Quote:
Originally Posted by Bookpossum
Yes, I do enjoy Kipling's prose (not his poetry) and there is no doubt he genuinely loved India. But as they say, when you are within a culture, you can't see it, and when you are outside it, you can't understand it.
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The assessment of Kipling has undergone a quite a change since his death. The Victorians did think he was a great poet because he celebrated the British Empire though he quite emphatically turned down the post of poet laureate. His popularity has waned and his fame was that ephemeral type which depended on a specific mind-set, now gone.
But his prose--particularly the short stories--have not only survived, they are still very much admired both for their artistry and Kipling's ability to transcend the time and to deal with the human condition in a more profound way than generally happens in his poetry.
Personally, I think that at his best he is as good a short story writer as anyone in the language.