If

The Untold Story of Kipling's American Years

By: Christopher Benfey

Narrated by: Joshua Kane

A New York Times Notable Book of 2019

A unique exploration of the life and work of Rudyard Kipling in Gilded Age America, from a celebrated scholar of American literature

At the turn of the twentieth century, Rudyard Kipling towered over not just English literature but the entire literary world. At the height of his fame in 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming its youngest winner. His influence on major figures—including Freud and William James—was pervasive and profound. But in recent decades Kipling’s reputation has suffered a strange eclipse. Though his body of work still looms large, and his monumental poem “If—” is quoted and referenced by politicians, athletes, and ordinary readers alike, his unabashed imperialist views have come under increased scrutiny. In If, scholar Christopher Benfey brings this fascinating and complex writer to life and, for the first time, gives full attention to Kipling's intense engagement with the United States—a rarely discussed but critical piece of evidence in our understanding of this man and his enduring legacy.

Benfey traces the writer’s deep involvement with America over one crucial decade, from 1889 to 1899, when he lived for four years in Brattleboro, Vermont, and sought deliberately to turn himself into a specifically American writer. It was his most prodigious and creative period, as well as his happiest, during which he wrote The Jungle Book and Captains Courageous. Had a family dispute not forced his departure, Kipling almost certainly would have stayed. Leaving was the hardest thing he ever had to do, Kipling said. “There are only two places in the world where I want to live,” he lamented, “Bombay and Brattleboro. And I can’t live in either.”

In this fresh examination of Kipling, Benfey hangs a provocative “what if” over Kipling’s American years and maps the imprint Kipling left on his adopted country as well as the imprint the country left on him. If proves there is relevance and magnificence to be found in Kipling’s work.

Chris Benfey’s ‘IF’ A MUST AUDIOBOOK

It’s continuity was prolifically whatever that means.
Of course ‘that’ is a pronoun. How about changing to
Profound. I ask your editor to correct my errors.
Bye for now Glen ;-)

PRINT IS TOO DIM for n this “headline” box and in the “review” box below.

I accidentally gave the performance one and a half stars too many. There were a few mispronunciations.
You should also have a way to give half-stars.

Excellent

So glad I made an exception to my rule of choosing books based on favorable reviews from 100+ readers (in order to ensure an accurate score), as this turned out to be one of the most interesting and well crafted biographies I have ever listened to.

Kipling's life was adventurous and crossed paths with many luminaries of his day, seamlessly woven into the narrative for added depth. This is a fascinating history lesson about the US, Europe and far flung places in the late 1800s. Highly recommended!