Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), a Brit who was born and spent his early life in India, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907.
It was one time popular and critical acclaim converged. It has not always been so.
In addition to his perhaps better-known works such as “The Jungle Book” and “Kim,” as well as the memorable poem “If,” Kipling wrote a novella which was turned into a fascinating 1975 film starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine.
“The Man Who Would Be King” told of 2 British soldiers, Peachy Carnehan and Danny Dravot, played by Caine and Connery, who traveled from India to the land of the Kafirs (unbelievers), which is likely modern-day Afghanistan.
The indigenous people were at first impressed with the two men of lighter complexion. Whereupon Connery aspired to become their king. And might have had his mortality (“Aha! He is not a god after all — he bleeds!”) not been revealed before his ascension.
Whereupon both he and Caine were subjected to a fate most unkingly and not something we might not wish upon anyone.
