The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Eerie Stories

by Rudyard Kipling

-4 short stories by Rudyard Kipling. English original edition-

The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales is a collection of four short stories by Rudyard Kipling, first published in 1888: The Phantom Rickshaw, My Own True Ghost Story, The Strange Ride Of Morrowbie Jukes, The Man Who Would Be King .

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was born in India, although educated in England. He was a prolific writer and recognized as a genius. In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. His many books for children include Just So Stories and Kim .

Mysteria
A paperback and e-book series published by Intra.
Global readability, Italian charm.

Genres: Fiction

111 pages, Paperback

Published November 3, 2021

About the author

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was a journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist.

Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888). His poems include Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The Gods of the Copybook Headings (1919), The White Man's Burden (1899), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".

Kipling was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Henry James said: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, both of which he declined.

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."

Kipling kept writing until the early 1930s, but at a slower pace and with much less success than before. On the night of 12 January 1936, Kipling suffered a haemorrhage in his small intestine. He underwent surgery, but died less than a week later on 18 January 1936 at the age of 70 of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Kipling's death had in fact previously been incorrectly announced in a magazine, to which he wrote, "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."

Reviews

[Sujani S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do ghosts exist or is there a rational explanation for every seemingly eerie occurrence? Kipling’s collection of paranormal stories does not answer this question. The stories don’t classify as typical horror yarns either, but a bunch of narratives of strange happenings. My favourite of the lot is “The Phantom Rickshaw”, where the protagonist is haunted by the ghost/ memories (?) of a dead mistress. “The man who would be king” is a tale that reads like an adventure of conquest of unknown places in the beginning and turns into a freakish story of survival later. “My own true ghost story” has chilling elements of murder and retribution, and the connection of mysterious events to a dog. The rest of the stories break away from the typical ghost-scare trope too and focus on the unexplained episodes linked to deaths, but they don’t make much of an impact. Kipling’s writing is good and the book is a sneak-peek into the Colonised India in the 19th century and how the British looked at the county and it’s people, though it never paints a flattering picture and has a subtle undercurrent of imperialism. If you like Kipling’s writing, this one is for you!

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kipling was an amazing storyteller and the Phantom Rickshaw is riveting. I knew something of his views from having read Jungle Book and Just So Stories. I was not prepared for how strongly his belief in the superiority of the English would ring out and how much disdain he held for anyone who wasn’t a white Christian. Honestly I could barely read some of the stories.
This is why banning books is foolish. It’s appalling the sorts of prejudices Kipling held, but he was in the majority. We look back and know it’s wrong, but it’s not enough. We have to look back and see how common it was and how we can move forward.

[Siobhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little difficult to read. I didn't find the tales eerie as the cover described them, although the concept of some of them is. Somehow it managed to be interesting and boring at the same time. I probably liked The Strange Ride Of Morrowbie Jukes the best, but The Phantom Rickshaw was good too. The Man Who Would Be King appealed to me the least, and I'm not sure why it's so highly thought of.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was not easy to get into this book. I read it to expose myself to more strong writing and was very disappointed. The writing felt below par, the plots boring, the resolution often very unfulfilling. At times Kipling's portrayals of Indians was condescending. It wasn't quite bad enough to deserve a 1-star, but not by much.

[Lynee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghost stories from the days of the British Empire in India.