The Jungle Book

Aug 13, 2010

Amber Tucker rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: hardcore children's lit fans

Shelves: disappointments, why-is-this-classic-again

Lesson learned from this book: having been much- and long-beloved does not automatically make a book worth reading.
The only particular reason I picked this one off my shelf was the feeling it's a "classic" of children's lit, which I felt slightly ashamed of never having had a chance to enjoy – I assumed must be classically marvellous. (I mean, I don't know if I ever even watched the Disney adaptation all the way through. I was actually expecting all Mowgli stories. More than h...moreLesson learned from this book: having been much- and long-beloved does not automatically make a book worth reading.
The only particular reason I picked this one off my shelf was the feeling it's a "classic" of children's lit, which I felt slightly ashamed of never having had a chance to enjoy – I assumed must be classically marvellous. (I mean, I don't know if I ever even watched the Disney adaptation all the way through. I was actually expecting all Mowgli stories. More than half are not, actually, about Mowgli in any way.) What I was sorry to find, however, is that these stories are just classically bad. In its own way, this is frankly one of the weirdest books I've ever read. Even its age doesn't pardon it, in my opinion.

One of my first thoughts, rather unaccountably it may seem, was "This reads like the Bible." This isn't wholly a negative thing. For example, I recognize and appreciate the often-poetic language used in the Bible, and I can do the same here. The little songs and poems between the chapters are metrically perfect (this counts for a lot, with me) and if not beautiful, are nicely-formed; in form and language, they always evoke the characters he's created for the animals. Here are a couple verses of the Song of the Bander-log [monkeys:]:

Here we sit in a branchy row,
Thinking of beautiful things we know.
Dreaming of deeds that we mean to do,
All complete, in a minute or two-
Something noble and wise and good,
Done by merely wishing we could.
We've forgotten, but- never mind,
Brother, thy tail hangs down behind!

All the talk we ever have heard,
Uttered by bat or beast or bird-
Hide or fin or scale or feather -
Jabber it quickly and all together!
Excellent! Wonderful! One again!
Now we are talking just like men!
Let's pretend we are – never mind,
Brother, thy tail hangs down behind!
This is the way of the monkey-kind.

See? It's cute... the charm fades, though, with re-reading.

Now for what I really dislike. Two words: imperialism and anthropocentrism. Actually, anthropomorphism as well, but that can hardly be avoided, to a degree, so I'll let it go.
The 'best' of the various animal characters speak like noble British subjects (of about the sixteenth century, no less – people in Kipling's day didn't even talk like this – "thee-thy-thou, overformality considering we live in a jungle" etc, it's maddening), they have their own strict Jungle Law, and they call themselves people. Could it be any more obvious that these animals are meant to represent humans? Furthermore, that the non-humanlike animals are fated by nature to kowtow to the more 'civilized' species? Too obviously allegorical = another commonality with parts of the Bible. This kind of attitude may be common enough in folktales and mythology, but doesn't excuse the gross colonial bias with which the whole jungle universe, both inhabitants and organizing principles, are presented.

The animals respect, virtually worship, the humans. Though nearly all the characters are animals, everything about the stories centers around humanity, that is the glorious courage, order and reason of the British empire. If that's supposed to be modern folktale, it's akin to religious brainwashing. Not in the stories it tells, but in the value judgements implicit within these stories. And by the way, also like the Bible, I had to hate many of Kipling's 'heroes.' Little Toomai is a sneak and a traitor; I almost cried at the treatment of the elephants truthfully and matter-of-factly depicted in his chapter. Elsewhere: Rikki-Tikki made me want to stamp on a member of the family Herpestidae, pronto. I was rooting for the cobras.

To conclude, if you're willing to accept a whack of disgustingly antiquated values threaded into not-especially-imaginative stories, you can enjoy The Jungle Book. I'm sorry that I couldn't find more to like in it. But it's safe to say, for once, that Walt Disney's job is probably better (at the very least, less offensive)!(less)

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Jul 08, 2011

Patrizia Oddo rated it

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Shelves: premi-nobel, bambini-e-ragazzi

«In considerazione del potere dell'osservazione, dell'originalità dell'immaginazione, la forza delle idee ed il notevole talento per la narrazione che caratterizzano le creazioni di questo autore famoso nel mondo»

Questa è la motivazione del Premio Nobel che fu attribuito a Kipling nel 1907. Il “Libro della Giungla” non mi sembra che rispecchi in pieno tale motivazione.
Ho trovato la scrittura di Kipling scorrevole e i racconti gradevoli, ma non particolarmente appassionanti. Sono s

...more

«In considerazione del potere dell'osservazione, dell'originalità dell'immaginazione, la forza delle idee ed il notevole talento per la narrazione che caratterizzano le creazioni di questo autore famoso nel mondo»

Questa è la motivazione del Premio Nobel che fu attribuito a Kipling nel 1907. Il “Libro della Giungla” non mi sembra che rispecchi in pieno tale motivazione.
Ho trovato la scrittura di Kipling scorrevole e i racconti gradevoli, ma non particolarmente appassionanti. Sono storie che, a differenza di altre letture rivolte a un pubblico infantile, non hanno chiavi di lettura più raffinate, che richiedono livelli di interpretazione di complessità crescente.
La storia di Mowgli, che si sviluppa attraverso tre diversi racconti, è sicuramente la più famosa ma, secondo me, non è la più bella. Il racconto che mi è piaciuto di più è “La foca bianca” , in cui una giovane foca, Kotick, dimostra che è possibile cambiare il proprio destino e sfuggire all’ineluttabilità degli eventi che la maggior parte delle foche ( “stupide e incontentabili come gli uomini” , precisa Kipling) accetta senza ribellarsi.
Anche i personaggi degli altri racconti sono ben delineati ma trovo uno scarso approfondimento psicologico e, in alcuni casi, mi sembra di leggere le fiabe didascaliche di Esopo (anche se non c’è mai un’esplicita insegnamento di tipo morale.) Gli aspetti meno nobili del carattere dei personaggi animali sono sempre descritti facendo riferimento ai difetti degli esseri umani, mentre i punti di forza richiamano il mondo animale. Sicuramente, Kipling si dimostra un profondo conoscitore delle abitudini dei paesi in cui ambienta i suoi racconti, ma tali riferimenti sono (giustamente) appena accennati, per non appesantire delle storie che devono, per loro natura, essere brevi. E qui faccio una critica all’edizione Einaudi che non mette mai una nota di approfondimento.
Leggerò sicuramente altro di Kipling e spero di rimanere più soddisfatta

(less)

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Jan 01, 2011

Purplycookie rated it

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Shelves: childrens-books, classics

Kipling pours fuel on childhood fantasies with his tales of Mowgli, lost in the jungles of India as a child and adopted into a family of wolves. Mowgli is brought up on a diet of Jungle Law, loyalty, and fresh meat from the kill.

"The boy could climb almost as well as he could swim, and swim almost as well as he could run; so Baloo, the Teacher of the Law, taught him the Wood and Water Laws. Then, too, Mowgli was taught the Stranger's Hunting Call, which must be repeated aloud t...moreKipling pours fuel on childhood fantasies with his tales of Mowgli, lost in the jungles of India as a child and adopted into a family of wolves. Mowgli is brought up on a diet of Jungle Law, loyalty, and fresh meat from the kill.

"The boy could climb almost as well as he could swim, and swim almost as well as he could run; so Baloo, the Teacher of the Law, taught him the Wood and Water Laws. Then, too, Mowgli was taught the Stranger's Hunting Call, which must be repeated aloud till it is answered, whenever one of the Jungle-People hunts outside his own grounds. It means, translated: 'Give me leave to hunt here because I'm hungry'; and the answer is: 'Hunt then for food, but not for pleasure.'"

Regular adventures with his friends and enemies among the Jungle-People --cobras, panthers, bears, and tigers -- hone this man-cub's strength and cleverness and whet every reader's imagination. More importantly, Mowgli learns the value of 'good manners' early on, learns that 'all play and no work' leads to unexpected troubles, learns that thoughtless actions can have devasting consequences.

By showing Mowgli in an often dangerous 'all animal' world, we see reflections of modern human problems presented in a more subtle light. Kipling leads children down the jungle path into adventures beyond their day to day imagining and along the way, he weaves subtle points in and out of the stories, he shows the value of 'doing for yourself', of 'learning who to trust'.

Included are other jungle stories not directly connected to the character of Mowgli. Baloo is a lovable bear who teaches Mowgli the ways of the jungle and how to respect it. Bagheera is a feared and wise black panther who befriends Mowgli in all situations. In "Kaa's Hunting", Mowgli is kidnapped by the Bandar-log monkeys. Monkeys are not highly respected in the jungle community because they have no leader. Baloo and Bagheera seek the help of Kaa the Python to rescue Mowgli. The stories "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" and "The White Seal" have nothing to do with Mowgli and his adventures, but they offer valuable lessons. The lesson in "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is to trust yourself and the loyalty in friends. In "Toomai of the Elephants", a young boy falls asleep on his elephant. The elephants then march off to a hill far away. Here the boy wakes up to find thousands of elephants all stomping in the same pattern, at the same time. The boy has then seen the dance of the elephants.

Book Details:

Title The Jungle Book (Puffin Classics)
Author Rudyard Kipling
Reviewed By Purplycookie(less)

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Jun 13, 2009

Zooworld rated it

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Recommends it for: Anyone above the age of 13

Shelves: english-classics

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Jungle Book consists of 7 short stories about animals, 3 of which make up the plot of the Disney film.

The Jungle Book's 3 stories are very different from the Disney movie, and in my view a much better read. Mowgli is taken in by a family of wolves, and accepted into the clan. Baloo then teaches him the Law of the Jungle, with Mowgli getting kidnapped by the apes, in the process. Bagheera and Baloo enlist the help of Kaa, who saves them from the apes and rescues Mowgli, a very dif...more

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May 31, 2009

Kristen rated it

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Shelves: 1001-books-before-you-die, action-adventure, childrens, classics, short-story

No this is not your Disney movie - Kipling wrote a fantastic series of short stories, only a few of which include Mowgli. Baloo is not a lazy idiot, Kaa is not a bad guy, SherKahn is killed rather then run off, the wolves are not always the noble good guys... this is VERY different then our cotton candy Disney film. And so much more enjoyable for it.

Also included are the tales of Rikki Tikki Tavi, the Elephant Dance, and the White Seal. I would have to say that my favorite is Rikk...more

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Jan 24, 2012

SwensonBooks rated it

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Recommends it for: reluctant readers, any young children

Shelves: danielle

For a comic book, its visual design is superb. Campfire’s latest adaptation, Rudyard Kipling’s classic The Jungle Book, is absolutely gorgeous: it’s not in the same playing field as popular superhero comics by DC and Marvel, that’s for sure. (Feel free to disagree, but neither Spiderman nor Green Lantern has ever been drawn so crisply or in colors so rich.) Children will love the drawings and parents will appreciate Campfire’s mission to make classics of literature (and other stories of historic...moreFor a comic book, its visual design is superb. Campfire’s latest adaptation, Rudyard Kipling’s classic The Jungle Book, is absolutely gorgeous: it’s not in the same playing field as popular superhero comics by DC and Marvel, that’s for sure. (Feel free to disagree, but neither Spiderman nor Green Lantern has ever been drawn so crisply or in colors so rich.) Children will love the drawings and parents will appreciate Campfire’s mission to make classics of literature (and other stories of historical, mythological, and biographical import) compelling for reluctant readers. Many publishers are adapting classics of literature for the comic book medium to engage young readers. I’ve seen the graphic adaptations in bookstores and on library shelves and I’ve yet to see one so compelling, fresh, and fun. It’s hard not to connect with a story when it looks flat-out beautiful. And it must be stated that the size of the book, slim and light, helps too.

Every page of Campfire’s The Jungle Book contains vivid and colorful illustrations. Frankly, it’s a refreshing change from many of its digital counterparts. I find graphic novels in e-format unappealing because, by zooming in on each panel to read the text, you lose the emotional effect of the whole. The physical book in hand, Campfire’s The Jungle Book captivates readers through art and design. The lush colors of the forest, the murky and inky greens and browns in stark contrast to the inky purple of panther pelt and bright orange of tiger fur, make the cute, cartoony animals made iconic by Disney flat by contrast and, well, horrifically two-dimensional. Mowgli is drawn sharp, his lanky human limbs threatening, during high tension, passionate scenes. When he is playful and adventurous, learning the rules of the jungle with Baloo, he is drawn softer and rounder to emphasize his youth and naïveté. The scheming monkeys are eerie and manic. Shere Khan and his gang of jackals look malicious, even blood-thirsty. The humans look fragile yet cold and unwelcoming; a tribe all of their own, on their own.

I will say that as an adult reader the writing was a tad disappointing, though it is more poetic than the Disney version. The language is truer to Kipling’s prose but the translation is not entirely cohesive. Several scenes don’t transition well, such as when Mowgli leaves the jungle to live among the humans. Plus, I was put off by how awkward and stiff the language was for between the wolves and Shere Khan. In all, the story could have been better developed. If the series is in fact “inspired by [an] enduring relationship between a campfire and gripping storytelling,” for me it fell a bit short. I was captivated by the illustrations, the graphic rendering of the tale, but not by the narrative arc.

The Campfire adaption of The Jungle Book will definitely satisfy young minds – particularly those who are reluctant readers – but it also should be left to them. If you are a young or adult reader seeking a more complex and developed narrative, stick to the original Kipling. And, let’s be real, how can you surpass a classic? More importantly, perhaps, who would want to?(less)

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Dec 20, 2011

Truly rated it

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Macan cintai tutulnya
Banteng bangga pada tanduknya
Waspadalah, bagaimana ia sembunyi
Itulah kekuatannya

Kau tahu sapi bila menendangmu
anduk tebal Sambhur menerjangmu
tak perlu kami kau beritahu,
kami tahu sedari sepuluh musim lalu

Jangan sakiti anak si hewan liar
anggaplah ia saudara
Walau kecil dan montok,
Beruanglah ibunda mereka
"Tak ada yang kalahkan kami!" ujar si kecil
bangga saat pertama berburu

Kadang kit...more

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Nov 19, 2011

Wingerr rated it

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- ¿Cómo fue la caza, fiero cazador?
- Muy largo el acecho, y el frío era atroz.
- ¿Dónde está la pieza que fuiste a matar?
- En la selva, hermano, pienso que estará.
- ¿Dónde está tu orgullo, dónde tu poder?
- Por la herida huyeron ambos, a la vez.
- ¿Por qué así corriendo vienes hacia mí?
- ¡Ay, hermano! Corro a casa...a morir.

A pesar de ser consciente (en ese entonces, gracias a Disney), que este libro era un libro infantil, me animé a leerlo por...more- ¿Cómo fue la caza, fiero cazador?
- Muy largo el acecho, y el frío era atroz.
- ¿Dónde está la pieza que fuiste a matar?
- En la selva, hermano, pienso que estará.
- ¿Dónde está tu orgullo, dónde tu poder?
- Por la herida huyeron ambos, a la vez.
- ¿Por qué así corriendo vienes hacia mí?
- ¡Ay, hermano! Corro a casa...a morir.

A pesar de ser consciente (en ese entonces, gracias a Disney), que este libro era un libro infantil, me animé a leerlo porque la edición que cogí tenía como encabezado "Colección Premios Nobel", así que supuse que la narración sería buena, no importa el tema como en muchos otros libros. Y sin embargo, después de leído, no diría que sólo es para adolescentes, sino para cualquier lector que quiere recrear un poco su imaginación entrando al mundo de la selva, de sus reglas, y de los animales (aprendiendo reglas de respeto, convivencia, territorio, aceptación y rechazo del grupo, la reacción ante supersticiones, amistad, la familia, y la propia naturaleza que yace en cada ser vivo y de la cual es incapaz de escapar).

El libro contiene siete capítulos que en realidad son cuentos separados, de los cuales sólo los tres primeros tienen relación entre sí y son, según mi parecer, los mejores, pues tratan de la historia de Mowgli (la rana): su aceptación en la camada de lobos, su aprendizaje de las reglas de la selva, y de su duelo con Shere Khan. El autor logra infundirle caracteres definidos a cada animal y presentarlos como mismos seres humanos, incluso más sabios.

De los otros cuatro cuentos, a pesar de estar bien narrados, sólo disfruté el titulado Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (que no ocurre en la selva, por cierto, y es la historia de una mangosta que tiene que enfrentarse con un nido de cobras (genialmente narrado)).

Otra cosa, el Mowgli del libro no tiene nada que ver con el niño antipático que le interpreta en una película basada en este libro.

Si el libro sólo narrara la historia de Mowgli, le daría cinco estrellas.(less)

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Oct 02, 2011

Sam rated it

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Shelves: adventure, children-s-books, classic, fiction, kindle, owned, short-stories

If I could rate just the story of Mowgli, I would have given this book a 5 out of 5 without a doubt. Mowgli's story was fast-paced, full of adventure and very well written. It packed an emotional punch at times, for example when Mowgli is disowned and betrayed by the wolf pack he feels his eyes start to water and Bangheera tells him that now he knows for sure that he is human and not wolf. Mowgli's inability to fit in fully with either wolves or humans was resonant too, and something that mos...more

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Oct 14, 2011

Eustacia Tan rated it

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Shelves: ebook

Previously, I only knew about The Jungle Book if it was the Disney movie, which I didn't even watch. The show looked a little infantile and frankly, I didn't really get it.

Later on, I read and loved The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which I heard was based on The Jungle Book. Interesting, but still not enough to get me to read it.

Finally, I read The God of Small Things by Arundathi Roy. In it, they quoted The Jungle Book's "We be of one blood, thou and I". Af...more

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Feb 22, 2008

sarafem rated it

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Shelves: 2008, royally-sucked, juvenile-classics

I feel almost like a traitor to the Children's-Book-Lover Club when I say this, but I hated this book. I can't really tell you any specific reason for it, but I thought it was stupid and boring and a waste of paper and time. I suppose it had a great moral about humans learning to honor wildlife and nature, and for that I have great respect for what this work has done for the world. But for me, someone already on that bandwagon, the book sucked. To put it eloquently.

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Aug 22, 2011

Dave rated it

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Shelves: fiction, childrens, literature, speculative-fiction

“The Jungle Book” is a collection of stories (or fables) and songs/poems by Rudyard Kipling, and was originally published in 1894. The book consists of 7 short stories, separated by seven poems. The first three stories involve Mowgli, but the other four stories are not part of that series, nor do they all take place in the same jungle or any jungle at all. What these stories do have in common is the anthropomorphizing of animals as characters in these stories. As with all fables, these stori...more“The Jungle Book” is a collection of stories (or fables) and songs/poems by Rudyard Kipling, and was originally published in 1894. The book consists of 7 short stories, separated by seven poems. The first three stories involve Mowgli, but the other four stories are not part of that series, nor do they all take place in the same jungle or any jungle at all. What these stories do have in common is the anthropomorphizing of animals as characters in these stories. As with all fables, these stories impart a moral message to the reader.

“Mowgli’s Brothers” is the first story in the book and was originally published in January of 1894 in “St. Nicholas Magazine”. The story is about Mowgli being adopted by the wolf family which then raises him. With Shere Khan hunting in their area of the jungle, the Father Wolf (Akela) and the mother (Raksha) find and take in a human baby. At the wolf council, Baloo speaks for the cub, and Bagheera buys his life with a fresh kill. As time passes, Shere Khan turns most of the wolves against Mowgli, and they plot to overthrow Akela as the leader. Mowgli is then sent away from the wolves, vowing to return with Shere Khan’s hide. This story is followed by the “Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack”.

“Kaa’s Hunting” is a short study from March-April of 1894. It takes place sometime during the period covered in “Mowgli’s Brothers”, though it isn’t mentioned in that story. It is a story about Mowgli’s abduction by monkees, a.k.a the Bandar-log. Baloo and Bagheera, rescue Mowgli with the aid of Kaa. This story is followed by the “Road Song of the Bandar-Log”.

“Tiger! Tiger!” was a short story published in February of 1894 in magazines before being published in this collection. This covers the confrontation between Mowgli and Shere Khan. Mowgli has been kicked out of the jungle and has been adopted by a couple who believe he is Nathoo, the child that they lost. Mowgli tries to fit in, but he alienates himself from the others because he doesn’t accept their misconceptions about the jungle. Shere Khan returns and is plotting to kill Mowgli, but he is warned by one of his wolf friends (Grey Brother) whom he goes to visit regularly. Mowgli comes up with a plan to kill Shere Khan, but when successful he gets into an argument with Buldeo, the hunger. Buldeo tries to take Shere Khan’s skin, but Mowgli refuses to give it to him, so Buldeo turns the entire village against him and Mowgli finds himself an outcast of both the jungle and the village. This story is followed by “Mowgli’s Song”.

“The White Seal” is a short story published in August of 1893. The story is about Kotick, a rare white-furred seal who spends his life searching for a home where seals will not be hunted by humans. He is isolated from the other seals by his goal, but he finally discovers a place that the Sea Cows know which is free from man. This story is followed by “Lukannon”.

“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is a story from November of 1893. In this story an English family save a young mongoose (Rikki Tikki) who becomes their pet. Rikki Tikki first saves the families young boy Teddy from a dust brown snakeling. Rikki Tikki takes to patrolling the house while the family sleeps, and it is during this that he is warned by Chuchundra that there are two cobras (Nag and Nagaina) that are planning to kill the family. Rikki Tikki first takes on Nag, waking the father who kills Nag. Nagaina then swears vengeance, but Rikki Tikki gets help from Darzee (a tailor bird) and locates Nagainaj’s nest and then uses the eggs to distract Nagaina to save Teddy again. This story is followed by “Darzee’s Chant”.

“Toomai of the Elephants” is a short story from the December of 1893. In this story little Toomai is told that he cannot be an elephant handler unless he sees the dance of the elephants. When the great elephant Kala Nag hears the call of the elephant from far off in the jungle, he goes to find the elephants, taking little Toomai with him. This story is followed y “Shiv and the Grasshopper”.

“Her Majesty’s Servants” was originally published in March of 1894. This story is about the various animals used to support Her Majesty’s armed forces in India. The animals discuss their roles in the army, each taking pride in the function they perform. This is followed by “Parade-Song of the Camp Animals” which closes out the book.

This is a good collection of short stories, though there is a definite variability in the quality, and of course they don’t all take place in the jungle. Rudyard Kipling wrote poems, short stories, and novels. Having lived in India, England, and the United States, and also spent a fair amount of time in South Africa. He drew on the rich cultural history that he enjoyed to create some wonderful tales. He remains one of the best known writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “The Jungle Book” is one of his best known works, though most know it through films which do not accurately represent the stories within. It blends his short fiction with some of his poems, but I find it a bit too uneven to give it five-stars.
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Aug 28, 2009

Jon rated it

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Shelves: classics, fiction, young-adult, read-in-my-40s

This small paperback edition contained the first three stories of Kipling's Jungle Books - "Mowgli's Brother"; "Kaa's Hunting"; and "Tiger! Tiger!"

Kipling's prose impressed me with it's poetry and imaginative metaphors. A beautiful love letter to his adopted homeland of India. These stories have aged remarkably well.

A must read for children, tweens, teen, young adults, and the young at heart.

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Jan 23, 2012

Si rated it

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Rudyard Kipling has always been one of those "surprise treasure chest hidden in the jungle" type writers for me. The only story I had actually read out of The Jungle Book prior to reading it was Rikki-Tikki-Tavi which is incidentally a long-time favorite story of mine ever since I first read it. Interestingly enough I had designs on writing a sequel story but got distracted by other interests and never got around to it. Honestly it is for the best because I do not know that I could ...more

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Nov 08, 2011

Mia Queen rated it

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Shelves: classic, buntelan, catch-me-if-you-can, kids-just-wanna-have-some-fun, kumcer

Ahay, senang banget saat saya mengetahui Atria bakal menerbitkan buku anak klasik The Jungle Book yang sebelumnya hanya saya kenal lewat adaptasi film Disney berjudul sama di tahun 1994. Cover Atriapun hampir mirip dengan poster filmnya, warna yang cerah membuat The Jungle Book layak dikoleksi oleh para pencinta buku klasik.

Saya baru sadar The Jungle Book adalah kumpulan kisah hewan hasil karangan Rudyard Kipling. Awalnya saya pikir buku ini adalah kisah petualangan Mowgli bersama B...more

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Dec 27, 2011

Ari rated it

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As a kid, I never read The Jungle Book. But the stories were hard to avoid, either as animated TV shows for children or as picture books.

The written version stands up very well for adult readers, I thought. It's beautifully written, the characters are sharply drawn, and the stories are well paced.

The prose has an odd flavor to it. I think Kipling is consciously mimicking the King James Bible. Consider the following paragraph:

"And what is a man tha...more

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Dec 07, 2011

Frederico rated it

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Shelves: for-the-child-within

Esse livro é fantástico!

Eu fui lobinho, e pra quem também foi, esse livro é simplesmente essencial. Finalmente colocar forma e contexto nos persongens que moldaram parte da minha infância foi muito bom. Claro, poderia ter visto o clássico da Disney que deixou esse livro famoso, mas acho que ler o livro foi melhor pois não precisei mudar na minha cabeça a ideia que tinha das pessoas que cuidaram de mim nas minhas tardes de sábado.

Sim, começávamos Mogli e virávamos lobinhos...more

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Nov 14, 2011

Dani rated it

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Of all the Rudyard Kipling I read when I was a kid, somehow I missed The Jungle Book. Of course there were so many movie adaptations that I feel like I still knew this story inside and out. This book is more like linked short stories than a novel. Each chapter tells of an exciting adventure, usually entailing Balou the bear and Bagheera the panther trying to keep Mowgli their "man cub" from Shere Khan the old, worn out lion who makes it his sole mission to eat a human child, specifical...more

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Jun 11, 2007

Clurb rated it

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I hate myself for saying it, but it's *so* not as good as the film.

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Nov 28, 2011

Tonya Branch rated it

· review of another edition

Classics

This book is about a mancub named Mowgli who is raised in the jungle by wolves. From them he learns to survive in the wild and is secluded from human life. While he is in the wild, he is befriended by a bear named Baloo who teaches him the tricks of the trade in the jungle. He also has a snake and a panther that help him through the jungle life. Mowgli goes through several obstacles to get to King Louie the one who knows all. In the end of the book, Mowgli comes upon a vil...more

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Dec 30, 2011

Andy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, illustrated, kindle, short-stories

I've never actually read this before so was surprised to find it's a collection of short stories, even more so that only a few are actually about Mowgli. Those were my favourites and I particularly enjoyed the story with Kaa and the Bandar-log. Kaa is a complex and dark character, clearly dangerous yet someone to have on your side. The language, mythology and story telling were fantastic, very enjoyable and understandably it's a classic. More Mowgli would have been nice though. I really sho...more

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Aug 01, 2011

Steve Mitchell rated it

· review of another edition

I first read this when I was about ten years old and some thirty years later it is still as good as I remember. If you think you know these stories because you have seen the Disney film of the same name then you should think again. Although the movie does sort of follow the basic plot of this collection of short stories, the screenplay has been sanitised for younger viewers. The film also fails to include my favourite of all the stories; that of the courageous mongoose Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, although...more

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Jul 20, 2011

Nancy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: children-s

Reading the forward in this edition probably created a completely different reading experience than it would have been otherwise. The forward describes Kipling's unpleasant experience growing up in a boarding school and relating all these stories to the 'law of the jungle' that he learned in the boarding school.

Kaa's Hunting may have been my favorite of this group of stories. I loved how Bagheera and Baloo work with Kaa to save Mowgli. I loved the love that these characters had for eac...more

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Nov 28, 2011

Lindsay rated it

· review of another edition

The Jungle Book is such a good, classic story. My four year old loves the younger version of course as well as the movie. I think this is a cute story for eight or nine year olds to read with an adult or on their own if they are a good reader. The illustrations on the front cover will excite any little boy I think to pick this book up and read it. It's pretty realistic. Even though there are so many different spin offs of this book, this one is really good and a good read aloud for a teacher...more

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Jul 19, 2011

Kalen rated it

· review of another edition

I purchased this book from a sale in Niagara Falls.

This book was so much more than the Disney movie and there was actually little resemblance between the movie and the book. My favourite stories in this collection are The White Seal and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. I have always enjoyed narratives from an animal's perspective.

I am unsure about how I feel regarding the stories that involve Mowgli, they formed a much better story than the Disney movie but it didn't give me much exci...more

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Jul 25, 2011

Shriya rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: classic-juvenile-fiction, reviewed

I was ten when, after playing the role of Baloo, the bear for a class show, I bought this beautiful book. However, I could never bring myself about to let go of it completely before my nineteenth year! This is precisely why I'd give it a four on five. 'The Jungle Book',though the predecessor of 'Tarzan', is a well-written, close-to-homeland-kind-of-book for me but it isn't nearly as charming as other books of the British-Indian Era. The language is pretty good, the poetry is even better! In fact...more

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Sep 12, 2011

Jeremy rated it

· review of another edition

Decent free Kindle book.

Kipling is much maligned in current opinion because he is viewed as being pro-Victorian, pro-imperialism, a bit of a racist, anthropocentric, etc.

I just thought the last half was not very good. The Mowgli stories were really engaging, the one about the white seal was pretty cool, then Rikki Tikki Tavi is of course a classic. I can certainly see where the anthropocentric criticism comes from, as he certainly seems to be of the opinion that animals wer...more

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Feb 03, 2011

TC rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: classics, short-stories

I hadn't realised until I read it that The Jungle Book is actually a number of short stories and songs or verses. The most familiar is the first, Mowgli's brothers, about the man cub raised by wolves who has to take on his sworn enemy Shere Khan. The next one is The White Seal. In this story Kotick the seal dedicates himself to searching for a new home for his fellow seals, one where they aren't living with the threat of man. The third is Rikki Tikki Tavi, about a young mongoose of the same name...moreI hadn't realised until I read it that The Jungle Book is actually a number of short stories and songs or verses. The most familiar is the first, Mowgli's brothers, about the man cub raised by wolves who has to take on his sworn enemy Shere Khan. The next one is The White Seal. In this story Kotick the seal dedicates himself to searching for a new home for his fellow seals, one where they aren't living with the threat of man. The third is Rikki Tikki Tavi, about a young mongoose of the same name who takes on cobras to protect his adopted human family. Next comes Toomai of the Elephants which relates the experience of a young boy from a long line of elephant handlers who has a unique bond and a one off experience with the elephant his father handles. Finally come Her Majesty's Servants, which recounts the overheard conversation of a group of Army animals.

The language in places is archaic, and elsewhere exotic, reflecting the settings of the stories and Kipling's background. Throughout the stories the animals are given human traits and the tales are moral stories, reflections on human society or both. I don't think they would be an easy read for a young person primarily because of the language, particularly Mowgli's Brothers, but they do make wonderful stories I fully plan on reading my little girl when she's bigger. There are parts that might make some people uncomfortable, such as Mowgli's killing of Shere Khan and the aftermath, so I'd urge caution if you are thinking of these stories for very young children.

I particularly enjoyed Rikki Tikki Tavi, as the mongoose hero is such a lovely, funny character, and the conversation between the Army animals, as they discuss their different fears and strengths is wonderful. I have no doubt I will be going back to The Jungle Book and dipping into the stories on their own rather than reading them all in one go, and no doubt I'll be looking to add more Kipling to my kindle. A note of caution though - the free version is very poorly formatted, with no clear breaks between the stories and verses which I found confusing when I didn't expect it to be more than one story, and will make navigating in future more difficult. If formatting is a bugbear for you I'd suggest getting another version. (less)

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Jan 09, 2011

Gabe Dybing rated it

· review of another edition

I read this just before winter break, and I was waiting to list it because my copy is in an anthology with some other works. So you see, I haven't finished the "book" proper (I have yet _Just-So Stories_ and _Puck of Pook's Hill_ to read; the collection begins with _Kim_). But my tome isn't listed on Goodreads, an old edition, (just)so...

I'm glad I read it. Not as good as _Kim_. And _Puck of Pook's Hill_ seems to promise more. The work is definitely more refined and contempla...more

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May 22, 2011

Hayley rated it

· review of another edition

I thought this had some really beautiful parts. Rudyard Kipling has a raw and strong writing style that works perfectly for a bunch of jungle predators. His animal characters are nuanced and likable, and I appreciate their amorality. Not immorality -- just lack of human nature. It's hard enough to try to put ourselves into other humans' minds, but succeeding with an animal point of view is even more impressive.

"The Jungle Book" is a collection of short stories and poems ...more

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