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Mowgli
Mowgli vennad
Kaa jaht
Tiiger! Tiiger!
Kuidas tuli hirm
Džungli sisselaskmine
Kuninga ankus
Punane Koer
Uue Jutu Aeg
Kaa jaht
Tiiger! Tiiger!
Kuidas tuli hirm
Džungli sisselaskmine
Kuninga ankus
Punane Koer
Uue Jutu Aeg
256 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1969
59 people are currently reading
368 people want to read
About the author
Rudyard Kipling
7,163 books3,672 followersJoseph Rudyard Kipling was a journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist.
Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888). His poems include Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The Gods of the Copybook Headings (1919), The White Man's Burden (1899), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".
Kipling was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Henry James said: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, both of which he declined.
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author."
Kipling kept writing until the early 1930s, but at a slower pace and with much less success than before. On the night of 12 January 1936, Kipling suffered a haemorrhage in his small intestine. He underwent surgery, but died less than a week later on 18 January 1936 at the age of 70 of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Kipling's death had in fact previously been incorrectly announced in a magazine, to which he wrote, "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."
Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888). His poems include Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The Gods of the Copybook Headings (1919), The White Man's Burden (1899), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".
Kipling was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Henry James said: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, both of which he declined.
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author."
Kipling kept writing until the early 1930s, but at a slower pace and with much less success than before. On the night of 12 January 1936, Kipling suffered a haemorrhage in his small intestine. He underwent surgery, but died less than a week later on 18 January 1936 at the age of 70 of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Kipling's death had in fact previously been incorrectly announced in a magazine, to which he wrote, "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
November 2, 2015
11/1/2015
Yes. This is home. This is where I learned the things I most deeply believe. This is the prose I clutch in extremis. This is the story that tells me how to live when I lose my way. Four copies, now, as I found a delightful one with woodcuts that speak to me.
6/28/2014
I come to this when I am weary, when I am sad, when I am disheartened. Or when I'm tired and lonely. Or any time at all. This is my bible, this is my text, this is the book that I can't live without. This is the book where most I live. I know it entirely by heart, and still I find it necessary to have three copies on my shelf.
"Anger is the egg of fear,
Only lidless eyes are clear."
9/5/10-ETA This remains my desert island book.
*****
Practically perfect. I think that everyone should read these stories, here collected independent of the First & Second Jungle Books and including In The Rukh, a coda that tells us how Mowgli grew up. I first read these as a little girl, and if I am being completely honest, must confess that the Disney movie led me to them. These stories tower over and transcend the movie in every way, and stay quite firmly on my short list of very favorites year after year.
Yes. This is home. This is where I learned the things I most deeply believe. This is the prose I clutch in extremis. This is the story that tells me how to live when I lose my way. Four copies, now, as I found a delightful one with woodcuts that speak to me.
6/28/2014
I come to this when I am weary, when I am sad, when I am disheartened. Or when I'm tired and lonely. Or any time at all. This is my bible, this is my text, this is the book that I can't live without. This is the book where most I live. I know it entirely by heart, and still I find it necessary to have three copies on my shelf.
"Anger is the egg of fear,
Only lidless eyes are clear."
9/5/10-ETA This remains my desert island book.
*****
Practically perfect. I think that everyone should read these stories, here collected independent of the First & Second Jungle Books and including In The Rukh, a coda that tells us how Mowgli grew up. I first read these as a little girl, and if I am being completely honest, must confess that the Disney movie led me to them. These stories tower over and transcend the movie in every way, and stay quite firmly on my short list of very favorites year after year.
January 27, 2020
Ohhhhh, how I love this book.
As a teen, I read The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book over and over and over, mainly skipping the non-Mowgli stories and just reading about his adventures. Which made reading this collection like a little journey back in time to my teen years, curled up in the basement with Bagheera and Mowgli and Kaa and Baloo. Bagheera was ever my favorite back then, and he remains my favorite now, all wise and mysterious and sleek and a little mischievous. I love black cats, and had several as a child and teen, but never named any Bagheera, weirdly enough. If ever we get a black cat again, I will totally name it that.
Anyway. There's one story in this, "In the Rukh," that I'd never read before! That was such a surprising delight! I learned from the Afterword that "In the Rukh" is actually the first Mowgli story Kipling wrote, and his first published story! But chronologically for Mowgli, it's the last story, and involves him getting married and more or less settling down, his four wolf brothers still with him. I really loved that story, as the end of "The Spring Running" is much too sad, with him having to leave the jungle and his wolf family. And that's what I thought the last Mowgli story was, because it's the last one in The Second Jungle Book. I'm SO glad that it's not!
Why do I love these stories so much? Because they're fun, but they've also got a lot of wisdom in them. Can you find a place to belong and build your own family from beings who are unlike you and unrelated to you? Will that "found family" last forever? What if it doesn't? How does growing from a child to an adult both change a person and solidify who they have been from the beginning? How do you take advice you don't like from someone you trust and love? Oh, there's so much wonderful stuff in here. I almost want to just begin at the beginning and read them all over again right now :-)
As a teen, I read The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book over and over and over, mainly skipping the non-Mowgli stories and just reading about his adventures. Which made reading this collection like a little journey back in time to my teen years, curled up in the basement with Bagheera and Mowgli and Kaa and Baloo. Bagheera was ever my favorite back then, and he remains my favorite now, all wise and mysterious and sleek and a little mischievous. I love black cats, and had several as a child and teen, but never named any Bagheera, weirdly enough. If ever we get a black cat again, I will totally name it that.
Anyway. There's one story in this, "In the Rukh," that I'd never read before! That was such a surprising delight! I learned from the Afterword that "In the Rukh" is actually the first Mowgli story Kipling wrote, and his first published story! But chronologically for Mowgli, it's the last story, and involves him getting married and more or less settling down, his four wolf brothers still with him. I really loved that story, as the end of "The Spring Running" is much too sad, with him having to leave the jungle and his wolf family. And that's what I thought the last Mowgli story was, because it's the last one in The Second Jungle Book. I'm SO glad that it's not!
Why do I love these stories so much? Because they're fun, but they've also got a lot of wisdom in them. Can you find a place to belong and build your own family from beings who are unlike you and unrelated to you? Will that "found family" last forever? What if it doesn't? How does growing from a child to an adult both change a person and solidify who they have been from the beginning? How do you take advice you don't like from someone you trust and love? Oh, there's so much wonderful stuff in here. I almost want to just begin at the beginning and read them all over again right now :-)
May 28, 2012
This is the only Mowgli stories book that I have found that includes "In the Rukh," a story about him as an adult.
Seriously, if your only experience of Mowgli is "Mowgli's Brothers" or, worse, the Disney version, you are missing out. The Jungle Books are also great for book collectors, as they have been reprinted many times, often with lovely illustrations. But do read them.
Seriously, if your only experience of Mowgli is "Mowgli's Brothers" or, worse, the Disney version, you are missing out. The Jungle Books are also great for book collectors, as they have been reprinted many times, often with lovely illustrations. But do read them.
July 2, 2020
Check out my review on the main version of the book!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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February 6, 2017
My version of this book comes from 1948 and is entitled The Mowgli Stories, taking stories from The Jungle Book, The Second Jungle Book and Many Inventions.
It is a wonderful collection of stories concerning Mowgli, the young Indian boy who was raised by wolves. I have never read the book before, or even thought about it much, and was always fairly content with that Disney film.
The writing is sublime: a children's book written in the style as if for adults, as so many of those old Classic children's books always were: never speaking down, and not sugar-coating any part of life, such as death, and never believing for a second that their audience is not highly intelligent. This is first-class storytelling. It has it's moments of dullness, though they are few and far-between. It was magical and so perfect, but my reasons for only 4-stars is that it is a collection of several books, which shall be read themselves and giving equal favour later.
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It is a wonderful collection of stories concerning Mowgli, the young Indian boy who was raised by wolves. I have never read the book before, or even thought about it much, and was always fairly content with that Disney film.
The writing is sublime: a children's book written in the style as if for adults, as so many of those old Classic children's books always were: never speaking down, and not sugar-coating any part of life, such as death, and never believing for a second that their audience is not highly intelligent. This is first-class storytelling. It has it's moments of dullness, though they are few and far-between. It was magical and so perfect, but my reasons for only 4-stars is that it is a collection of several books, which shall be read themselves and giving equal favour later.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Shop | Etsy
July 2, 2020
Check out my review on the main version of the book!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 3, 2011
This has a special place in my heart as - more than any other book - it was where I learnt to read properly as a child. It is a quite magical set of stories, written by one of England's finest writers. It is, for the most part, aimed at children but Kipling never talks down to his readers. Returning to it many times in adulthood I still find the stories retain all their appeal; they have a haunting beauty - quite dark at times - which lingers long in one's memory.
If you do come new to Mowgli, please try and put the Disney cartoon version out of your mind. I know it's a much loved film but I'm afraid it's a complete travesty of Kipling's original.
If you do come new to Mowgli, please try and put the Disney cartoon version out of your mind. I know it's a much loved film but I'm afraid it's a complete travesty of Kipling's original.
December 11, 2025
Kipling is a very talented storyteller! I felt like I was transported and really in the Indian jungles. I enjoyed every story! These stories have so much depth and so many layers to them (which I did not expect going into this) and beautiful poems as well!
There were however also some problematic themes: colonialism, (lack of) female characters,…
Still, the story remains very beautiful, touching and interesting!
There were however also some problematic themes: colonialism, (lack of) female characters,…
Still, the story remains very beautiful, touching and interesting!
September 19, 2012
If You Only Know Mowgli from the Movies or the Jungle Books, You Owe Yourself this Book,
That's because the movies mostly either Disneyfied the stories into kids' films or turned Mowgli into yet another Tarzan while the Jungle Books left out the final Mowgli story "In the Rukh", a story of Mowgli as a grown man. Interestingly, though chronologically the last Mowgli story, "In the Rukh" was the earliest written; the later written but chronologically earlier stories tell how Mowgli got to that point. The Mowgli stories in the Jungle Books end with Mowgli driving Mowgli out of the Jungle and back to Man in order to seek out his place in Man's World; "In the Rukh" tells how Mowgli finally found his place, and IMHO is absolutely vital to a true understanding of the character and the stories, since all the rest were written in order to explain how Mowgli ended up "In the Rukh".
The stories are helpfully arranged by internal chronology, except that the first story has two sections set 10 or 11 years apart and the next two stories actually take place between the two parts of the first story. In addition each story has an accompanying poem following it. Thus, I would suggest the following reading order:
MOWGLI'S BROTHERS, Part 1 (Mowgli's origin)
KAA'S HUNTING (Contrary to movies, Mowgli makes a great friend; 2nd best story)
Road-Song of the Bandar-Log
HOW FEAR CAME (Arguably a prototype for the Just So stories)
The Law of the Jungle
MOWGLI'S BROTHERS, Part 2 (Mowgli is cast out of the Seeonee wolf pack)
Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack
"TIGER! TIGER!" (Mowgli and Shere Khan finally have it out)
Mowgli's Song
LETTING IN THE JUNGLE (Villagers attack his adoptive human mother; Mowgli responds)
Mowgli's Song Against People
THE KING'S ANKUS (Jungle detective work reveals a tale of man's greed)
The Song of the Little Hunter
RED DOG (Mowgli vows to help Seeonee Pack fight off red dogs; best story)
Chil's Song
THE SPRING RUNNING (Mowgli casts himself out; unsatisfying end to Mowgli's saga)
The Outsong
IN THE RUKH (Mowgli finds his place; satisfying end to Mowgli's saga)
The Only Son
Note: Most editions include a helpful pronunciation guide at the very end.
Note: A couple of modern authors have attempted to add Mowgli stories to the canon with widely diverging degrees of success: from the sublime The Third Jungle Book to the ridiculous Hunting Mowgli.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3AAO6JV...
That's because the movies mostly either Disneyfied the stories into kids' films or turned Mowgli into yet another Tarzan while the Jungle Books left out the final Mowgli story "In the Rukh", a story of Mowgli as a grown man. Interestingly, though chronologically the last Mowgli story, "In the Rukh" was the earliest written; the later written but chronologically earlier stories tell how Mowgli got to that point. The Mowgli stories in the Jungle Books end with Mowgli driving Mowgli out of the Jungle and back to Man in order to seek out his place in Man's World; "In the Rukh" tells how Mowgli finally found his place, and IMHO is absolutely vital to a true understanding of the character and the stories, since all the rest were written in order to explain how Mowgli ended up "In the Rukh".
The stories are helpfully arranged by internal chronology, except that the first story has two sections set 10 or 11 years apart and the next two stories actually take place between the two parts of the first story. In addition each story has an accompanying poem following it. Thus, I would suggest the following reading order:
MOWGLI'S BROTHERS, Part 1 (Mowgli's origin)
KAA'S HUNTING (Contrary to movies, Mowgli makes a great friend; 2nd best story)
Road-Song of the Bandar-Log
HOW FEAR CAME (Arguably a prototype for the Just So stories)
The Law of the Jungle
MOWGLI'S BROTHERS, Part 2 (Mowgli is cast out of the Seeonee wolf pack)
Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack
"TIGER! TIGER!" (Mowgli and Shere Khan finally have it out)
Mowgli's Song
LETTING IN THE JUNGLE (Villagers attack his adoptive human mother; Mowgli responds)
Mowgli's Song Against People
THE KING'S ANKUS (Jungle detective work reveals a tale of man's greed)
The Song of the Little Hunter
RED DOG (Mowgli vows to help Seeonee Pack fight off red dogs; best story)
Chil's Song
THE SPRING RUNNING (Mowgli casts himself out; unsatisfying end to Mowgli's saga)
The Outsong
IN THE RUKH (Mowgli finds his place; satisfying end to Mowgli's saga)
The Only Son
Note: Most editions include a helpful pronunciation guide at the very end.
Note: A couple of modern authors have attempted to add Mowgli stories to the canon with widely diverging degrees of success: from the sublime The Third Jungle Book to the ridiculous Hunting Mowgli.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3AAO6JV...
January 6, 2016
Rudyard Kipling was born on December 30, 1865. That was a little over 150 years ago. To celebrate the birth of this amazing writer, NorthSouth Books has published a beautiful edition of The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories. Many of us know the bare minimum of The Jungle Book story thanks to Walt Disney's popular movie, but there is so much more to the story than Disney showed us. Allow me to tell you about it. The book is divided into sixteen chapters and contains the familiar characters, we've all come to know. There is Mowgli, Baloo the bear, Akela the wolf, Bagheera the panther, Hathi the elephant, Kaa the python, and Shere Khan tiger.
In the first chapter, we see are introduced to Mother Wolf and Father Wolf. They are part of Akela's pack and have just had a litter of pups. While they are tending to their young, a young boy (Mowgli) wandered to them. At first they didn't know what to make of him and were worried, but they decided to adopt him as their own. Shere Khan did not like this and wanted Mowgli for his own, so he could eat him. The wolves protected him and after Shere Khan fled, they took him to Akela. Listening to Mother and Father Wolf vouch for the young boy, Mowgli was accepted into the pack. His mentors became Akela, Baloo, and Bagheera. The stories in this book take us all through Mowgli's childhood. We see him abducted by monkeys, fight Shere Khan, and actually attempt to rejoin a human village. After each chapter, there is a poem that relates to the story we just heard. Thus, this book is both prose and poetry and a beautiful mix at that.
So why would you want to purchase a book that is in public domain? For starters, you are getting a fine hardcover, which to some might not sound like a lot, but to me is worth its weight in gold. With so many books, now being ebooks or paperbacks, it's getting harder and harder to find quality publishing. The other big selling point of this book is the illustrations. They are not on every page, but they are still abundant. The illustrator, Aljoscha Blau, shows a level of detail in them that draw you in and keep you coming back to look at them. They not only complement the stories, but elevate them to another level. NorthSouth Books is a publisher I don't have a great deal of familiarity with, but if these are the kind of books they produce, they have a new fan and supporter. Be sure to check out some of their other beautiful hardcovers, including Heidi and The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.
In the first chapter, we see are introduced to Mother Wolf and Father Wolf. They are part of Akela's pack and have just had a litter of pups. While they are tending to their young, a young boy (Mowgli) wandered to them. At first they didn't know what to make of him and were worried, but they decided to adopt him as their own. Shere Khan did not like this and wanted Mowgli for his own, so he could eat him. The wolves protected him and after Shere Khan fled, they took him to Akela. Listening to Mother and Father Wolf vouch for the young boy, Mowgli was accepted into the pack. His mentors became Akela, Baloo, and Bagheera. The stories in this book take us all through Mowgli's childhood. We see him abducted by monkeys, fight Shere Khan, and actually attempt to rejoin a human village. After each chapter, there is a poem that relates to the story we just heard. Thus, this book is both prose and poetry and a beautiful mix at that.
So why would you want to purchase a book that is in public domain? For starters, you are getting a fine hardcover, which to some might not sound like a lot, but to me is worth its weight in gold. With so many books, now being ebooks or paperbacks, it's getting harder and harder to find quality publishing. The other big selling point of this book is the illustrations. They are not on every page, but they are still abundant. The illustrator, Aljoscha Blau, shows a level of detail in them that draw you in and keep you coming back to look at them. They not only complement the stories, but elevate them to another level. NorthSouth Books is a publisher I don't have a great deal of familiarity with, but if these are the kind of books they produce, they have a new fan and supporter. Be sure to check out some of their other beautiful hardcovers, including Heidi and The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.
February 9, 2014
This book is delightful! It reminded me of dark mornings before school, sitting in my grandfather's study reading "The Swiss Family Robinson" by lamplight. Here is a story of a man raised by wolves, who was bought into the Pack by a panther for the price of a bull newly slain and schooled by a bear in the Jungle Law; who befriended a great python, stared down a cobra, ran the Red Dog out of his jungle by the hundreds and slew the beast Shere Kan, the Lame One, Lungri. Here is the story of a man beaten and driven away by his own kind, yet compelled by his instincts to rejoin Man at last, in a peripheral fashion, and find himself a wife and raise their child in the Jungle under the watch of the Four Brothers. Here is an absolutely magnificent saga -- you should read it.
May 1, 2017
They shouldn't have named this book Adventures of Mowgli. 'The Jungle Book' was a far cooler name! Adventures of Mowgli is bland and plain. Okay, enough with the rant.
The book itself was awesome, I don't have to tell you that. Full of all kinds of emotion, love, happiness, hatred, rage, sorrow... Mowgli's transition from childhood to adulthood, amazing. I felt sad about the nice woman who loved Mowgli like a mother.
A great book for both grown-ups and children.
The book itself was awesome, I don't have to tell you that. Full of all kinds of emotion, love, happiness, hatred, rage, sorrow... Mowgli's transition from childhood to adulthood, amazing. I felt sad about the nice woman who loved Mowgli like a mother.
A great book for both grown-ups and children.
February 10, 2022
Eu não era a maior fã da animação da Disney quando era criança, então não tinha nenhum apego ao personagem. Achei os contos bem chatinhos, porém gostei da forma como o autor aponta o preconceito dos ingleses contra indianos e achei a edição muito bonita. Talvez eu tente reler futuramente, quem sabe mudo minha nota.
April 10, 2020
This collection has all of the Jungle Book tales but goes beyond them to give the satisfying conclusion to the story of the foundling child Mowgli. So much excitement, adventure and good fun in these stories, I strongly recommend them all!
July 31, 2011
Altogether, a good book. Rudyard Kipling's style took a while to get used to, but I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend it to my friends.
July 2, 2020
Check out my review on the main version of the book!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
February 17, 2023
Džunglipoisi Mowgli lugu on muidugi ammusest ajast tuttav. Oma lastele olen ette lugenud nuditud versiooni ja praegust raamatut ujus mälusoppidest välja ka mälestus, kuidas lapsepõlves samanimelist filmi vaatasin, kus punased koerad ründasid. Korralikku täisversiooni lugesin ilmselt esmakordselt. Lood olid küll iseenesest natuke kummalises järjekorras ehk esmalt räägiti ära kogu lugu ja tehti kurjale ots peale ning järgmises loos mindi varem toimunud seikade juurede, kus seesama kuri taas elus oli ja tegutses. Erinevalt lastele mugandatud versioonidest, kus enamasti vaid šüžeele ning must-valgele hea ja kurja vahelisele võitlusele keskendutakse, on täislood asjalikult välja arendatud ja sisukad. Julgen öelda, et see 1969. aastal maakeeli ilmunud teos on siiani veebruarikuu parim lugemiselamus.
February 7, 2022
I am a bit disappointed to have not enjoyed this book more as I have always loved Mowgli and the Jungle Book stories. The story is written very poetically, and with old English vernacular (thee, thou, arst) which is probably why I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would however another reader might love it. However, it is still a great classic story.
May 17, 2023
"The Frog, my namebearer, is more gay, but not so hard."
I am really getting into animal books and if you like books where animals talk, this is a good one. Bagheera was my favorite character because he is just plain cool. Very different from the disney movie but I can appreciate both seperatly. I did lose interest after Shere-Khan died because I was so interested in him as a villian
I am really getting into animal books and if you like books where animals talk, this is a good one. Bagheera was my favorite character because he is just plain cool. Very different from the disney movie but I can appreciate both seperatly. I did lose interest after Shere-Khan died because I was so interested in him as a villian
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2025
Absolutely adore this wholesome and beautifully written book. I loved the old English and the otherwise descriptive language. I read this book because it had collecting dust on my shelf and figured I should finally read it. I enjoyed it far more than I could have ever predicted. Gorgeous stories!
June 6, 2022
i don't like the fact the first story is the whole story and the rest are filler.
June 26, 2022
Väga lõbus, aga veidi õudne raamat.
have_and_read
July 1, 2023I had a concussion and wanted to read something simple. This was perfect. It's a strangly compelling book (or books, really). Will read again.
March 12, 2019
I first read this book when I was in High School. I had found it in the school library. Recently, I watched a video on YouTube called "The Messed Up Origins of The Jungle Book | Disney Explained - Jon Solo." This video made me want to read the stories all over again. Since I had only ever seen the book in a library that I no longer have access to, I went on Amazon, found the book, and ordered a copy for me to keep.
I found all of the stories very enjoyable. The final story in the book sticks out though. All of the previous stories were told from either Mowgli's point of view or that of the animals. The final story, which tells how he found his permanent place among humans, is told from the point of view of an Englishman, who is in charge of some kind of forestry service in India. It leaves a lot of loose ends from the previous story in the book, and I got the feeling that the author wrote it years after the previous stories, without having refreshed his memory of the events. It's still a good story, it just doesn't seem to fit in with the other stories.
I found all of the stories very enjoyable. The final story in the book sticks out though. All of the previous stories were told from either Mowgli's point of view or that of the animals. The final story, which tells how he found his permanent place among humans, is told from the point of view of an Englishman, who is in charge of some kind of forestry service in India. It leaves a lot of loose ends from the previous story in the book, and I got the feeling that the author wrote it years after the previous stories, without having refreshed his memory of the events. It's still a good story, it just doesn't seem to fit in with the other stories.
May 15, 2016
It was a delight to read Kipling's complete Mowgli stories in chronological order, and the prefatory essays and annotations added greatly to the enjoyment. The annotations are interesting and have some dry humor, some intentional and some less so, such as the annotators squirming over the homoeroticism in certain passages. The annotations were also very scholarly - too scholarly, in fact, for my knowledge of the subject matter, even after some web searching (I am still baffled by notes 110 and 114).
The authors do a good job of debunking the "Kipling was a racist" meme and that is a public service by itself.
This book should clearly be rated either four or five stars. I can't actually tell which because the scholarship is beyond my ability to judge, so I am giving it the benefit of the doubt and five stars.
The authors do a good job of debunking the "Kipling was a racist" meme and that is a public service by itself.
This book should clearly be rated either four or five stars. I can't actually tell which because the scholarship is beyond my ability to judge, so I am giving it the benefit of the doubt and five stars.
April 6, 2016
Just finished re-reading a well-loved 1948 paperback edition and was excited to see that this particular compilation is still available (sent for a copy because the one I have is totally hashed).
Loved these stories when I read them as a child (my father gave me this copy because he'd enjoyed it so much), and I have loved reading them again.
And I shudder at the way Disney depicted (twisted) some of the characters in these stories. Baloo had way too much dignity to fit the way the cartoon showed him, and Kaa was a friend and fellow hunter to Mowgli, not an enemy.
As another reviewer has said, if your only exposure to Mowgli is from the movies, you really need to read these stories as Kipling wrote them.
Really!
Loved these stories when I read them as a child (my father gave me this copy because he'd enjoyed it so much), and I have loved reading them again.
And I shudder at the way Disney depicted (twisted) some of the characters in these stories. Baloo had way too much dignity to fit the way the cartoon showed him, and Kaa was a friend and fellow hunter to Mowgli, not an enemy.
As another reviewer has said, if your only exposure to Mowgli is from the movies, you really need to read these stories as Kipling wrote them.
Really!
April 27, 2012
What I love about classic British youth books is that the language is not simplified, they expected children to learn from reading and use beautiful language.
I have read the Jungle Book and Kim, but this combination of just Mowgli Stories was very good, and it was fun rediscovering the characters. I still think his "brother" wolves had incredibly long lives, as did Bagheera and Baloo.
It was a nice way to remember Kipling's stories, and I now have a craving to re-read the Just So stories, especially the Cat who walked Alone. It's also been too long since I enjoyed Riki Tiki Tavi.
I have read the Jungle Book and Kim, but this combination of just Mowgli Stories was very good, and it was fun rediscovering the characters. I still think his "brother" wolves had incredibly long lives, as did Bagheera and Baloo.
It was a nice way to remember Kipling's stories, and I now have a craving to re-read the Just So stories, especially the Cat who walked Alone. It's also been too long since I enjoyed Riki Tiki Tavi.
March 13, 2021
I personally enjoyed this book. As a child I used to imagine living in the woods . I liked the personalities of the animals. Towards the end of the book, British colonialism comes into play. And yet Kipling seems to stay on the side of the forest and the animals. He doesn’t have Mowgli give up his roots completely. Mowgli has to live in both human and forest worlds to find love and to have a family. I like how he stays himself . He is shown to be wise in ways of life that the men are not. He is so likeable for his honesty and openness.
October 31, 2013
"All The Mowgli Stories" written by Rudyard Kipling was an interesting read. It was about a little Indian boy named Mowgli, who is saved by a family of wolves from being eaten by a tiger. I liked how every chapter something new was introduced, this helped keep the book interesting. The book is about all of Mowgli's adventures in the forest. This book was appropriate for all ages. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves good stories.
March 28, 2021
I stated reading this to my kids (they are 6 and 8), and they liked the first half of the book. After that, it got a little too intense for them and we decided to stop reading it aloud. I finished it by myself. Kipling is a fantastic writer but I think my kids need to be a bit older before we read more of the jungle stories.
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