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Plain Tales From the Hills Audiobook
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(3.03) - 435 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Including the stories "Lispeth," "Beyond the Pale," and "In the Pride of His Youth," this collection tells of soldiers, wise children, exiles, forbidden romances and divided identities, creating a rich portrait of Anglo-Indian society. Originally published for a newspaper in Lahore when Kipling was a journalist, the tales were later revised by him to re-create as vividly as possible the sights and smells of India for readers at home. Far from being a celebration of empire, these stories explore the barriers between races, classes and sexes, and convey all the tensions and contradictions of colonial life.
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"These are short stories of British India, mainly regiment stories. Each story starts with a short poem or a saying from native Indian sources. There are very few stories that refer to Indian characters, but almost all of such stories have a tragedy written in them. Some characters appear in more than one story. Kipling writes in a beautiful language, simple stories from the Shimla hills."
— Ram (4 out of 5 stars)
Plain Tales From the Hills Listener Reviews
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" A collection of interwoven short stories taking place in Simla, India during the British Raj. I appreciate Kipling's economical prose and this book showcases some of his early and darker work. "
— Cameron, 2/5/2014 -
" Entertaining little short stories. There was a connecting thread from story to story. "
— Beverly, 1/11/2014 -
" I read this book as a child, but the memory of Mrs Hawksbee inspired me as I approached forty, to feel that the best of life was still to come "
— Margaret, 1/2/2014 -
" This is a wonderful collection of character studies set against the background of India under the rule of the British Empire. "
— Deb, 11/19/2013 -
" A decent, well-written novel. "
— Theresa, 11/3/2013 -
" This honestly isn't as good as his later short stories but I enjoy them all the same. "
— Meredith, 10/26/2013 -
" I'd probably understand more of these stories, if I knew more about military ranks and administration in British India. But aside from that, I'm quite enjoying Kiplings stories. "
— Louise, 9/11/2013 -
" It's never easy to rate collections of short stories because some are better than others, but I liked most of these. I didn't enjoy the adventure collection of The Man Who Would be King and Other Stories, but I definitely enjoyed most of these. "
— Jillian, 6/6/2013 -
" I dont care what Orwell said, Kipling sucks. He is racist, jingoist, and his writing stinks. The vast majority of these stories are boring tales about British people in India. Okay, it's good that someone was writing about this stuff when no one else was, but why write such drivel? "
— Shane, 11/11/2012 -
" I enjoyed this as it is one of the Kipling books that nobody really knows about. Worth the read, just short stories but they pull you into a bygone age. "
— Wendy, 11/9/2012 -
" I only read a few of the stories and it seemed kinda average. I've been told that there is much more to the stories than meets the eye, so after my lecture/seminar on Kipling on Monday I might think differently towards this book... but then again, maybe not. "
— David, 8/11/2012 -
" A fascinating collection of tales, wonderfully evocative of their time "
— Lachlan, 5/12/2012 -
" As an American, I found a book written by a man from a different culture (British) about a foreign country (India) during a different time (the late 1800's) a difficult read, but taking the time to learn the thrice-foreign terms and turns of phrase was well worth it in the end. "
— Bryan, 5/11/2012 -
" Quite interesting little tales from India. A lot of words are in the vernacular but are explained in English in the appendix. "
— Dillon, 3/30/2012 -
" Still making my way through it "
— Chris, 10/15/2011 -
" I love these stories. More than Twain, more than Dickens. "
— Pachuban, 4/28/2011 -
" A collection of interwoven short stories taking place in Simla, India during the British Raj. I appreciate Kipling's economical prose and this book showcases some of his early and darker work. "
— Cameron, 4/27/2011 -
" I love these stories. More than Twain, more than Dickens. "
— Pachuban, 4/16/2011 -
" Entertaining little short stories. There was a connecting thread from story to story. "
— Beverly, 5/15/2010 -
" I read this book as a child, but the memory of Mrs Hawksbee inspired me as I approached forty, to feel that the best of life was still to come "
— Margaret, 2/16/2009 -
" This is a wonderful collection of character studies set against the background of India under the rule of the British Empire. "
— Deb, 6/27/2008
About Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) was born of English parents in Bombay, India. At seventeen, he began work as a journalist and over the next seven years established an international reputation with his stories and verses of Indian and army life, including such classics as The Jungle Book and Kim. In 1907 he became the first English writer to receive the Nobel Prize.
About Michael Page
Michael Page has been recording audiobooks since 1984 and has over two hundred titles to his credit. He has won numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. As a professional actor, he has performed regularly since 1998 with the Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire. He is a professor of theater at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.