The Light That Failed

Kipling, Rudyard, 1865-1936Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 393K words
Chapters: 40

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Light That Failed by Rudyard KiplingAuthor: Kipling, Rudyard, 1865-1936,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Oct 1, 2001

Editor's review

The Light That Failed is a semi-autobiographical novel by Kipling centered on an ambitious painter, exploring artistic pursuit, emotional relationships, and thwarted ideals, while also touching on contemporary views of art and success. The work continues Kipling's strength in narrative tension and character portrayal, while revealing reflections on creative struggles and life choices. As a public-domain eBook, it offers free access to the original text, making it a useful supplementary read for understanding Kipling's longer fiction and for readers interested in late Victorian English literature. Note that some views in the book reflect the limitations of its era and are best read with a critical eye; the English original poses some difficulty for non-native readers, so background materials are recommended for understanding character motives and the historical context.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of Kipling's novels
Those interested in themes of artistic growth and creative struggle
Readers studying late Victorian English literature

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting light entertainment
Those uncomfortable with nineteenth-century English narrative style
Readers hoping for discussion of modern artistic ideas

Reading tips

Learn about Kipling's life and the era of composition before reading the text.
Pay attention to how the protagonist's artistic choices intertwine with his emotional storyline.
After reading, compare with works of the same period and their treatment of the artist figure.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What does the title mean?

The title points to themes of thwarted ideals and failed pursuit; its specific meaning emerges from the protagonist's experiences. Reread the title after finishing the book to appreciate the author's attitude toward success, failure, and artistic persistence.

Can I read this without having read other works by Kipling?

Yes. The book stands relatively independently and does not rely on prior events from other works. Still, familiarity with Kipling's style and the historical background will make it easier to grasp character motives and narrative pacing.

Is this book suitable for intensive reading by English learners?

It can serve as advanced intensive reading material, but late nineteenth-century English expression and some cultural background increase the difficulty. Read through first for plot, then select key chapters for close reading with annotations or a guide.

Comments

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About the author

Kipling, Rudyard, 1865-1936 Author

Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) was a British writer, and this library holds sixty-five of his works. Publicly available material on his life is limited, so the following introduction focuses on his writings. He is known chiefly for fiction and fairy tales, often dealing with animals, the jungle, exotic adventure and youthful growth. His language is vivid, his narrative pace brisk, and his stories combine imagination with moral meaning. The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book, set in the Indian jungle, tell of the boy Mowgli among the animals and have been widely read; Just So Stories explains in a light manner how animals came by their features; Kim portrays growth and the search for identity in an Indian setting; Puck of Pook's Hill draws on history and legend to tell of England's past; and The Man Who Would Be King displays adventure and ambition. His works are often classed as inspirational coming-of-age reading and have had a lasting influence on children's literature and English-language readers.