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knod78's review against another edition
2.0
I'm trying to read some classics that I never read before. I'm sorry, but I didn't like this book...like hardly at all. Kipling is a poet and maybe that's the issue. This book reads like a poet writing a novel, which equals boring and long and too many words to say one thing. This was also another story that was Disneyfied up. The movie is nothing like the story (like Little Mermaid and Hunchback of Notre Dame). And I didn't like Mowgli. There I said it. He was whiny and kind of an asshole when we got older and new he was leader of the jungle. But speaking of jungle...how in the sam hell are there two stories about Inuit's and seals included in a book of jungle stories. Did I miss something in 1800s? Did the temperatures drastically change? I'm also reminded yet again of why man / humans just suck. There were some pretty sad stories like with the seals and elephants that I almost couldn't stomach.
I will say that I didn't hate the books, because I gave it 2 stars. Most of the stories when they had to do with Mowgli's tale were interesting. The animal politics and rules were fascinating and I loved how they took care of things and told their own stories. I just wished they were better organized and flowed through a timeline. I assumed one of the stories where there is a man who is listening to the animals talk is about Mowgli, but I'm not sure and it's possibly in the future (I think).
Clearly, people loved this book. I am not that person. So, you may be interested in it. Just be warned that the chapters are long and it's nothing like the movie you remember as a kid.
I will say that I didn't hate the books, because I gave it 2 stars. Most of the stories when they had to do with Mowgli's tale were interesting. The animal politics and rules were fascinating and I loved how they took care of things and told their own stories. I just wished they were better organized and flowed through a timeline. I assumed one of the stories where there is a man who is listening to the animals talk is about Mowgli, but I'm not sure and it's possibly in the future (I think).
Clearly, people loved this book. I am not that person. So, you may be interested in it. Just be warned that the chapters are long and it's nothing like the movie you remember as a kid.
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
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 punishmentwishfulfillment's review against another edition
4.0
I was disappointed to find out that this edition is an "adapted" version. It makes it harder for me to understand exactly how much or how little of it is true to the original book, so I am just going to discuss this version specifically.
I enjoyed this story and all of its subtle life lessons. I thought that for something written so simple, it held a bit of an emotional punch. I was engaged while reading it and felt eager to learn about the conclusion. I hope to buy the original version one day and read it again.
I enjoyed this story and all of its subtle life lessons. I thought that for something written so simple, it held a bit of an emotional punch. I was engaged while reading it and felt eager to learn about the conclusion. I hope to buy the original version one day and read it again.
alicia1603's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jade's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
saschabookishowl's review against another edition
3.0
I was a bit disappointed in this book. For some reason I assumed that the entire book is about Mowgli (& Baloo, Bagheera, etc.). But it is only the first +/- 100 p. The rest is stories about talking animals in other parts of the world. I enjoyed Mowgli's story a little less than I expected, because I was spoiled by the Disney cartoon & live-action movie which feature more fun with monkeys and more excitement with fire. I also liked the story with the seals and the one with the mongrel. I didn't really get the last two stories (the one with the elephants and the little boy & the one with the animals in the war camp).
I decided to round the rating up a little, as it is my own fault to expect something different and given the fact that these stories were written quite some time ago.
I decided to round the rating up a little, as it is my own fault to expect something different and given the fact that these stories were written quite some time ago.
kberry513's review against another edition
5.0
I had thought that all the Jungle Book stories focused on Mowgli, or at least had Mowgli on the periphery, but that's probably just because of the Disney movie. Although unlike the other stories, which are separate and self-contained, the first few were about Mowgli. But then again, I have definitely read them all at some point in the past, so I guess I just forgot. The stories are a bit racist (both outright and faintly veiled - the monkeys seem to be a bit of a caricature or maybe I read too much into it) and also a little violent, especially the one about the seals getting killed. But overall, they are definitely something I would recommend to slightly older children. I think my favorite is Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.
kberry513's review against another edition
4.0
What everyone thinks of as the Jungle Book is really only the first few chapters. The rest doesn't even take place in the jungle. Unsurprisingly, these are a lot more bloodthirsty and racist than the Disney version, being written by a white man in the 1890s. I've always liked the story of Rikki Tikki Tavi, but it is essentially the story of how a mongoose systematically murders all the snakes in the yard. The White Seal is about finding someplace to live where men don't come to herd thousands of seals to be slaughtered and skinned every year. The last chapter, about the animals working in the army, I found kind of boring in coming to the rest...also, why does the narrator understand animals?? That would be much more interesting to explore than the mundane arguments between mule and camel and elephant and horse.
As for the illustrations, they are beautifully done the way the other MinLima books are. I felt like the last half could maybe have used more, but that could also be because it didn't hold my attention as well as the first half.
As for the illustrations, they are beautifully done the way the other MinLima books are. I felt like the last half could maybe have used more, but that could also be because it didn't hold my attention as well as the first half.