Rudyard Kipling (Deceased)

The memory of renowned British author Rudyard Kipling lives on today through his extensive collection of novels, poems, and short stories. Arguably his most recognizable work is the childhood staple The Jungle Book.

Rudyard Kipling was born December 30, 1865 in Bombay, India. His parents were Alice MacDonald and John Lockwood Kipling, both of whom were dynamic personalities in their own right. Alice was known for her sparkling personality, while John was a visual artist and dedicated professor.

At age six, Kipling and his sister Alice (Trix as she was known) were sent to live with Mrs. Holloway and her husband in England. Mistreated for six years, they suffered at Lorne Lodge together. Kipling jokingly stated that the terrible situation helped incite his literary ways.

Eventually “rescued” by his mother in 1877, Kipling attended the United Services College in Devon where he established many friendships. The school and personalities even proved the backdrop for his later work Stalky & Co. His academic mediocrity, however, was not enough to earn him a spot at Oxford University. He returned to Bombay in 1882 to be an assistant editor of the Civil & Military Gazette.

Writing tirelessly, he dedicated his energy to the paper and his first poetry collection entitled Departmental Ditties. He continued to travel and write prolifically. Circumstances eventually found Kipling in London before he set off again, this time for a tour of the United States, where he met satirist great Mark Twain.

Overexerted and overworked, Kipling suffered a nervous breakdown. But not even this could slow his purpose. He married his publisher’s sister, Caroline Balestier, in 1892, and they traveled to America and Japan. Despite a bank disaster that left them little cash, they settled happily in America and welcomed their first child, Josephine, December 29, 1892. It was also in this residence The Jungle Book began to take shape.

Aided by a steady family life, he completed this project as well as Captains Courageous in just four years. He took many visitors during this time including author Arthur Conan Doyle. Elsie, their second daughter, arrived in 1896. Their son, John, was born the following year.

Political tensions, however, upset the happy scene and forced them back to England. 1899 brought the tragic death of Josephine, which was a crushing blow to the family.

1907 marked Kipling’s crowning literary achievement when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. His critics maintained he was little more than a mouthpiece for British imperialism, while others claimed his work was more subversive. Kipling’s literary status remains a contentious issue.

Kipling continued to write until his death from a brain hemorrhage January 18, 1936.

Kipling’s work has been translated into film and television on multiple occasions. The Jungle Book (1994) was released starring Jason Scott Lee, Cary Elwes, Lena Headey, Sam Neill, and John Cleese. The Man Who Would Be King (1975) was another major hit with Sean Connery, Michael Caine, and Christopher Plummer. Perhaps most famous, however, is the beloved 1967 Disney installment of The Jungle Book.

The 2007 film My Boy Jack details Kipling’s desperate real life search for his son when he disappears during World War I and stars Daniel Radcliffe.