Book People Archive

Gunga Din (wasn't Mirdrekvandi)

Dear Anders, John, Lars, and others yet to come,

Thanks for answering, but I'd guess perhaps you're as much in the dark as I 
am.  I've had a copy many years and have read it numerous times - it's a 
wonderful little parable and I'd recommend it.  Hovever, even though I'm no
linguist the writing style doesn't fit at all with the way the putative author 
(Mirdrekvandi) is described in the forward (by "Zaehner") or intro (by
"Hemming").  My own thought is that all three names are fictitious, and
the whole a beautifully done put-on.  But I can hardly guess at who or
why a complete anonymity would surround such a thing - even The Biglow
Papers had a copyright page with James Russell Lowell's name on it.

P.S.  One of the Googled listings even list the author as "Din, Ali 
Mirdrekvandi Gunga".

Again, thanks.  Hopefully someone will get to the bottom of this mystery.
Larry Weissmann