The Man Who Would Be King and Other Stories

Many of the stories in this collection differ in tone from Kipling's best-known work, THE JUNGLE BOOK. This book focuses on adult-oriented themes like colonialism and corruption. Sean Barrett's serious delivery is appropriate for such content, but he seems to use his command of deliberate British diction more than an ear for nuance throughout the range of stories. His serious delivery, it must be said, makes for a particularly chilling rendition of the horror tale "The Mark of the Beast," but over the course of the nearly ten-hour audiobook, one might begin to lament the lack of range and versatility that would bring Kipling's diverse cast of characters to life as individuals. A skilled telling, to be sure, but without the finest of nuances. N.J.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine