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_ash0_'s review against another edition
3.0
I had no idea that this was a short story collection. There are only 3 short stories on Mowgli and the rest of them are pretty boring stories. I did not like the writing too and found the dialogues pretty boring.
There are 7 short stories and 7 poems in this book.
1. Mowgli's brothers - probably the best short story in the book. You should read this book just for the sake of reading this story. This is the actual Mowgli story.
2. Kaa's hunting - this is the story where we get introduced to Kaa and it was pretty good too.
3. 'Tiger-Tiger'- the story where Mowgli encounters the tiger. This was probably the second best story in this book.
I gave the first three stories - 4/5 stars.
4. The white seal - this story is about a white seal who tries to find a new island for seals where humans are not there. It was mildly interesting and I gave it 3/5 stars.
5. 'Rikki-tikka-tavi' - this is a story about a mongoose and a family of cobras. It was pretty okay too and I gave it 3/5 stars.
6. Toomai of the elephants - this was a pretty long story and also boring with nothing much happening. It did give us a glimpse of India when it was under British rule so for that reason alone I gave it 2/5 stars.
7. Servants of the queen - probably the most boring story in this book and it was so boring that I just skimmed through and could not read it completely. Giving this story 1 star.
The poetry was okay but I am not a huge fan of poetry so did not enjoy reading them anyway.
Overall, I guess reading the first 3 stories in this book makes sense. Rest of them are dated and pretty silly for adults. Kids might enjoy all the stories.
There are 7 short stories and 7 poems in this book.
1. Mowgli's brothers - probably the best short story in the book. You should read this book just for the sake of reading this story. This is the actual Mowgli story.
2. Kaa's hunting - this is the story where we get introduced to Kaa and it was pretty good too.
3. 'Tiger-Tiger'- the story where Mowgli encounters the tiger. This was probably the second best story in this book.
I gave the first three stories - 4/5 stars.
4. The white seal - this story is about a white seal who tries to find a new island for seals where humans are not there. It was mildly interesting and I gave it 3/5 stars.
5. 'Rikki-tikka-tavi' - this is a story about a mongoose and a family of cobras. It was pretty okay too and I gave it 3/5 stars.
6. Toomai of the elephants - this was a pretty long story and also boring with nothing much happening. It did give us a glimpse of India when it was under British rule so for that reason alone I gave it 2/5 stars.
7. Servants of the queen - probably the most boring story in this book and it was so boring that I just skimmed through and could not read it completely. Giving this story 1 star.
The poetry was okay but I am not a huge fan of poetry so did not enjoy reading them anyway.
Overall, I guess reading the first 3 stories in this book makes sense. Rest of them are dated and pretty silly for adults. Kids might enjoy all the stories.
dg_trout's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
multigrainhoops146's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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? Yes
3.0
kevin_shepherd's review against another edition
4.0
Be aware that Rudyard Kipling and Walt Disney are two completely separate personalities with two completely separate philosophies about the level of violence appropriate for children. Kipling’s Baloo (the bear) is a bruising, heavy-pawed disciplinarian and Shere Khan (the tiger) is even more sinister than Disney’s G-rated cartoon lead us to believe.
My edition of Jungle Book #1 also contains the stand-alone stories of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (a mongoose) and Kotick (a white seal), along with other sundry tales of camels, mules, horses, donkeys, and bullocks.* It’s a veritable potpourri of anthropomorphic zoology.
Kipling gets four instead of five stars in protest of his obvious and unjust ophidiophobia. Snakes in Kipling’s universe get a bad rap. Nag (a cobra) and Nagaina (also a cobra) are villains of the worst sort, and Kaa (a python) isn’t much better. Pass the word: cobras and pythons (and anacondas and black mambas) need a little love too!
*Bullock: (British English) a castrated male bovine animal of any age.
My edition of Jungle Book #1 also contains the stand-alone stories of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (a mongoose) and Kotick (a white seal), along with other sundry tales of camels, mules, horses, donkeys, and bullocks.* It’s a veritable potpourri of anthropomorphic zoology.
Kipling gets four instead of five stars in protest of his obvious and unjust ophidiophobia. Snakes in Kipling’s universe get a bad rap. Nag (a cobra) and Nagaina (also a cobra) are villains of the worst sort, and Kaa (a python) isn’t much better. Pass the word: cobras and pythons (and anacondas and black mambas) need a little love too!
*Bullock: (British English) a castrated male bovine animal of any age.
jess_6014's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
mpclemens's review against another edition
3.0
Having only been exposed to the Disneyfied version of these stories -- and having recently read [b:The Graveyard Book|2213661|The Graveyard Book|Neil Gaiman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1303859949s/2213661.jpg|2219449] -- I decided it was time to fill in this gaps in my "classic literature" knowledge. Kipling's love of the form is evident, though these stories lack the wit of [b:Just So Stories|34053|Just So Stories|Rudyard Kipling|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328046627s/34053.jpg|2475078], the only other work that I'm readily familiar with. Mowgli's story is probably most familiar, though in the edition I read, the tales are told non-chronologically, which saps them of some of their dramatic tension. I could have given "The White Seal" a pass: it's not bad, but nothing outstanding, either. My favorites were "Toomai of the Elephants" and "Her Majesty's Servants," the former for its portrait of life from the child of an elephant herder, and the latter as Kipling shows his touch in giving the animals distinct and appropriate comic personalities.
apochemu's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't know that this is actually a collection of short stories. Half the book is actually The Jungle Book then the last half is stories about different animals. My favorites were the seal and the mongoose, Gabe's were the mongoose and the main story about Mowgli. I think when I do this book again with Vinny I'll skip the last story and the elephant story.
singalana's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book definitely isn't like a Disney movie, and I feel almost sad after reading this, as it ends with a song of the army's camp animals.
Despite the story collection's name, not all stories are of Mowgli and his animal friends. Most stories are set in India, and about half of them have animals as protagonists. Despite this, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend these stories for smaller children, as they can be quite violent.
The author is a bit controversial, as his books depict the time when the British ruled India. Colonialism is also present in this book, and some might even argue that the story about the seal conveys a certain message about whiteness.
I must say that, in my opinion, the book conveyed a certain love for India. The stories were easy to read, and the language did have its moments. My favourite tale was about a mongoose, and even though it was one of the most violent ones, there was something beautiful about it. Still, I can’t help but feel saddened about how people treat animals in this book. I’m unsure if the author tried to convey a message about that, but it made me think.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abandonment, Blood, Colonisation, and Death
megexpress's review against another edition
5.0
Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book is nothing like the Disney movie we’ve all come to know and love. However, this isn’t a bad thing in the least. Whereas Disney’s The Jungle Book is centered on Mowgli, Kipling’s original is actually a series of short stories, only a few of which include Mowgli. The characters themselves are also quite different from their Disney counterparts. Baloo is not a bumbling bear but a teacher of sorts. Kaa is not bad per se, although you do not want to get on his bad side. Also, the wolves are not as innocent in the story as the Disney version makes you believe. The Jungle Book is quite an easy read, as it is a children’s story, but sometimes a little levity and simplicity is required. The stories themselves are short (approximately 20 pages each), and the writing level is not difficult to comprehend. The book is small and thin enough to carry around with you in your pocket instead of lugging around a heavier book. As long as you do not carry over your ideas from the animated film over to the book (or vice versa), both will remain enjoyable.
jasmyn9's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0