Not just that but some of his sea stories and whimsical forays were eminently 'readable'; not a popular word in the age of deconstruction. Of everything including styles of speech and accents.
Sent from my iPad On Jul 14, 2012, at 12:00 PM, Suresh Ramasubramanian <sur...@hserus.net> wrote: > the codeword for "forget the critique and enjoy it" is "those books were a > product of their times" > > John Sundman [14/07/12 02:05 -0400]: >> I wonder what you-all think of Kipling's Just So Stories? >> >> I myself find them delightful -- especially when read in facsimile of the >> original printing, with Kipling's own illustrations. The Just So Stories are >> some of my favorite children's stories ever. I love the voice, tone, >> whimsey, humor, use of language, gentleness, kindness, subtlety, etc. In >> fact, when my wife & I opened our children's book & toy store in 1988 we >> named it The Elephant's Child. >> >> I know a little bit about Kipling's standing as the Voice of Empire and >> Racist Hegemony. But having never been to India nor studied much of its >> history, I'm sure that I miss much of the nuance in both Kipling's writings >> and the critiques of them. >> >> So I wonder: What do Silklisters (especially Indians or members of the >> Indian diaspora) make of the Just So Stories? >> >> Do you find them innocent & lyrical & funny & potent as I do, or do you find >> them obnoxious and all of the same cloth as his other "white man's burden" >> imperialist writings? >> >> Curiously, >> >> jrs >> >> >> >> >
