Plain Tales from the Hills
Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling, published by Bibliotech Press in 1912, is a collection of short stories that marks Kipling’s first foray into this literary form. This edition features 178 pages and is presented in English. The collection comprises 40 stories, with many originally published in the Civil and Military Gazette in Lahore, British India, between 1886 and 1887. The title plays on the contrast between “Plain” and “Hills,” reflecting both the straightforward narrative style and the setting in the Hill Station of Simla, which served as the summer capital of the British Raj.
Readers will encounter a diverse array of narratives that explore various facets of life in British India, not limited to the hills. The stories introduce memorable characters, including Mrs. Hauksbee and the Soldiers Three—Privates Mulvaney, Ortheris, and Learoyd. Kipling’s work encompasses themes of action and adventure, as well as elements of fantasy and folklore, providing insights into the complexities of colonial life. This edition invites readers to delve into Kipling’s unique storytelling, showcasing his ability to blend humor and poignancy within the context of historical and cultural narratives.
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Plain Tales from the Hills (published 1888) is the first collection of short stories by Rudyard Kipling. Out of its 40 stories, “eight-and-twenty”, according to Kipling’s Preface, were initially published in the Civil and Military Gazette in Lahore, Punjab, British India between November 1886 and June 1887. “The remaining tales are, more or less, new.” (Kipling had worked as a journalist for the CMG-his first job-since 1882, when he was not quite 17.)
The title refers, by way of a pun on “Plain” as the reverse of “Hills”, to the deceptively simple narrative style; and to the fact that many of the stories are set in the Hill Station of Simla-the “summer capital of the British Raj” during the hot weather. Not all of the stories are, in fact, about life in “the Hills” Kipling gives sketches of many aspects of life in British India.
The tales include the first appearances, in book form, of Mrs. Hauksbee, the policeman Strickland, and the Soldiers Three (Privates Mulvaney, Ortheris and Learoyd).
In the preface to his short stories collection “Dr. Brodie’s Report”, Jorge Luis Borges wrote he was inspired by the quality and conciseness of Plain Tales from the Hills. (wikipedia.org)
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