Review The Man Who Would Be King

The Man Who Would Be King Best Review

I love a great story and this is one of my favorites. It conveys the circumstances of an underappreciated newspaper man in the British Colonial era at a minor outpost in what is probably a reasonably accurate way (politically correct by current standards or not).

The characters the writer encounters were likely somewhat common after finishing military duty in a far-off land and being at somewhat loose ends once mustered out. Going a bit "native" was probably not uncommon for those stationed throughout the reaches of the British Empire at its height (and decline). Ideas by those staying behind which appear hare-brained were possibly fairly familiar given the tenuous situation some of the ex-pats may have found themselves in. Heck, it might have even worked if they'd stuck to the original plan! It gives you a lot to think about as far as power vs. ego is concerned.

Read the story first if you haven't already seen the movie. You'll appreciate the writing's compactness and choice of style and flow that way. However, my feeling is that although this is an excellent read and definitely a classic, many readers may find watching the movie (which is absolutely in my top ten favorites of all time) helpful in understanding some of the more subtle aspects of the story. For example, the fairly obscure references to the Masons' rituals (perhaps by necessity at the time of writing) - which are in effect the central underlying theme in regard to the various characters' undertakings - are made much clearer in the film.

Enjoy!

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The Man Who Would Be King Overview

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

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Customer Reviews

The Short Story that would be better left unread... - CarsPlants - Maine
Classic short story with a politics/greed/imperialism theme. I just read it based on another review that said to read it if you had seen the movie. I happen to like light, entertaining reads and thoroughly dislike politics. So this short story of two greedy, stupid Englishmen who think that they can just show up somewhere with some guns and become their own self-proclaimed kings was a frustrating waste of time for me. And remembering the ending ahead of time didn't help. (Don't give up on Kipling based on this book - I just LOVE his Captains Courageous, an upbuilding coming-of-age story about a rich kid who was washed overboard and picked up by a fishing schooner and made to work.) This free Kindle edition (check to make sure the "bought here at Amazon" button is lit) was very readable, no glaring editing errors and only the usual margin issues.



A Kipling Surprise - Motley Wisdom - Southern California USA
This was my first prose by Kipling, and it was a pleasant surprise. His descriptions of the people and the country were excellent. The developing story and surprising conclusion made for a page turner. The Kindle version is satisfactory.



Recommended - Jason Paul Mestas -
A bit tough going for few couple of pages. Then I realized this is meant to be read in a "flowing" manner. I was amazed and how much was "packed" into a short story contaning human desires and how they often get the best of us when we give way to our egos. This is shown on a much smaller scale in small villages, but could easily be related to existing governments and their leaders and how and why they got there - and perhaps maybe they fail? All this, but still kept very intimate and personal to the characters in a humerous and entertaining way. And, hey, IT'S FREE!!!

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