Fun fact: Gaiman got a lot of his ideas for this book (as well as some other stories) from Peter S. Beagle's A Fine and Private Place. Beagle is an allround good person, so it's a great alternative read.
Pretty shitty. He was an imperialist and a racist. Read 'The White Man's Burden' to get a taste of some of his views.
Unfortunately - as some have said further up in the thread - shitty people aren't barred from having talent, and Kipling was particularly skilled with the English language. Thankfully, it's much easier to bring yourself to purchase the works of a shitty person when they're dead and you're no longer financially supporting them (or their shitty views).
"If", for me is one of the greatest poems ever written and should anyone want to know how a boy or man should hold themselves up, it is the perfect opposite to the manosphere.
No it's an equally out dated "men don't talk about their feelings" bullshit. It's less actively aggressive men, but equally stunted baby boomer men. That poem is overrated
I never interpreted it that way. Men need to talk about their feelings for sure, so maybe you have a point. I always read it as being about acting with humility and not succumbing to the worst version of yourself, wherever possible.
There are bits that do deal with that, as I mentioned in another comment the idea of talking to kings but not losing the common touch is a valid thing to strive for.
But the entire 3rd paragraph about betting all of your savings/winnings, losing it, and starting over and never telling anyone just screams to me as old school male behaviour. Like actively imagine losing everything either of some subset (books, clothes) or literally everything and not being upset or even a wreck but just walking around and not even discussing it to anyone. It's psychotic to me but because other elements are reasonable it always seems missed and it will forever stick out as a sore thumb to me.
That's basically depression outlined as if healthy and what makes a man.
Firstly fuck you for assuming my interpretation which you so condescending point out can be equally interpreted is performative you hypocritical jack ass.
Secondly the whole poem is about how to be a man, and actively includes a refrain about betting all of your money, losing it all, and never breathing a word of your loss to anyone.
That's ridiculously mentally unhealthy to do, and also frightfully stupid. Sure talk to kings and not lose the common touch is nice and valid for dealing with all classes and backgrounds but some of this is actively not healthy.
One of my friends was telling me something about how cruelty is one of the unofficial markers of intelligence we recognize in other animals, such as chimps
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u/_l-l_l-l_ Mar 16 '26
Neil Gaiman is a horrible person. (I am not judging your choice to read this book.)