Doktor Dolittle i Tajemnicze Jezioro

Doctor Dolittle #10

by Hugh Lofting, Maria Gromek (Translator)

Stary afrykański żółw, który pamięta czasy potopu, zaginął. Trzęsienie ziemi zmiotło jego dom z wyspy na Tajemniczym Jeziorze. Doktor Dolittle wraz ze swymi zwierzętami rusza na wyprawę, by uratować przyjaciela.
Przed nimi długa, niebezpieczna podróż. Kogo spotkają po drodze? Jakie czekają ich przygody? I czy stary żółw opowie im jeszcze raz swoją historię?
Jedna z mniej znanych i najbardziej tajemniczych opowieści o doktorze Dolittle i jego zwierzętach.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Adventure, Animals, Classics, Young Adult

512 pages, Hardcover

Published September 9, 2013

About the author

Hugh Lofting was a British author, trained as a civil engineer, who created the character of Doctor Dolittle — one of the classics of children's literature.

Lofting was born in Maidenhead, England, to English and Irish parents. His early education was at Mount St Mary's College in Sheffield, after which he went to the United States, completing a degree in civil engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He traveled widely as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Irish Guards to serve in World War I. Not wishing to write to his children of the brutality of the war, he wrote imaginative letters that were the foundation of the successful Doctor Dolittle novels for children. Seriously wounded in the war, he moved with his family to Connecticut in the United States. Lofting was married three times and had three children, one of whom, his son Christopher, is the executor of his literary estate.

"For years it was a constant source of shock to me to find my writings amongst 'juveniles,'" Lofting reported. "It does not bother me any more now, but I still feel there should be a category of 'seniles' to offset the epithet."

Doctor Dolittle
Hugh Lofting's doctor from Puddleby-on-the-Marsh who could speak to animals first saw light in the author's illustrated letters to children, written from the trenches during World War I when actual news, he later said, was either too horrible or too dull. The stories are set in early Victorian England, (in and around the 1840s, according to a date given in The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle). The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts Never Before Printed (1920) began the series and won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958.The sequel, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922), won Lofting the prestigious Newbery Medal. Eight more books followed, and after Lofting's death two more volumes, composed of short unpublished pieces, appeared. The series has been adapted for film and television many times, for stage twice, and for radio.
Other Works for Children
The Story of Mrs Tubbs (1923) and Tommy, Tilly, and Mrs. Tubbs (1936) are picture books aimed at a younger audience than the Doctor Dolittle books. They concern the titular old woman, her pets (with whom she can speak) and the animals who help her out of trouble.

Porridge Poetry (1924) is the only non-Dolittle work by Lofting still in print. It is a lighthearted, colorfully illustrated book of poems for children.

Noisy Nora (1929) is a cautionary tale about a girl who is a noisy eater. The book is printed as if hand-written, and the many illustrations often merge with the text.

The Twilight of Magic (1930) is aimed at older readers. It is set in an age when magic is dying and science is beginning. This work is the only one of Lofting's books to be illustrated by another person (Lois Lenski).
Victory for the Slain
Victory for the Slain (1942) is Lofting's only work for adults, a single long poem in seven parts about the futility of war; the refrain "In war the only victors are the slain" permeates the poem. It was published only in the United Kingdom.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy this book! The theme of the series is that animals are more intelligent and kinder than we ever thought. Oh, I doubt that was what Lofting had in mind when writing the series. But it is what I take from the series. In this one, he also calls out for peace among peoples and animals. Of course, I doubt kids will notice this. But they will pick it up, even without knowing it. Before I go further, let me point blank say: this is the original series, and it is not politically correct. There is racial stereotyping in this. There is more in the illustrations than in the text. Changing the illustrations would not change the book's charm. However, I maintain this can serve a use. When I read another title to my kids where Native Americans were considered subhuman, I stopped after I read it and discussed it with the children. This is the way some people used to feel but we don't think this way any more. My kids probably didn't listen to Mom preaching at them. However, I notice my now adult sons do not seem to have racial prejudice. In fact, one daughter in law is Hispanic/Italian and the other girlfriend is Black. What matters to me is that they are kind sweet people.

Dr. Dolittle and his entourage of animals and people go off to deepest Africa to rescue Mudface the turtle who has been buried under tons of earth after an earthquake. Then he tells the company the story of the Deluge and how it changed the world. Lots of fun to read! I'm keeping this book, old fashioned and stereotypical as it is. It is a lovely story, exciting and adventurous. And I loved the "history" in the story. Recommended. Be available to the kids reading it for their questions is my recommendation.

[Harini Gopalswami Srinivasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The exciting adventures of Doctor Doolittle and his family of animals -- Dab Dab the duck housekeeper, Gub Gub the pig, Too Too the owl, Whitey the mouse, Polynesia the parrot and Jip the mongrel -- on their rescue mission to Africa. Mudface, an ancient turtle friend of the Doctor's, has been trapped at the bottom of the Secret Lake after an earthquake and must be saved. Born before the Deluge, Mudface's account of Noah and his times is thrilling. And the deadpan account of the squabbles and antics of the family by Tommy Stubbins, the Doctor's thirteen-year old assistant, is as delightful as in the previous books. I absolutely love this series, and wish more children today could get to read these books! Unfortunately, the Eddie Murphy movies have taken over the brand recognition (forgive the marketing jargon, I worked ten years for a management journal!) so that Hugh Lofting's original, brilliant creation is hardly remembered or seen any more.

[Jim]

found my childhood copy of this book

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this book on my shelf for 25 years, having taken it when my middle school was cleaning out their library in anticipation of adding some more current titles. Considering the book is stamped with the name of the Junior High school that my dad attended and that school closed years before I was born, I'd say it was a worthy clean-out. Now I am in the same situation of looking to thin my own collection as I prepare for a move, and it seemed like a good time to finally read this book.
I'm familiar with Doctor Doolittle and that he talks to animals, but I've never read any of the books before this, and it's been a long time since I saw the Eddie Murphy movie. 'The Secret Lake' seems like it is deep into the series of books, as Doolittle has already visited the moon prior to this one, and is now taking a return trip to the heart of Africa to speak with a turtle who was alive at the time of Noah's Ark.
Told from the perspective of Doolittle's young secretary Stubbins, the book begins at their home in England following the moon trip, which has left the good doctor out of sorts. When it is discovered that the notes Doolittle took the first time he visited the turtle have been ruined by some creatures who used them to build a nest, Stubbins and the animal menagerie who live in the home with Doolittle feel that this might be the motivation to knock him out of his funk. A London sparrow takes a trip to Africa to see if the turtle is even still alive, as its been many years since Doolittle visited him, and he was old and unwell back then, only to discover the turtle's home has been destroyed by a recent earthquake. Doolittle realizes he might be the only human who knows of the turtle's existence, and if there's any chance of saving the turtle and the account of Noah's Ark, they must head to Africa.
The story, written in the 1920s, is a bit far-fetched, but then this is also a book series that sent Doolittle to the moon 40+ years before our astronauts made it there, so I expected it. Only in children's literature can one canoe carry 2 humans, a dog, a pig, a monkey, assorted birds, and everything they need for weeks of travel through lands and waterways generally unspoiled by human touch. The majority of the latter portion of the book involves the turtle, who has been unburied from the earthquake debris, recounting the tale of Noah's Ark and the aftermath of the great flood. As I am not a scholar of the Bible, I only have the vaguest knowledge of the story of Noah, so I have no idea whether the turtle perspective of events agrees with what is said in the Bible. A giant 1000+ year old turtle who somehow knows how much a gallon is and is singlehandedly credited with introducing humans to the Americas does seem like the less likely story however.
Overall, an OK book, but I won't necessarily seek out more Doctor Doolittle books, though they may all be out of print by now and the only chance I'd have would be finding more used book sales from libraries that have been hoarding really old books on their shelves for years.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doctor Dolittle returns to the Secret Lake hidden in the depths of Africa to interview the oldest living animal, a massive turtle named Mudface. His journey is perilous, but he has his trusty animals by his side. With the help of Chee-chee, Polynesia, Dab-Dab, Cheapside, Gub-Gub, Jip, and his faithful assistant Tommy Stubbins, the Doctor travels through swamps and jungles to find the old turtle and hear the story of the Flood.

I loved the plot in this one! The first part of the book is taken up with the Doctor's preparations for the journey to Africa, and then his travels to get inland from the African coast to the Secret Lake. Once they find Mudface, the rest of the book chronicles his adventurous story about Noah and surviving the Great Flood.

The writing is charming and hilarious! The animals are all so funny and full of life, and the ridiculous situations are interesting. I'm amazed at how imaginative all of the Dolittle stories are, and the books never seem to run out of wild material for an adventure.

[Elizabeth R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a lonngg time (since the early 70s?), and I'd like to reread it. The Lofting Dolittle books are a different experience as an adult reader.

[Jimmy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My father gave me my first Doctor Doolittle book when I was eight years old - it was "The Voyages of Doctor Doolittle" with the movie tie-in cover. After reading that, at least one Hugh Lofting was added to my weekly stack from the local library. A doctor that preferred animals to people, learned to speak their various languages, shared their stories, and had animal adventures? That was my world as I wanted it to be (especially since reality sadly was missing the animals, their understandable verbalizing, and any form of adventure).

And (next to "The Story of Doctor Doolittle" which my aunt gave me, which offers Doctor Doolittle origin information, Jip-the-dog's flawless ability to smell a thief, and pirates) "Doctor Doolittle and the Secret Lake" seems like the best book to me, in part because it's been the hardest book to find, and in part because it includes a long story told by an ancient sea turtle - a story goes all the way back to Noah and the great flood. I loved the adventure of finding Doctor Doolittle's ancient turtle friend Mudface (sea turtles are few and far between where I grew up), and hearing the story the sea turtle told.

That story is a little dark, though - darker than most of Doctor Doolittle's stories. The behavior of Noah's contemporaries, of course, but also that of Noah and his family, are none to praiseworthy from the animal perspective. There's slavery, people drown, people are killed. [As in other Doctor Doolittle books, Lofting's 1918ish attitudes towards the African are patronizing and antiquated, though The Secret Lake is better than his earlier efforts.] Tellingly, at one point, the animals talk about whether it makes sense to allow man to survive - now that there's a manageable number left.

At eight years old, I was fascinated by the interaction of the animals and how some argued to save man, others argued against it. And I didn't really get into the religious implications - I knew the difference between Doctor Doolittle, or Narnia, and the Bible.

Although I didn't know this at the time (this WAS way over my eight-year-old head), the darkness makes sense in the context of the times. The book was first published in 1948, right after World War II. And Lofting wrote the Doctor Doolittle stories and sent them with his endearing illustrations as letters home from WWI. He wanted to write about something other than the waste and violence of the war he found in the trenches. If any of his books for children make any sort of political statement from his experiences, 'the Secret Lake,' - with the arguments about the value of humanity - is the closest. It also has some of what I think today is the best writing Lofting has to offer - lacking, however, the regular comedic features that the other Doctor Doolittle books offer.

Given what Lofting experienced of man's inhumanity to man during WWI, it's hardly a surprise that the animals in all of his books preferred each other (and their understanding friend the Doctor) to the rest of the human population. My dad and his sister both loved Doctor Doolittle, and it was one of the joys of my life that they shared part of their childhood with me.

[Chris Fellows · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was young enough to keep track of ‘the longest book I have ever read’, and also ‘my favourite book’, it was Dr Dolittle and the Secret Lake for both of them, for quite a long time.

The Doctor Dolittle books gave me two big things, and a host of lesser things:

1. A Role Model
Dr Dolittle works incredibly hard. He is motivated by the unselfish pursuit of knowledge. Unlike Sherlock Holmes, he is omnivorous in his studies, by no means confining himself to ‘natural history'. He is famously unable to say ‘no’ to any request for assistance. His life is chaotic: it is a continuous medley of multiple projects running in parallel, frequently interrupted, which he is always ready to drop at a moment’s notice to sail off to the other side of the world. He is happy to rough it. He is without prejudice. Like Jesus, his human friends are drawn from the misfits and outcasts. He is usually mild-mannered, but is prone to occasional bouts of righteous indignation. He does not blow his own trumpet. He does not mind looking ridiculous. He cares absolutely nothing for what anyone else might think. He speaks truth to power.
Of course I am not at all like Dr Dolittle. But I should still like to be.

2. A Quandary
My friend Andrew Shellshear (the other half of the documented Cyberiad fanfic community) once floated an idea for a story set in a world where every living thing was sentient, and there was no perceived wickedness in killing or eating a sentient creature. Even thus is the world of Dr Dolittle. The rats are as sentient as the rat-catching dogs. Dr Dolittle talks to fish. There are even, in Dr Dolittle’s Puddleby Adventures, several chapters relating the first-person adventures of a maggot. This makes for an unsettling sort of world. What is ‘good’ in this kind of a world? How ought one to live in it? This is the yawning dark quandary which the whole series meanders around. It is never brought into the open. No attempt is ever made to explain it away.

Dr Dolittle is appalled by fox hunting, yet eats sausages. This bothered me from the very beginning. It did not seem right. I did not know many animals in real life, so it was easy to go on conforming to everyone around me, but the quandary stayed there in the background, ticking over in the darkness. Eventually I had enough self-confidence to become vegetarian myself. There were plenty of other influences, but I think it all started in Puddleby-on-Marsh.

Then there is this urge I get to stick pins at random into atlases. A large part, even after all these years, of my mental image of England. My unrequited fondness for languages. My preference for meandering novels with other stories embedded in them, rather than efficient ones which whisk you along from one plot event to another. My vague disapproval of Noah. Etc.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hugh Lofting can tell an exciting tale, and he can tell some rather laborious ones as well. It seems to me the dullest parts of any of his Doctor Doolittle books are when some animal is telling a story within the story. And that makes up the majority of this, the last book Hugh Lofting wrote of the good doctor. Mudface the turtle recounts the events surrounding and following the flood. There are a few moments of keen drama, but much of it, frankly, feels like a "turtle story".

Hugh Lofting's anti-war sentiment comes out strongly in this book, and it is the only one where we actually see animals being vicious, fighting, and killing, and the only one where we see great animosity between humans and animals. The anti-war message is a bit flat, however, with bald statement in the narrative that aren't always effectively woven into the story. The book was published after Lofting's death, so perhaps he did not consider it a completely polished manuscript.

With all that said, all of the books held my son's attention -- for four months!

[lynne fireheart · Rating 4 out of 5]

If all you have ever known of Dr Dolittle is the awful movie(s) with Eddie Murphy, please, go out and get the original books instead. Sure, they are written for children, and therefore very simple in style, but boy are they awesome :-) In this book, Mudface the turtle who lived through the Great Flood talks about life around the time of the Flood. A great trip down memory lane :-)

[stormiedog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up in an antique shop... Enchanting

[Jolie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure I have the right words for how much I’ve loved this book all my life.

[Martyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a lot longer than any of the others in the series which I have read so far, with more pages and smaller print and fewer illustrations - which all make for a longer and slower read, making it slightly more tedious. But on the whole, if you are in a patient frame of mind, it is enjoyable. Not gripping, but likeable.

The narrative, a large part of which concerns Noah and the Flood, could potentially have been problematic as it is unbiblical - or Biblically inaccurate - and yet at the same time it is reverent. Whether it would make it quite suitable for young children, though, I am not sure, as it could fill their minds with false impressions and confusing ideas. But on the whole it was an interesting concept and cleverly handled.

[Gabs Roman]

I read and loved this book as a kid and thought about it recently, wondering if any of the Doctor Doolittle books still hold up. Have to admit...didn't like it as much as I did as a kid. I ended up skimming through portions of it and there were definitely more problematic elements that stood out to me (which I expected getting into it!). Overall, it was a bit of a meh experience. But it was magic for me at the age of 11!

[Kate H · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hugh Lofting Doctor Dolittle stories are classics that stand the test of time. I really enjoy them and find them clever and enjoyable. I think the writing can be seen as a bit dated but I think it's still extremely readable.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a story, very well done

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent entry into the Dolittle Saga!

[🪴Eva Konson🪴 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story as a whole but I found some of the facts not historically accurate which was a distraction for me.

[Kolator · Rating 3 out of 5]

a city older than American lol

[Kristen (belles_bookshelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Easy come, easy go."

Another random adventure for the entire gang.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with kids. Had some fun points and kept kids interest well. Dr. Doolittle is always fun.