn't make them feel any better.
Even though it is a play, there are plenty of underlying meanings of the words that some regular novels fail to portray through description.
The slow burn of the differing opinions of the war embodies the feelings of patriotic vs duty and makes you think about how much agency soldiers ever had.
For me, Jack's death wasn't what made me cry, it was the argument between Carrie and Rudyard after finding out was what did it for me. It makes it so personal and a reader feels much more compassionate for the characters who have been through so much and even though have closure, doesn't make them feel any better.
Even though it is a play, there are plenty of underlying meanings of the words that some regular novels fail to portray through description.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2013
first play write ever read so took a while to get used to it, I want to say I enjoyed reading this but I can't as it is the most upsetting story I have read, what a misfortune it was to be a young man in this time of history and no one alive nowdays will never be able to comprehend what these young men had to suffer at such a young age.
March 16, 2012
Haunting
January 3, 2016
Great script, have just re-read this in preparation to study in English Literature - great storyline, in-depth characters and would love to see it on stage!
April 15, 2020
Short but sweet, very moving.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews