Customer Reviews

Rudyard Kipling Readings By Ralph Fiennes

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This collection of Rudyard Kipling's work is truly exceptional. Recorded at the house in which Rudyard Kipling lived until his death, the actor Ralph Fiennes reads this selection of works from Kipling's own study. The sound of this recording is incredibly intimate, as though the listener has been magically transported to the site. This CD, with the magical help of Fiennes, shows the incredible breadth and skill of Kipling. There are so many voices, characters, and settings and Ralph Fiennes perfectly captures them all. Even the music is wonderful. The readings are beautifully accompanied by music relevant to the time and tone. In particular the Var.1 Enigma Variations played by none other than the National Symphony Orchestra is stunning. The readings include excerpts from 'The Jungle Book', stories, poems including the famous "If" and a devastating letter to a Brigadier after losing a son to war.
So much care and talent has gone into the making of this CD. It is a true gem.

If you are a Ralph Fiennes fan, he is absolutely dreamy reading Rudyard Kipling. He can read serious prose, poetry to children's stories with absolute ease. I highly recommend this compilation, for Rudyard's and Ralph's sake.

What a joy it is to hear a beautiful voice such as Mr. Feinnes', reading Victorian stories by Rudyard Kipling. I bought this recording after seeing The Reader, because Mr. Feinnes' diction and delivery were so mesmerizing when he read stories to Hanna Schmitz. If you enjoy the writing of Kipling, and can give yourself a break from the rigors of our connected/electronic daily lives, do yourself a favor and indulge in this recording. You will be enriched.