If
Christopher Benfey
21 min
7 Key Points
4.3 RateWhat's inside?
Dive into the lesser-known American years of renowned author Rudyard Kipling, exploring his life, inspirations, and the creation of his most famous works.
You'll learn
1. Kipling's secret American life2. How Kipling shaped American books and culture3. What sparked Kipling's famous stories4. Kipling's life in America: the backdrop5. How Kipling's life shaped his stories6. A fresh look at Kipling's impact on literature.Key points
01Kipling's best writing years were between 1889 and 1899 when he lived in the US
Rudyard Kipling, the famous English author, is best known for his stories set in colonial India, like "The Jungle Book" and "Kim". But did you know that some of his most creative and successful years were actually spent in America? That's right, between 1889 and 1899, Kipling was living it up in the States, and it was a time that had a huge impact on his work. Kipling didn't just like America, he loved it. He even thought of it as one of his favorite places to live, right up there with Bombay and Brattleboro. He didn't just see himself as an American, but as an artist who was deeply influenced by American culture and history. This is a big deal because it challenges the idea that Kipling was just a British writer. While he was in America, Kipling wrote some of his most famous works. For example, he wrote both "The Jungle Book" and "Captains Courageous" while living on a hillside in Vermont, overlooking the Connecticut River. These books not only made him super famous, but they also helped him win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907. At just 41 years old, he was the youngest person to ever win the award, and the first English language writer to get it. Unfortunately, Kipling's time in America was cut short because of a family argument that made him leave in 1896. If that hadn't happened, he probably would have stayed in the States, continuing to write and further establishing himself as an American artist. In his book, Christopher Benfey gives us a detailed look at Kipling's time in America. He talks about Kipling's personal life, his political views, and how he was involved with the United States. He also talks about Kipling's relationships with other American artists and writers, like William James and Mark Twain, who Kipling really admired and saw as a kindred spirit when he first came to America. In the end, Kipling's time in America wasn't just a time of personal growth and artistic success. It was also a time when he really got into American culture and history. This had a big influence on his writing and played a big part in his success as a writer. So, to really understand Kipling's work and his unique position as a British writer who was deeply influenced by American culture, we need to understand his time in America.
02Kipling met the famous but hard-to-find Mark Twain in New York and impressed him with his English skills
Once upon a time, two literary giants, Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain, had a remarkable meeting. Kipling, a young reporter and a big fan of Twain's work, was so eager to meet him that he traveled a whopping 14,000 miles to find him. He finally tracked down the elusive Twain in Elmira, New York. This happened back in August 1889 when Kipling was just a young lad of 23, working for a newspaper in India called the Allahabad Pioneer. Now, Twain wasn't too keen on chatting with reporters for long. But Kipling, with his mastery of the English language, left Twain absolutely mesmerized. Twain said that talking to Kipling was like seeing footprints - it left a lasting mark on him. Kipling's stories about far-off lands, told in his unique accent from his time in India, were so captivating that even Twain's daughter, Susy, was enchanted. She felt like she was listening to a visitor from the moon! Twain was curious about Kipling's unusual first name, Rudyard. Turns out, Kipling's parents, John and Alice, fell in love at a place called Lake Rudyard. They decided to remember that special day by naming their first child Joseph Rudyard Kipling. Interestingly, the American Civil War, which greatly affected Twain's life, also had an indirect impact on Kipling's early years. During the war, the South couldn't send its cotton to England because of a naval blockade. This led to a high demand for Indian cotton. In 1865, the last year of the war, Kipling's parents moved to Bombay, a city booming because of the cotton trade. His father got a job teaching at a new school there. Kipling's love for stories started when he was a kid living in England. His father would send him books like "Robinson Crusoe" and fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. Little did his father know, Kipling's life was starting to resemble these stories. Despite being a bit of an outsider at his school, Kipling wasn't shy about expressing his admiration for the controversial poet Walt Whitman. Kipling was fascinated by America, thanks to stories like Tom Sawyer and Uncle Remus. These tales painted a picture of a land full of adventure and youthful spirit. When he couldn't afford college, Kipling went back to India and started working for a newspaper in Lahore, where his father was running an art school and museum. Kipling's time in India, his travels with British soldiers along the Afghan border, and his observations of the British colonial community, all inspired his early short stories and poems. His vivid descriptions of local life made him popular among readers of the Indian Railway Library, a series of travel books. Kipling also traveled to Hong Kong and Japan, but it was his trip to the United States that really left a mark on him. He hoped to relive the magic of his childhood in Bombay, and part of that dream was to meet his literary hero, Mark Twain.
Continue reading with LeapAhead app
Full summary is waiting for you in the app
03Kipling had a strange plan involving a statue and a visit to a famous poet's grave
04Charles Wolcott Balestier discovered Kipling and introduced him to his sister, Carrie, who Kipling later married
05Kipling and his wife went on a world tour for their honeymoon, but had to cut it short due to money problems
06The Kiplings started over in a small house, where Kipling wrote his 'Noah's Ark Tales'
07Conclusion
About Christopher Benfey
Christopher Benfey is a renowned American literary critic and Emily Dickinson scholar. He is a professor of English at Mount Holyoke College. Benfey has authored several books, including "If: The Untold Story of Kipling's American Years," and is a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books.
