The Bridge Builders

by Rudyard Kipling

The Bridge Builders is a novel written by Rudyard Kipling that was first published in 1899. The story takes place in the late 19th century and follows the adventures of a group of engineers who are tasked with building a bridge across a river in India. The main character, Lieutenant Alan Macdonald, is a British officer who is tasked with overseeing the construction of the bridge. Along the way, he encounters a variety of challenges, including hostile locals, harsh weather conditions, and bureaucratic red tape.As the story progresses, Macdonald forms a bond with the local people and begins to understand their culture and way of life. He also falls in love with a local woman named Uma, who becomes an important ally in his efforts to complete the bridge. However, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Macdonald is a British officer and Uma is a member of a different social class.The Bridge Builders is a powerful tale of adventure, romance, and cultural exchange. It explores themes of imperialism, colonialism, and the clash of cultures, while also celebrating the human spirit and the power of perseverance. Kipling's vivid descriptions of the Indian landscape and his nuanced portrayal of the characters make this novel a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers today.There were labour contractors by the half-hundred - fitters and riveters, European, borrowed from the railway workshops, with, perhaps, twenty white and half-caste subordinates to direct, under direction, the bevies of workmen - but none knew better than these two, who trusted each other, how the underlings were not to be trusted. They had been tried many times in sudden crises - by slipping of booms, by breaking of tackle, failure of cranes, and the wrath of the river.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Classics

36 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2011

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

[David Meditationseed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!!

It is not so common to find stories with the participation of Indian mythology. At least the most popular literature emphasizes the Norse myths, Greeks and long-bearded magicians holding a staff of power.

The tales of the 19th century several times have a different approach: many of them speak of folkloric beings from different european regions, Russian, Scottish, North American, African, Asian and even South American villages.

The old Marlins-style magician gives way to the adventurer of magic, occultism, and spiritualism. In this story of Kipling it is the Indian gurus and the Gods of India that emerge in a crazy pantomime.

And a debate is open, a dialogue that brings in itself the title theme of this story: The Bridge Builders. Kipling brilliantly transposes the reality - the construction of a physical bridge that crosses the Ganges river - to others bridge builders- a discussion from the Indian gods about the relationship between theirselves and humanity. Each god with a specific opinion about mankind: from mere grains of dust to devotees to be understood.

Parallel to it there are two people who think to hear the conversation of the gods (were they awake or under opium hallucination?)

For them there are other questions: their own survival, conventional life and the dichotomy between the sage and the guru: where faith and wisdom often combine or repel each other according to the experience of each individual.

[Sandra]

Huit nouvelles:

Les Bâtisseurs de ponts ****
Petit Tobrah
Namgay Doola
En Famine
Au Fond de l'impasse
Les Finances des dieux
La Cité des songes

[Aditya Mallya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written story. It starts out with a technical account of the building of a bridge, then evocatively describes the coming of a terrible flood, and ends with a fever dream marked by vivid imagery and sophisticated debate. Read it on a rainy night.

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

An opium dream?

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This review is from: The Bridge Builders (Kindle Edition)

An excellent metaphor for the British colonization of India. If it was an opium dream, then both men had the same dream of the gods of India.

[Vesperia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I was troubled for my boats and sheers before the flood came. Now we are in the hands of the Gods."

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story begins by a construction of a bridge. It was rather beautifully written and described. The story morphs into Indian Mythology. It was kind of hard to follow in parts.

[Daniel Acosta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bastante aburrido

[Frosted · Rating 2 out of 5]

His technical knowledge and descriptions were pretty amazing. I just got lost toward the end and wondered what it meant at the very end. I looked it up, I was very very close. But, all of the Indian religion references were trying (and somewhat confusing)to me.

[Andrew Ives · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written, atmospheric story about bridge engineers in India. Towards the end, it becomes rather crazy when the main character (and Kipling too?) takes an opium trip into Indian mythology, which unfortunately spoiled a promising story for me. Traces of Jungle Book are quite prevalent throughout.

[Scott]

The lions! Lions? Yes lions!!! And I thought I had it bad