Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Jungle Book (Illustrated with Interactive Elements) by Rudyard Kipling

9 reviews

linnylionheart's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Racism, Child abuse, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, and War

Moderate: Torture

Physical abuse as a method of disciplinary punishment

diana_raquel's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book are a collection of stories set in India, where most characters are animals. Within these stories, one of the most recognizable is the story of the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who is raised in the jungle by wolves. 

For the most part, I found these stories interesting, however, I was not very interested in them. I cannot pinpoint why I was not interested, but, alas, I was not very interested. Therefore, I cannot give a more detailed review. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Colonisation, Racial slurs, and Racism

gemstonejasper's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, and Colonisation

louisebergholdt's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism

anniefwrites's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

Well, it was about what you’d expect from a British colonialist writing about India. It was interesting to read the stories behind the Disney film, but the ones not included in the film weren’t as memorable. In general, I was a bit surprised by how violent and gruesome it was at times. I will give Kipling that he created some very iconic characters, though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Animal death, and Colonisation

Minor: War and Gun violence

mnerd63's review against another edition

adventurous relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Racism and Colonisation

ran_sophia's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Animal death, Death, and Violence

Minor: Slavery, War, and Racism

gymbeannz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Minor: War, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying

curatoriallyyours's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I was pleasantly surprised by this classic - the adventures are fast-paced and it was easy to get into the rhythm of the language, despite the different time it was written in. I tried to view it as much as possible without the lens of modern thinking overlaid, but some of the British colonial ways of talking about the people and cultures of India and Afghanistan sit awkwardly, even though I’d hesitate to call them overtly racist. If anything, I’d say India and the way of life is depicted as exotic and fascinating from a perspective of someone who sees himself as superior, which is, of course, not ok but also not unexpected from an author living in British colonial India during the period. Still, this is a minor aspect of the book as it mostly focuses on anthropomorphic animals and their affairs and only a little on people. I was surprised, given the Disney film I remember, that the Mowgli part of the book was only about half of it. The other stories were also engaging and I particularly liked The White Seal. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Minor: Death, Animal cruelty, Gore, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Violence

This book is written from the British colonial mindset during India’s time as part of the British colony. There are some negative or ‘othering’ attitudes toward people of colour that come through but these are a minor part of the book, which is a product of its time. I also felt a little surprised by the way children were thought of and treated, which is not in line with my own views of how children should be thought of and treated.