Rudyard Kipling is one of the outstanding British writers. He was born in 1865 in the family of an Englishman in India. He got his education in England but returned to India in 1882. There he spent 6 years working in colonial English press.
There he published his first literary works. In 1890 he published his first novel “The Light that Failed”, which brought him fame. He was one of the most popular writers of his time. During his life he visited South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. “Plain Tales from the Plain Hills”, “Barrack Room Ballads”, “Naulakka” enjoyed great popularity.
During the years of Anglo-Boer War Kipling used to visit the English Army. His novel “Kim” was written under the impressions of the War. In October 1902 his “Just so Stories for Little Children” were published. His fairy-tales from the book were rather unusual for the British literature of that period. One can find the influence of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” in Kipling’s work.
But this influence didn’t prevent Kipling from creating absolutely new, unusual fairy-tales. The unusual effect of his tales is reached by the rhythm and the music of words. Those who were lucky to listen to Kipling reading his fairy-tales noted that they always sounded truthful. Besides, not only children but even adults were very fond of “Just so Stories”.
Together with “The Jungle Book” it still enjoys great popularity. Every year the children in “Kipling Society” write continuation to his fairy-tales. In 1907 Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize.
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