GoodReads Review: Plain Tales from the Hills

Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rudyard Kipling's Kim is one of my favorite books in the world. For the few hours every year that I spend re-reading it, I'm in a magical world. And the ending never fails to leave me with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.

I've read and deeply enjoyed Kipling's Jungle Books as well. So when I heard, around fifteen years ago, that Kipling had written many more stories set in the India of his youth, and that some of them even featured Strickland Sahib from Kim, I immediately headed over to Wordsworth in Harvard Square (Cambridge, MA) to get a copy of Plain Tales from the Hills.

I didn't enjoy it, and after a story or two I stopped reading. ( Read more... )

Of course, since the book is no longer under copyright, it is also available freely online: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext...

Plain Tales from the Hills lacks the warmth and delight of Kim. Nonetheless, it's well-written (naturally!), exciting, at times very funny, and presents some rare insights into human nature. What more can a reader expect?

View all my reviews.

GoodReads Review: Plain Tales from the Hills

Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rudyard Kipling's Kim is one of my favorite books in the world. For the few hours every year that I spend re-reading it, I'm in a magical world. And the ending never fails to leave me with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.

I've read and deeply enjoyed Kipling's Jungle Books as well. So when I heard, around fifteen years ago, that Kipling had written many more stories set in the India of his youth, and that some of them even featured Strickland Sahib from Kim, I immediately headed over to Wordsworth in Harvard Square (Cambridge, MA) to get a copy of Plain Tales from the Hills.

I didn't enjoy it, and after a story or two I stopped reading. ( Read more... )

Of course, since the book is no longer under copyright, it is also available freely online: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext...

Plain Tales from the Hills lacks the warmth and delight of Kim. Nonetheless, it's well-written (naturally!), exciting, at times very funny, and presents some rare insights into human nature. What more can a reader expect?

View all my reviews.

Askville posts: The Meaning of Christmas

Someone posted a rather nice question asking about the meaning of Christmas for religious and non-religious people. I posted my answer in the discussion board, rather than risk the usual negative ratings from angry Christians. But I've received several compliments from Christians instead.

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As an atheist, I celebrate Christmas from a secular mindset. The winter festival or holiday predates Christianity, of course, and many - most! - Christmas traditions actually date back to so-called "pagan" religious rituals, from a number of different religions. Of course, being an atheist I don't take those religions any more seriously than I do Christianity.
( Read more... )

Come, Credit Department! Come, Personal Loan!
Come, Mortgage, Come Christmas Club, Come ---"

- From "Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus" by Fredric Pohl, available in The Best of Fredric Pohl

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It's quite a nice thread; I hope it continues.

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Update: I just extended it myself.

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I imagine that when the time comes that my son realizes that there is no Santa Claus, I'll tell him in all honesty that he is Santa Claus - he'll be Santa for his kids, just as his mother and I were for him, and my father was for me.

Askville posts: The Meaning of Christmas

Someone posted a rather nice question asking about the meaning of Christmas for religious and non-religious people. I posted my answer in the discussion board, rather than risk the usual negative ratings from angry Christians. But I've received several compliments from Christians instead.

---

As an atheist, I celebrate Christmas from a secular mindset. The winter festival or holiday predates Christianity, of course, and many - most! - Christmas traditions actually date back to so-called "pagan" religious rituals, from a number of different religions. Of course, being an atheist I don't take those religions any more seriously than I do Christianity.
( Read more... )

Come, Credit Department! Come, Personal Loan!
Come, Mortgage, Come Christmas Club, Come ---"

- From "Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus" by Fredric Pohl, available in The Best of Fredric Pohl

---

It's quite a nice thread; I hope it continues.

---

Update: I just extended it myself.

---

I imagine that when the time comes that my son realizes that there is no Santa Claus, I'll tell him in all honesty that he is Santa Claus - he'll be Santa for his kids, just as his mother and I were for him, and my father was for me.