You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
All I've ever known really about the Jungle Book was confined to the film version, which is a far cry from Rudyard Kipling's original. My first surprise, was that this was an anthology, not just the story of Mowgli (but that is by far the best story in the collection). My next surprise came in the language of the story. Kid's read this?
This story did wonders to explain the gaps in learning, creativity. boldness, and initiative between previous generations and the current one. In the 19th century, kids idolized and fantasized about being Mowgli, living among wild animals, learning the laws of the jungle, and eventually defeating your nemesis (a man eating tiger, who Mowgli not only kills, but skins). In the 21st century, we have team Edward, idolizing a pale, skinny pathetic vampire creature who can't manage his love life. Fail. And it's not the difference in machoness that is upsetting, it's the culture of self-reliance and overcoming of obstacles and dedication to a goal that is missing in literature today. For a long time, children's stories were educational, moralistic as well as entertaining. Today, we opt for the latter at the expense of the rest. It is, of course, important to analyze the message being sent and ingrained in our children's psyche, but a modern audience, sad to say, wouldn't really pick up on the imperialistic and social darwinistic themes in the stories (I mean come on, this is Mr. "White Man's Burden".
The other stories in this collection were okay. The second story is the story of Kotick, a white seal (yes white, which makes him superior in the Kiplingesque view of the universe) who attempts to find a new home for the seals of the Aleutians where they won't be hunted by man anymore (a rather obvious allusion to the growing Zionist movement of the late 19th century). The next is the story of Rikki-tikki-tavi, a faithful pet mongoose who defends his adopted human family from cobras. Lastly, is the story of Toomai of the Elephants, a young Indian boy who observes the legendary dance of the elephants and is forever changed by it.
Besides the overtones of supremacy there are wonderfully modern themes in many of the stories: loyalty, the sanctity of nature, the importance of every individual, not just in society, but in their ecological niche, and the relationship and interdependency of man and nature. In spite of it's age, The Jungle Book is hardly dated, and I look forward to sharing it with my children.
This story did wonders to explain the gaps in learning, creativity. boldness, and initiative between previous generations and the current one. In the 19th century, kids idolized and fantasized about being Mowgli, living among wild animals, learning the laws of the jungle, and eventually defeating your nemesis (a man eating tiger, who Mowgli not only kills, but skins). In the 21st century, we have team Edward, idolizing a pale, skinny pathetic vampire creature who can't manage his love life. Fail. And it's not the difference in machoness that is upsetting, it's the culture of self-reliance and overcoming of obstacles and dedication to a goal that is missing in literature today. For a long time, children's stories were educational, moralistic as well as entertaining. Today, we opt for the latter at the expense of the rest. It is, of course, important to analyze the message being sent and ingrained in our children's psyche, but a modern audience, sad to say, wouldn't really pick up on the imperialistic and social darwinistic themes in the stories (I mean come on, this is Mr. "White Man's Burden".
The other stories in this collection were okay. The second story is the story of Kotick, a white seal (yes white, which makes him superior in the Kiplingesque view of the universe) who attempts to find a new home for the seals of the Aleutians where they won't be hunted by man anymore (a rather obvious allusion to the growing Zionist movement of the late 19th century). The next is the story of Rikki-tikki-tavi, a faithful pet mongoose who defends his adopted human family from cobras. Lastly, is the story of Toomai of the Elephants, a young Indian boy who observes the legendary dance of the elephants and is forever changed by it.
Besides the overtones of supremacy there are wonderfully modern themes in many of the stories: loyalty, the sanctity of nature, the importance of every individual, not just in society, but in their ecological niche, and the relationship and interdependency of man and nature. In spite of it's age, The Jungle Book is hardly dated, and I look forward to sharing it with my children.
I didn't realize before that there was more than just Mowgli's story. Mowgli's story was my favorite to be sure, but the others were good as well.
Jungle
There is something magical whenever I read children books, this is one of the best ones. I enjoyed from the beginning till the very last page.
There is something magical whenever I read children books, this is one of the best ones. I enjoyed from the beginning till the very last page.
Couldn't really get into this book as much as I would have liked to, certainly not like the Disney adaptation. Interesting to read something new, nevertheless.
Still completely over talking animals though.
Still completely over talking animals though.
I liked The Jungle Books. The story of Mowgli was not at all like the story in the Disney movie. I thought the book was good and definitely worth reading at least one time. I really liked the short story called Riki-Tiki-Tavi.
I was intrigued to read this children's classic. Like many, I only knew "The Jungle Book" as the Disney film of Mowgli. However, Mowgli's story is only one of many in Kipling's original anthology of short stories and poems. I was surprised to find that all of them don't even take place in a jungle.
I struggled to get into this though. Maybe it was because I was reading this as an adult, only had the e-book without any engaging illustrations (which I think would really have brought the book alive), because the book is older which typically means the book develops a little more slowly or if I was just completely lacking the cultural context required to comprehend the stories.
I don't have children but I would be extremely curious to hear what a child reading this today thinks of it.
I struggled to get into this though. Maybe it was because I was reading this as an adult, only had the e-book without any engaging illustrations (which I think would really have brought the book alive), because the book is older which typically means the book develops a little more slowly or if I was just completely lacking the cultural context required to comprehend the stories.
I don't have children but I would be extremely curious to hear what a child reading this today thinks of it.
These books are my favourite collections of stories. Kipling is a master of words and weaves a truly magnificent scene that pulls you in from the outset. The stories are rich and varied, and are more than just simple stories but fables and commentary on contemporary India. I have been swept away by Kipling and his magical story telling.
Like any Disney loving-child, The Jungle Book was a familiar story. I grew up watching the movie and always wanted to read the books that inspired the Disney movie. I can't say I was disappointed. Kipling's portrayal of Mowgli, Baloo, and countless others was just as magical as Disney's portrayal. Each chapter was a separate story of it's own, and I found that the few stories that did not revolve around Mowgli were not nearly as captivating! I hope that one day I can share this story with my children, such a wonderful and enticing read!
When I was a small child I saw Disney's Jungle Book film and I got so scared that I started crying and had to stop watching. My parents remembered that this year, and decided to give me this beautifully illustrated edition of the Jungle book. As a grown-up, I an now appreciate that the stories in this collection are wonderful and inventive, and the accompanying illustrations breathtaking, the interactive parts fun to play with. I think my favourite story was the last, in which the army animals discuss their service. It had such a dreamlike quality, in which animals language is understood as a matter of course, it was quite enchanting, and I really appreciated all the different personalities of the animals.