cbr18bingo
Card repair – because this book is totally beyond that
Well this was definitely something different – in more ways than one. I’ve never had a book that actually crumbled in my hands as I read it. I picked it up at a library sale, because it was going for a dollar, and it was Kipling (fond memories of The Jungle Book and Kim) so how could I go wrong? Turns out it was one of his first published books, in 1885, and the version I had was not the original, but a later American reprint, judging by the type, probably about 1920.
But my oh my. It was in two parts – the first based on Calcutta (he was born and spent his early years in Bombay, and obviously Calcutta was not up to par). That was the city referred to in the title.
But then the second half was a total unrelated bit about his trip to America. I think he was aiming for a Mark Twain slant on it, but didn’t have the verbal chops (early days for him, mind you). He started in San Francisco and then headed east, but things got worse as he went along. Chicago was a nightmare, and it went downhill from there. He had some thoughts on the American military “a dear little army that should be kept to itself”, and then there is this.
When one hears so much of the nation that can whip the earth, it is, to say the least of it, surprising to find her so temptingly spankable.
Um, OK. Alas it is off to the trash with this, and not regretting it much. He’s got better stuff ahead.
