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Kipling in the West 1889
- Narrated by: Jack de Golia
- Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins
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Kipling in the West 1889
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Summary
In 1889, 24-year-old Rudyard Kipling was making his way from India (his birthplace) to England. On his trip to England, Kipling traveled by ship from Japan to San Francisco, then by rail up to Portland and Vancouver, then to Yellowstone National Park, and on to Salt Lake City. From there he headed east and eventually arrived in London, where he started his literary career in earnest.
This audiobook focuses on Kipling’s time in the West on that trip, using an excerpt of From Sea to Sea: Letters of Travel, published most recently in 1913. The excerpt includes letters 22-32. Kipling reveals a wit and sarcasm, pointing out American foibles. The mix of what Kipling likes and dislikes show us imperial and racist attitudes all too common in Kipling’s day. But we also get a unique insight into the earliest days of the cities he visited and of Yellowstone, the world’s first national park. Through Kipling we can hear the voices of 19th century Americans.
Critic reviews
Narrator Jack de Golia thoroughly inhabits 24-year-old Rudyard Kipling. The year is 1889, and the British journalist/correspondent is traveling around the western U.S. and Canada. Kipling's wry sense of humor overlays his observations of life and customs in San Francisco, Portland, and Vancouver. He also visits Yellowstone National Park and "Old Faithful," the Great Salt Lake, the Grand Canyon, and the Rocky Mountains. De Golia portrays the people Kipling encounters, including broad-toned Boston Brahmins, flat-accented Californians, naïve debutantes, and hardened railroaders. Kipling's keen journalist's eye captures habits, quirks, and eccentricities, along with racist and imperialist attitudes of the day. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2021]