The light that Failed

by Rudyard Kipling (1865—1936)

Rudyard Kipling is a well-known English poet, nov­elist and short-story writer. Kipling's literary "'heritage is marred by crude imperialist tendencies— the glorification of the British empire, the assention of the superiority of the white colonizer over the native of Asia and Afri­ca, the cult of strength and courage. But Kipling is by no means all of a piece. Although reactionary in many of his political opinions, he was nevertheless a piercing critic of the society in which he lived. Everyone knows and loves "The Jungle Book" and the "Just So Stories" written for children with a deep understanding and subtle humour. He often feels for the failures, the underdogs, the men whom life has beaten. It is when he speaks of any true sorrow or misfortune that he becomes a really penerative writer. The present setection is illustrative of all this.

"The Light that Failed" is Kipling's first novel. It be­longs to the early period in his literary career. The nover centres round the tragic fate of the painter Dick Heldar. A gifted artist, he goes blind in the prime of life. When Kipling portrays Dick at the crucial moment of his life, when he speaks of the terrible loneliness Dick faces, he does it with profound intuition and understanding.