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Kipling's greatest strength really was as a short story writer. And this thematic collection of stories centered on the British Raj is one of the better efforts at bringing some of his very best works together. It includes "The Man Who Would be King," "The Phantom Rickshaw," and many other favorites. But most of all, it is strung together with several of Kipling's shorter short stories about three army enlisted men, Mulvaney, Learoyd, and Otheris. Some of the Mulvaney stories are certainly stronger than others--I'm thinking of the palanquin caper. But taken together, they give a unique perspective to a social class serving in India not much mentioned in most fiction of the era.
When you read these stories, you also realize Kipling's great strength. It was his ironic voice. He could meld together romantic idealism with realistic atmospheres. But what always set things off was the use of irony. (Paul Cornelius)
