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The Jungle Book #1-2
Rudyard Kipling: The Complete Jungle Books [The Jungle Book & The Second Jungle Book]
This book contains the complete texts of both "The Jungle Book" (1894) and "The Second Jungle Book" (1895).
The Jungle Books can be regarded as classic stories told by an adult to children. But they also constitute a complex literary work of art in which the whole of Kipling's philosophy of life is expressed in miniature. They are best known for the `Mowgli' stories; the tale of a baby abandoned and brought up by wolves, educated in the ways and secrets of the jungle by Kaa the python, Baloo the bear, and Bagheera the black panther.
The stories, a mixture of fantasy, myth, and magic, are underpinned by Kipling's abiding preoccupation with the theme of self-discovery, and the nature of the `Law'.
The Jungle Books can be regarded as classic stories told by an adult to children. But they also constitute a complex literary work of art in which the whole of Kipling's philosophy of life is expressed in miniature. They are best known for the `Mowgli' stories; the tale of a baby abandoned and brought up by wolves, educated in the ways and secrets of the jungle by Kaa the python, Baloo the bear, and Bagheera the black panther.
The stories, a mixture of fantasy, myth, and magic, are underpinned by Kipling's abiding preoccupation with the theme of self-discovery, and the nature of the `Law'.
173 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1895
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42137 people want to read
About the author
Rudyard Kipling
7,145 books3,671 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 1,439 reviews
July 28, 2025
welcome to...THE JU(LY)NGLE BOOKS.
this is another installment of project long classics, a campaign in which, in theory, i read a chapter a day of a scary old book over a month to make it approachable, and in execution i fuel my penguin clothbound addiction and make puns.
i love feeling smart while reading a book written for 6 year olds. that's what children's classics are for.
MOWGLI'S BROTHERS
little baby mowgli arrived amongst the jungle creatures, who have called a town hall meeting to see whether he's going to be homeschooled or lunch. then 10 years passed and they called another town hall meeting to kick him the hell out.
KAA'S HUNTING
backtracking in order to talk about how monkeys kidnapped mowgli so he could teach them architecture and then kaa put the fear of god in them.
TIGER TIGER
back to present day. mowgli got a human job as a cowherd and immediately lateraled his cattle into the killing of a tiger.
THE WHITE SEAL
if you're wondering what the through-line is of these stories, i can officially tell you it is neither mowgli nor the jungle. we just spent 20 pages hanging out with a seal who lost his wig and formed a 10,000 creature army.
RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI
this is about a verbosely named mongoose who becomes some kid's pet and kills an entire family of cobras to secure his position. kind of a metaphor for pulling the ladder up after you.
TOOMAI OF THE ELEPHANTS
i don't believe elephants should have to have jobs beyond being elephants. and you can quote me on that.
SERVANTS OF THE QUEEN
i wasn't having a ton of fun with this book even before we brought the word servants into it. (it's a conversation between various animals made to carry stuff.) thus concludes Book I.
HOW FEAR CAME
for me, it was "when i realized i'm not even halfway done." but for mowgli (because we have turned back in time and space to hang out with him when he was still in the jungle) it's mostly tiger-related.
THE MIRACLE OF PURUN BHAGAT
this is really bringing out the high-school-english-class siddhartha-hater contrarian in me.
LETTING IN THE JUNGLE
this has that good old fashioned children's classic violence. and also a ragtag group of animals destroying the annual agricultural output of an entire village.
THE UNDERTAKERS
i haven't read anything from this book in days, but i can explain. it's because i didn't want to.
there is a character in this called "the mugger," but he is not a city-based petty thief. he's a crocodile who has been shot with a gun.
THE KING'S ANKUS
mowgli's back. he found treasure and poison snakes and scenes of hunt-related murder.
QUIQUERN
took another few days off from this only to return to this story about starving dogs killing seals in the arctic circle. and they don't even talk. not to sarcastically quote from the classic seasonal hit SANTA BABY, but...think of all the fun i've missed.
RED DOG
mowgli has killed stuff now and all the original animals are old / dead. this is possibly the least whimsical children's classic ever.
THE SPRING RUNNING
family reunion <3
OVERALL
if i was an english child in the world's dreariest town like 100 years ago, i feel like these would hit. but i'm not, so...i'll just say i'm not a rudyard kipling girl.
rating: 2.5
this is another installment of project long classics, a campaign in which, in theory, i read a chapter a day of a scary old book over a month to make it approachable, and in execution i fuel my penguin clothbound addiction and make puns.
i love feeling smart while reading a book written for 6 year olds. that's what children's classics are for.
MOWGLI'S BROTHERS
little baby mowgli arrived amongst the jungle creatures, who have called a town hall meeting to see whether he's going to be homeschooled or lunch. then 10 years passed and they called another town hall meeting to kick him the hell out.
KAA'S HUNTING
backtracking in order to talk about how monkeys kidnapped mowgli so he could teach them architecture and then kaa put the fear of god in them.
TIGER TIGER
back to present day. mowgli got a human job as a cowherd and immediately lateraled his cattle into the killing of a tiger.
THE WHITE SEAL
if you're wondering what the through-line is of these stories, i can officially tell you it is neither mowgli nor the jungle. we just spent 20 pages hanging out with a seal who lost his wig and formed a 10,000 creature army.
RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI
this is about a verbosely named mongoose who becomes some kid's pet and kills an entire family of cobras to secure his position. kind of a metaphor for pulling the ladder up after you.
TOOMAI OF THE ELEPHANTS
i don't believe elephants should have to have jobs beyond being elephants. and you can quote me on that.
SERVANTS OF THE QUEEN
i wasn't having a ton of fun with this book even before we brought the word servants into it. (it's a conversation between various animals made to carry stuff.) thus concludes Book I.
HOW FEAR CAME
for me, it was "when i realized i'm not even halfway done." but for mowgli (because we have turned back in time and space to hang out with him when he was still in the jungle) it's mostly tiger-related.
THE MIRACLE OF PURUN BHAGAT
this is really bringing out the high-school-english-class siddhartha-hater contrarian in me.
LETTING IN THE JUNGLE
this has that good old fashioned children's classic violence. and also a ragtag group of animals destroying the annual agricultural output of an entire village.
THE UNDERTAKERS
i haven't read anything from this book in days, but i can explain. it's because i didn't want to.
there is a character in this called "the mugger," but he is not a city-based petty thief. he's a crocodile who has been shot with a gun.
THE KING'S ANKUS
mowgli's back. he found treasure and poison snakes and scenes of hunt-related murder.
QUIQUERN
took another few days off from this only to return to this story about starving dogs killing seals in the arctic circle. and they don't even talk. not to sarcastically quote from the classic seasonal hit SANTA BABY, but...think of all the fun i've missed.
RED DOG
mowgli has killed stuff now and all the original animals are old / dead. this is possibly the least whimsical children's classic ever.
THE SPRING RUNNING
family reunion <3
OVERALL
if i was an english child in the world's dreariest town like 100 years ago, i feel like these would hit. but i'm not, so...i'll just say i'm not a rudyard kipling girl.
rating: 2.5
August 18, 2025
A children's book however adults will enjoy since I believe, the author wanted everyone to learn lessons from the stories. The usual Golden Rule, treat people as well (and animals, nature also) as you would like to be too. Rudyard Kipling was a fine writer born and raised in India, Kim, Captains Courage, these tales, The Jungle Books, etc. all adopted into great films. Nevertheless set mostly during the height of his nation, Britain's Imperial Empire, many critics can't separate him from this, ironically his books and movies are popular in India. A plot that others have copied numerous times, a child lost and years later found again (Tarzan). Not Africa but an Indian jungle Mowgli the main character and fable of the short stories which include this, seals, elephants, Eskimos, mules, and even mongooses . But obviously the most interesting is the jungle boy. Left very reluctantly by his parents during a tiger attack fleeing for their lives in the wilderness. Nobody expected him to survive such brutal conditions but somehow protected and raised by wolves. He begins to feel like one, act like one, as if the animal has taken over and the human no longer exist. Soon feared and loved by the creatures there but not ever quite fitting in...because ..after all not a real animal. Still makes friends, Baloo the brown bear, Bagherra the black panther, Kaa an extremely large snake etc...(they talk?) maybe...
and Shere Khan the tiger who doesn't like the boy and wants to eat him...ouch. the big question in the story is will Mowgli stay with his non -human friends or go back home. Not such an easy decision as you may think. A splendid adventure in the realm of imagination gone wild, and those who like this type of fantasy. The magnificent depiction of the rain forest with their beauty and dangers shows Kipling's knowledge of the place. Deep thoughts ..not really a kid book has lots of carnage and deaths and frightening scenes...never mind. Very influential work of fiction but more important a good read and a better hopeful future. That country is rapidly rising to economic power.
and Shere Khan the tiger who doesn't like the boy and wants to eat him...ouch. the big question in the story is will Mowgli stay with his non -human friends or go back home. Not such an easy decision as you may think. A splendid adventure in the realm of imagination gone wild, and those who like this type of fantasy. The magnificent depiction of the rain forest with their beauty and dangers shows Kipling's knowledge of the place. Deep thoughts ..not really a kid book has lots of carnage and deaths and frightening scenes...never mind. Very influential work of fiction but more important a good read and a better hopeful future. That country is rapidly rising to economic power.
October 30, 2019
I've reread this book so many times. It was, for most of my adolescent life, the ultimate masterpiece by an English author.
I'm always puzzled by the fact that movie adaptations diverge from the books. So they know better than Kipling, don't they?
My favorite story is Red Dog. What a great, grandiose stage set for Mowgli and Kaa, and of course, for the wolf pack.
Quiquern was a lesson about storytelling rather than a good story on its own merit. Very atmospheric.
This is such a rich heritage and one of the best short stories collections in public domain, and yes, I'm keeping Anton Chekhov in the equation.
I'm always puzzled by the fact that movie adaptations diverge from the books. So they know better than Kipling, don't they?
My favorite story is Red Dog. What a great, grandiose stage set for Mowgli and Kaa, and of course, for the wolf pack.
Quiquern was a lesson about storytelling rather than a good story on its own merit. Very atmospheric.
This is such a rich heritage and one of the best short stories collections in public domain, and yes, I'm keeping Anton Chekhov in the equation.
October 1, 2018
My new favourite.
Incredible. 10/10
Timeless.
So much thought and imagination.
Animal lover forever.
Everything made sense, the laws of the jungle.
Can't rememeber the last time i read something so amazing and unique.
I dont cry reading books but this nearly got me at the end.
Incredible. 10/10
Timeless.
So much thought and imagination.
Animal lover forever.
Everything made sense, the laws of the jungle.
Can't rememeber the last time i read something so amazing and unique.
I dont cry reading books but this nearly got me at the end.
August 12, 2008
eBook
Once again, I'm struck by the savagery that resonates throughout Kipling's writing. It would be so easy to think of The Jungle Book in a more Disney-fied light: talking animals, singing, the rhythmic cadences of a fairy tale or lullaby. But overarching all that is the ever-present reminder that the world of the jungle is a world of nature, red in tooth and claw. Mowgli is raised by wolves and instructed by Baloo for the explicit purpose of survival in a harsh world that actively seeks his death. Kotick is born and raised amidst bloodshed from two distinct sources: other seals and man. "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" subverts the traditional story of a pet protecting his master by making the masters little more than incidental characters; Rikki-Tikki wants to protect them, but his actions are driven by instinct rather than any familial bond with the humans. Even in the less-obviously blood-drenched stories, violence is a powerful force. Toomai's journey to witness the dance of the elephants puts him at great risk of death.
The story I found most interesting, however, was the one which closes the book, "Her Majesty's Servants." The characters of this particular story are the camp animals for an army, but paradoxically, these might be the most innocent characters in the whole book. All their conversation is about war and its methods, but without any real recognition of what it means. These animals have been tamed by man, stripped of their natural instincts, and so, with the exception of the elephant, they don't realize what war means, content merely to follow orders and limit their perspective to the specifics of their duties.
And maybe that's the true lesson of The Jungle Book. Yes, it's violent, endlessly circling and returning to the themes of death and danger, but in the world of the animals, death and danger exists because they are necessary parts of life. Animals must eat, so animals must hunt and kill. But for people, violence is stripped of that which makes it necessary. Wars don't happen for food and survival; they happen for sport and profit.
Or maybe I'm just a filthy hippie.
Once again, I'm struck by the savagery that resonates throughout Kipling's writing. It would be so easy to think of The Jungle Book in a more Disney-fied light: talking animals, singing, the rhythmic cadences of a fairy tale or lullaby. But overarching all that is the ever-present reminder that the world of the jungle is a world of nature, red in tooth and claw. Mowgli is raised by wolves and instructed by Baloo for the explicit purpose of survival in a harsh world that actively seeks his death. Kotick is born and raised amidst bloodshed from two distinct sources: other seals and man. "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" subverts the traditional story of a pet protecting his master by making the masters little more than incidental characters; Rikki-Tikki wants to protect them, but his actions are driven by instinct rather than any familial bond with the humans. Even in the less-obviously blood-drenched stories, violence is a powerful force. Toomai's journey to witness the dance of the elephants puts him at great risk of death.
The story I found most interesting, however, was the one which closes the book, "Her Majesty's Servants." The characters of this particular story are the camp animals for an army, but paradoxically, these might be the most innocent characters in the whole book. All their conversation is about war and its methods, but without any real recognition of what it means. These animals have been tamed by man, stripped of their natural instincts, and so, with the exception of the elephant, they don't realize what war means, content merely to follow orders and limit their perspective to the specifics of their duties.
And maybe that's the true lesson of The Jungle Book. Yes, it's violent, endlessly circling and returning to the themes of death and danger, but in the world of the animals, death and danger exists because they are necessary parts of life. Animals must eat, so animals must hunt and kill. But for people, violence is stripped of that which makes it necessary. Wars don't happen for food and survival; they happen for sport and profit.
Or maybe I'm just a filthy hippie.
July 11, 2019
This was a Jepheny/Mah Fah buddy read that we went into with great excitement and enthusiasm – “Can’t Wait!” “So looking forward to this!!” “I’ve had this on my shelves forever, let’s get started!!!” Woo Hoo!!!!!
Alas, it was on the disappointing side. The hope was to get the original take on these stories that Disney has whitewashed on a couple of occasions and to that point it does succeed. Sort of. Kipling presents the adventures of a feral jungle boy and his bloodthirsty pals as they brutally live by the law of the jungle. No singing. No dancing. No resulting cute plushy version of Shere Khan to wander around Disneyland only to get kicked in the faux tiger family jewels by a vengeful four year old, summarily filmed and get a gazillion hits on YouTube and every dude who watches gets to wince at the “thank God that wasn’t me” implications. Youch, shots to the groin just aren’t funny!
But I digress.
This volume is The Jungle Books – plural, not The Jungle Book – singular. My favorite Mah Fah buddy reader of all time and Thunder Buddy for Life, Stepheny, was lucky to pick up The Jungle Book (singular) whilst I got stuck reading The Jungle Books (Two. Count ‘em. Two!)(plural).
It’s also the smarty pants Penguin version, which includes a scholarly introduction by some elbow-patched, flannel jacketed, pipe smoking ass who gets to discourse with pseudo-intellectual insight what Kipling’s underlying message was for these stories. Plus, there are eight footnotes per page that direct you to the back of the book for even more “useless” background on this tome. The reader can repeatedly swing back and forth between text and appendix all the while humming “Bare Necessities” to him or herself.
Also, kids, caveat emptor. All the stories aren’t about Mowgli and his savage, vicious pals. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is the best of a wan bunch of animal-themed stories. Kipling even throws in a Seal and an Inuit story to keep the reader off balance and question the rather poor choice of titles.
Arctic -> Freeze-your-nuts-off cold
Jungle -> Sweat-your-nuts-off hot
Just sayin’.
The Mowgli stories are the best things here but they’re spread out through the two jungle books *waves to his favorite Mah Fah buddy reader Stepheny, who owes him big time*:
Baby Man Cub is rescued and raised by wolves. Man Cub gets befriended by big bear and panther (Bagheera, the best character, by far, in this book). Man Cub wreaks revenge on evil human village. Man Cub grows up to dominate and lead his jungle pals (he has stare-down contests with ‘em). Man Cub grows up, gets restless and clumsy (read: horny). Does he leave the jungle to boogie elsewhere? Maybe.
Snakes are Our Anthropomorphic Friends Department: As Stepheny and I will espouse with great conviction, snakes can be real pals (Hi Ermot!). So why does Kaa the Python get such a bum rap in the cartoon and “live action” remake? Sure he does his hypnotize thing but that’s only to eat some annoying, poo-flinging monkeys. He and Mowgli are good pals and he helps the Man Cub on a number of occasions. Man-eating pythons are man’s best friend. Yes?
If I haven’t mentioned it before, this isn’t a kid-friendly version of these stories. So if you plan to sit down with your young ‘un and read stories based on seeing the cartoon, just don’t.
Alas, it was on the disappointing side. The hope was to get the original take on these stories that Disney has whitewashed on a couple of occasions and to that point it does succeed. Sort of. Kipling presents the adventures of a feral jungle boy and his bloodthirsty pals as they brutally live by the law of the jungle. No singing. No dancing. No resulting cute plushy version of Shere Khan to wander around Disneyland only to get kicked in the faux tiger family jewels by a vengeful four year old, summarily filmed and get a gazillion hits on YouTube and every dude who watches gets to wince at the “thank God that wasn’t me” implications. Youch, shots to the groin just aren’t funny!
But I digress.
This volume is The Jungle Books – plural, not The Jungle Book – singular. My favorite Mah Fah buddy reader of all time and Thunder Buddy for Life, Stepheny, was lucky to pick up The Jungle Book (singular) whilst I got stuck reading The Jungle Books (Two. Count ‘em. Two!)(plural).
It’s also the smarty pants Penguin version, which includes a scholarly introduction by some elbow-patched, flannel jacketed, pipe smoking ass who gets to discourse with pseudo-intellectual insight what Kipling’s underlying message was for these stories. Plus, there are eight footnotes per page that direct you to the back of the book for even more “useless” background on this tome. The reader can repeatedly swing back and forth between text and appendix all the while humming “Bare Necessities” to him or herself.
Also, kids, caveat emptor. All the stories aren’t about Mowgli and his savage, vicious pals. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is the best of a wan bunch of animal-themed stories. Kipling even throws in a Seal and an Inuit story to keep the reader off balance and question the rather poor choice of titles.
Arctic -> Freeze-your-nuts-off cold
Jungle -> Sweat-your-nuts-off hot
Just sayin’.
The Mowgli stories are the best things here but they’re spread out through the two jungle books *waves to his favorite Mah Fah buddy reader Stepheny, who owes him big time*:
Baby Man Cub is rescued and raised by wolves. Man Cub gets befriended by big bear and panther (Bagheera, the best character, by far, in this book). Man Cub wreaks revenge on evil human village. Man Cub grows up to dominate and lead his jungle pals (he has stare-down contests with ‘em). Man Cub grows up, gets restless and clumsy (read: horny). Does he leave the jungle to boogie elsewhere? Maybe.
Snakes are Our Anthropomorphic Friends Department: As Stepheny and I will espouse with great conviction, snakes can be real pals (Hi Ermot!). So why does Kaa the Python get such a bum rap in the cartoon and “live action” remake? Sure he does his hypnotize thing but that’s only to eat some annoying, poo-flinging monkeys. He and Mowgli are good pals and he helps the Man Cub on a number of occasions. Man-eating pythons are man’s best friend. Yes?
If I haven’t mentioned it before, this isn’t a kid-friendly version of these stories. So if you plan to sit down with your young ‘un and read stories based on seeing the cartoon, just don’t.
March 24, 2023
"Better he should be bruised from head to foot by me who love him than he should come to harm through ignorance," Baloo answered very earnestly. (PG 39- The Jungle Book)
I'm a bit disappointed I could not find the exact edition but I suppose this will have to do.
This edition was found at the library. It is called The Whole Story Series and I am so glad I picked it up. It has so many illustrations and facts of the country of India and animals. The first three books belong to the Jungle Book-- Mowgli's Brothers, Kaa's Hunting, and Tiger! Tiger! All the stories have a song at the end of each finished book.
The side notes were really disturbing and one can never unread these facts. They talk about the caste system and the British massacres of animals. The Natives killed to survive but the white men killed for leisure and sport. I never knew there was the Seal Massacre of 1870. It makes me so sad that no one stood up for these animals but as my husband pointed out "Yeah. Look at what they do to people why wouldn't they do it to animals." The facts and pictures are highly disturbing to animal lovers. I hate unfairness and bad treatment with humans and animals, meaning I don't favor one or the other.
Rudyard Kipling gave these animals a story when they didn't have one, before Charlotte's Web or Winnie the Pooh. Henry Elliot was the first defender of marine mammals testifying against 100,000 fur seals being skinned for commercial purposes. He was suppressed by the Alaska Company which wanted to continue to make handsome profits for its fourteen shareholders.
The Irish writer George Bernard Shaw wrote, "when a man kills a tiger, it is sport, but when a tiger kills a man, it is savagery." (PG 94) This quote includes a picture of hung tiger after being skinned, over 200 in rows of three.
The last four stories are:
The White Seal- Kotick must find a new island where they don't get slaughtered by men
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi- An impressive mongoose that kills Cobras to save a little boy and his family.
Toomai of the Elephants- Elephants were of use in construction and wars and for the personal use of the king. The boy, Toomai, witnesses the legendary elephant dance and becomes respected in the the time of castes.
Her Majesty's Servants- The animals compare their importance in troops to the king. There's a disturbing picture of British men playing tug-of-war with an elephant's leg while the elephant tries to walk away.
History fact: Sheere-Ali Khan was the Emir of Afghanistan from 1863 to 1879. He ascended to the throne after having eliminated many members of his family, and became the champion of Russian expansionist ambitions, giving a very warm welcome to the tsar's ambassador. This was not at all to the liking of the British, whose sphere of influence in Asia was threatened. They became angry, invaded Afghanistan, took control of Kandahar (1879), deposed the emir and replaced him with Abd ur-Rahman, whose British sympathies were well known. (PG 209)
Me thinks this is history repeating itself over and over with what's going on now.... But what do I know? I have a brain and two eyes and can read between lines but I must be dumb....
I highly recommend this edition. Very informative and pictures and history to prove that not everything is a "conspiracy theory." And how humans must do better to protect the Earth and our animals from becoming extinct and invading other countries just makes you a damn evil.
I'm a bit disappointed I could not find the exact edition but I suppose this will have to do.
This edition was found at the library. It is called The Whole Story Series and I am so glad I picked it up. It has so many illustrations and facts of the country of India and animals. The first three books belong to the Jungle Book-- Mowgli's Brothers, Kaa's Hunting, and Tiger! Tiger! All the stories have a song at the end of each finished book.
The side notes were really disturbing and one can never unread these facts. They talk about the caste system and the British massacres of animals. The Natives killed to survive but the white men killed for leisure and sport. I never knew there was the Seal Massacre of 1870. It makes me so sad that no one stood up for these animals but as my husband pointed out "Yeah. Look at what they do to people why wouldn't they do it to animals." The facts and pictures are highly disturbing to animal lovers. I hate unfairness and bad treatment with humans and animals, meaning I don't favor one or the other.
Rudyard Kipling gave these animals a story when they didn't have one, before Charlotte's Web or Winnie the Pooh. Henry Elliot was the first defender of marine mammals testifying against 100,000 fur seals being skinned for commercial purposes. He was suppressed by the Alaska Company which wanted to continue to make handsome profits for its fourteen shareholders.
The Irish writer George Bernard Shaw wrote, "when a man kills a tiger, it is sport, but when a tiger kills a man, it is savagery." (PG 94) This quote includes a picture of hung tiger after being skinned, over 200 in rows of three.
The last four stories are:
The White Seal- Kotick must find a new island where they don't get slaughtered by men
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi- An impressive mongoose that kills Cobras to save a little boy and his family.
Toomai of the Elephants- Elephants were of use in construction and wars and for the personal use of the king. The boy, Toomai, witnesses the legendary elephant dance and becomes respected in the the time of castes.
Her Majesty's Servants- The animals compare their importance in troops to the king. There's a disturbing picture of British men playing tug-of-war with an elephant's leg while the elephant tries to walk away.
History fact: Sheere-Ali Khan was the Emir of Afghanistan from 1863 to 1879. He ascended to the throne after having eliminated many members of his family, and became the champion of Russian expansionist ambitions, giving a very warm welcome to the tsar's ambassador. This was not at all to the liking of the British, whose sphere of influence in Asia was threatened. They became angry, invaded Afghanistan, took control of Kandahar (1879), deposed the emir and replaced him with Abd ur-Rahman, whose British sympathies were well known. (PG 209)
Me thinks this is history repeating itself over and over with what's going on now.... But what do I know? I have a brain and two eyes and can read between lines but I must be dumb....
I highly recommend this edition. Very informative and pictures and history to prove that not everything is a "conspiracy theory." And how humans must do better to protect the Earth and our animals from becoming extinct and invading other countries just makes you a damn evil.
August 23, 2020
I haven't read The Jungle Books as a child. I was somewhat familiar with the story and characters through cartoons and movies based on it, but the book turned out to be quite different. I liked this one more than I expected.
- It's a collection of short stories that are loosely connected or not connected at all. [I expected it to be more like a novel with a single plot line]
- About half of the stories feature Mowgli, the others have nothing to do with him. [I expected it all to be about Mowgli]
- It was surprisingly gruesome at times. It featured hunting and skinning animals with more details than I expected. I get that it's the Jungle and all, but it's a children's book, too.
- Each story has a poem associated with it. I really enjoyed these!
- There were elements in the stories that were obviously meant to teach a lesson. I found these were done well and tastefully. It's easy to end up sounding like a lecturer, and Kipling avoided that.
- Colonialism is ever-present in Kipling's writing, but I saw it coming.
Overall, good.
- It's a collection of short stories that are loosely connected or not connected at all. [I expected it to be more like a novel with a single plot line]
- About half of the stories feature Mowgli, the others have nothing to do with him. [I expected it all to be about Mowgli]
- It was surprisingly gruesome at times. It featured hunting and skinning animals with more details than I expected. I get that it's the Jungle and all, but it's a children's book, too.
- Each story has a poem associated with it. I really enjoyed these!
- There were elements in the stories that were obviously meant to teach a lesson. I found these were done well and tastefully. It's easy to end up sounding like a lecturer, and Kipling avoided that.
- Colonialism is ever-present in Kipling's writing, but I saw it coming.
Overall, good.
November 16, 2016
Whilst I think it is important to note and be aware of Rudyard Kipling’s acknowledged support for imperialism and colonialism when reading any of his works – these aren’t themes which I found to be particularly evident let alone prevalent throughout this book. Whilst we may find his politics distasteful at best and abhorrent at worst, I do think it is valid to judge a book (or any other work of art) outside of and standing alone from the artists political / moral beliefs – more specifically and perhaps only when those views do not (as in this case) overwhelm or define the art which is produced.
On to the book: Difficult at first when reading the first Mowgli stories for those of us who know and love the 1967 animated Disney version – not to picture the animated characters in the context of the original stories. However, it transpires that the original book / stories have little or nothing to do with the animated Disney film – other than character names and the (sporadic) jungle setting. Once I was able to transcend that brief initial barrier to the imagination, I was then able to immerse myself fully in these stories to their full extent.
As far as rating the book goes, this was challenging as the stories varied from anything between 2 and 5 stars – hence my eventual 4 star rating. To give some idea, I have listed the stories that I thought the most successful and enjoyed the most, as well as some that I found somewhat tedious and ultimately pointless.
Favourites (not in any order):
The White Seal
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Toomai of the Elephants The Miracle of Purun Bhagat
How Fear Came
The King's Ankus
Quiquern
The Spring Running
Kaa's Hunting Tiger! Tiger!
Most definitely bottom of the list:
Her Majesty's Servants
The Undertakers
(I didn’t enjoy much of the poetry in between all the stories – with the odd notable exception).
Overall and bearing in mind the number of great stories vs the number of ones that I think really should have been left out, this is a (generally) great collection of stories which creates a fantastic anthropomorphised world not just ‘of the jungle’ but of many other scenarios outside of/significantly remote from the jungle as well (which came as a surprise). This is written with such skill and creativity in some cases creating and resulting in some almost perfect short stories.
On to the book: Difficult at first when reading the first Mowgli stories for those of us who know and love the 1967 animated Disney version – not to picture the animated characters in the context of the original stories. However, it transpires that the original book / stories have little or nothing to do with the animated Disney film – other than character names and the (sporadic) jungle setting. Once I was able to transcend that brief initial barrier to the imagination, I was then able to immerse myself fully in these stories to their full extent.
As far as rating the book goes, this was challenging as the stories varied from anything between 2 and 5 stars – hence my eventual 4 star rating. To give some idea, I have listed the stories that I thought the most successful and enjoyed the most, as well as some that I found somewhat tedious and ultimately pointless.
Favourites (not in any order):
The White Seal
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Toomai of the Elephants The Miracle of Purun Bhagat
How Fear Came
The King's Ankus
Quiquern
The Spring Running
Kaa's Hunting Tiger! Tiger!
Most definitely bottom of the list:
Her Majesty's Servants
The Undertakers
(I didn’t enjoy much of the poetry in between all the stories – with the odd notable exception).
Overall and bearing in mind the number of great stories vs the number of ones that I think really should have been left out, this is a (generally) great collection of stories which creates a fantastic anthropomorphised world not just ‘of the jungle’ but of many other scenarios outside of/significantly remote from the jungle as well (which came as a surprise). This is written with such skill and creativity in some cases creating and resulting in some almost perfect short stories.
July 23, 2017
Deşi Prima carte a junglei nu mă atinsese aproape deloc, părându-mi-se mai degrabă o încercare eşuată de a scrie o carte pentru copii (deoarece incoerenţa firului narativ, puzzle-ul epic, depăşeşte cu mult mintea unui inocent), A doua carte a junglei este o adevărată panoramă (nevinovată, e drept, dar tocmai caracterul acesta feciorelnic îi da toată supleţea). Mi-a plăcut mult partea în care s-au întrepătruns cele două zone climatice - povestioara de la Pol şi pădurile tropicale ale Indiei.
Cu toată mişcarea vertiginoasă ce caracterizează romanul, acesta ajunge, în fine, sub aura melancoliei, deoarece omul se întoarce tot la om. Iar asta ca o lege nescrisă a junglei.
Mi-a plăcut foarte mult, ba chiar am şi râs la o remarcă scoasă parcă din context a autorului, remarcă inserată în ultimul capitol: "Mowgli se simţi fericit că era atât de trist, dacă puteţi înţelege acest tip sucit de fericire." Nici Cioran nu ar fi spus-o mai bine.
Cu toată mişcarea vertiginoasă ce caracterizează romanul, acesta ajunge, în fine, sub aura melancoliei, deoarece omul se întoarce tot la om. Iar asta ca o lege nescrisă a junglei.
Mi-a plăcut foarte mult, ba chiar am şi râs la o remarcă scoasă parcă din context a autorului, remarcă inserată în ultimul capitol: "Mowgli se simţi fericit că era atât de trist, dacă puteţi înţelege acest tip sucit de fericire." Nici Cioran nu ar fi spus-o mai bine.
February 15, 2021
I LOVED this book. These stories helped me escape the pain when I was recovering from surgery; however, I am bothered by the imperialism that runs beneath these tales. Some of my favorite stories were the ones that didn’t have Mowgli. I really liked the white seal, the mongoose, and the dogs of the Inuits.
March 25, 2019
2.5 Stars
I liked some stories more than others. The first few were my favorite and then I got bored. Half read, half listened to on audio b/c it seemed every time I picked it up, I fell asleep.
I liked some stories more than others. The first few were my favorite and then I got bored. Half read, half listened to on audio b/c it seemed every time I picked it up, I fell asleep.
February 15, 2016
Probably the first books that I read in English. Can't wait for the upcoming movie.
April 12, 2021
For English version please scroll down
*******
Ich kannte Das Dschungelbuch bisher nur von dem Disney Zeichentrickfilm und war daher ganz überrascht, dass es sich nicht um einen Roman, sondern um eine Sammlung von Kurzgeschichten handelt. Dabei sind nur knapp die Hälfte der Geschichten aus den beiden Bänden Mowgli-Geschichten. Die Disney-Verfilmung beschränkt sich jedoch auf die ersten drei Geschichten aus Band 1.
Die restlichen Erzählungen beschreiben zum Teil gleichermaßen die indische Tierwelt. Es gibt jedoch auch einige Geschichten aus Grönland über Robben und Inuit, die mir fast besser gefallen haben als die Dschungelgeschichten.
Die Kurzgeschichten sind besser zu lesen als ich es angesichts ihres Alters erwartet hatte (sie sind 1894 erstmals erschienen). Dennoch konnten sie bei mir nur mildes Interesse wecken.
Aus meiner Sicht 3 Sterne.
---------------------
So far, I only knew The Jungle Book from the Disney cartoon and was therefore very surprised that it was not a novel, but a collection of short stories. Less than half of the stories from the two volumes are Mowgli stories, though. However, the Disney film adaptation is limited to the first three stories from Volume 1.
The rest of the stories describe the Indian animal world. However, there are also some stories from Greenland about seals and Inuit that I almost liked better than the jungle stories.
The short stories are easier to read than I expected given their age (they were first published in 1894). Nevertheless, they could only arouse mild interest in me.
From my point of view 3 stars.
*******
Ich kannte Das Dschungelbuch bisher nur von dem Disney Zeichentrickfilm und war daher ganz überrascht, dass es sich nicht um einen Roman, sondern um eine Sammlung von Kurzgeschichten handelt. Dabei sind nur knapp die Hälfte der Geschichten aus den beiden Bänden Mowgli-Geschichten. Die Disney-Verfilmung beschränkt sich jedoch auf die ersten drei Geschichten aus Band 1.
Die restlichen Erzählungen beschreiben zum Teil gleichermaßen die indische Tierwelt. Es gibt jedoch auch einige Geschichten aus Grönland über Robben und Inuit, die mir fast besser gefallen haben als die Dschungelgeschichten.
Die Kurzgeschichten sind besser zu lesen als ich es angesichts ihres Alters erwartet hatte (sie sind 1894 erstmals erschienen). Dennoch konnten sie bei mir nur mildes Interesse wecken.
Aus meiner Sicht 3 Sterne.
---------------------
So far, I only knew The Jungle Book from the Disney cartoon and was therefore very surprised that it was not a novel, but a collection of short stories. Less than half of the stories from the two volumes are Mowgli stories, though. However, the Disney film adaptation is limited to the first three stories from Volume 1.
The rest of the stories describe the Indian animal world. However, there are also some stories from Greenland about seals and Inuit that I almost liked better than the jungle stories.
The short stories are easier to read than I expected given their age (they were first published in 1894). Nevertheless, they could only arouse mild interest in me.
From my point of view 3 stars.
December 13, 2023
there are multiple chapters involving seals which don’t even live in the jungle kipling you idiot
November 8, 2020
2.5
Tiene un fuerte componente de nostalgia lo que es raro porque nunca leí este libro antes y de la película de Disney no recuerdo nada, así que solo se lo puedo atribuir al estilo de escritura del autor y ni a mis propios recuerdos.
Es por eso que no estoy segura si me gustó o no, por un lado odié la primera historia de manera casi instantánea y pensé en abandonar el libro en el primer capítulo pero me animé a leer la segunda y a pesar que no se diferencia en nada de la primera, esta si me gusto (más o menos). No sé este libro fue una rara experiencia.
Tiene un fuerte componente de nostalgia lo que es raro porque nunca leí este libro antes y de la película de Disney no recuerdo nada, así que solo se lo puedo atribuir al estilo de escritura del autor y ni a mis propios recuerdos.
Es por eso que no estoy segura si me gustó o no, por un lado odié la primera historia de manera casi instantánea y pensé en abandonar el libro en el primer capítulo pero me animé a leer la segunda y a pesar que no se diferencia en nada de la primera, esta si me gusto (más o menos). No sé este libro fue una rara experiencia.
November 7, 2020
Yeah... No thanks. I'm going to stick with the Disney movie version
December 23, 2017
The Jungle Books: I should have realized when it states "Books" there are other tales other than just the Jungle Book. I guess I was just a little dense from reading the Little Golden Book version for so long to my Son and Grandsons. So once I got passed the point of 340 pages not dedicated strictly to Mowgli I began to read and enjoy the many tales enclosed.
Everyone (Im sure) knows the story of Mowgli and have seen the versions of films. It was the first film my Son saw as a toddler and the movie my Grandsons fell asleep to each and every night, they loved it that much.
This second book of Kiplings can be enjoyed by adults, the story has more depth than the version I have always read. There are also moral lessons of loyalty included with a little of man law justice. I think older readers will get much more out of these tales than younger readers that are used to the Disney version of Mowgli who is raised by wolves in the jungles of India. Once grown he has many guides who teach him the ways, these include his friends Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther and Kaa the python, as they face the jungle enemy Shere Khan the tiger.
The other tales? “The White Seal”, which is the story of a rare white furred northern seal looking for a new home where he will not be hunted by humans. “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”a stand-a-lone tale of a mongoose who defends a family living against a pair of cobras. “Toomai of the Elephants” is about boy of 10 that helps to take care of the elephants that are used to work and how someday they dance. And finally “Her Majesty’s Servants” about a camp full of men and their animals that talk amongst themselves about their work and being afraid.
It is not the simple tale I was imagining in the beginning, nevertheless Kipling is an incredible writer.
Kipling was the recipient of the 1907 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Everyone (Im sure) knows the story of Mowgli and have seen the versions of films. It was the first film my Son saw as a toddler and the movie my Grandsons fell asleep to each and every night, they loved it that much.
This second book of Kiplings can be enjoyed by adults, the story has more depth than the version I have always read. There are also moral lessons of loyalty included with a little of man law justice. I think older readers will get much more out of these tales than younger readers that are used to the Disney version of Mowgli who is raised by wolves in the jungles of India. Once grown he has many guides who teach him the ways, these include his friends Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther and Kaa the python, as they face the jungle enemy Shere Khan the tiger.
The other tales? “The White Seal”, which is the story of a rare white furred northern seal looking for a new home where he will not be hunted by humans. “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”a stand-a-lone tale of a mongoose who defends a family living against a pair of cobras. “Toomai of the Elephants” is about boy of 10 that helps to take care of the elephants that are used to work and how someday they dance. And finally “Her Majesty’s Servants” about a camp full of men and their animals that talk amongst themselves about their work and being afraid.
It is not the simple tale I was imagining in the beginning, nevertheless Kipling is an incredible writer.
Kipling was the recipient of the 1907 Nobel Prize in Literature.
February 21, 2021
Příběh "chlapce vychovaného vlky" mě v dětství fascinoval. Mauglí to jsem byl vlastně já... jenom jsem se nenarodil a nevyrůstal v džungli. Už od útlého dětsví jsem znal supraphonskou audionahrávku Mauglí a sotva jsem dosáhl rozumné čtenářské zdatnosti a prošmejdil naši wall-to-wall/floor-to-ceiling knihovnu, ukořistil jsem i tuto knihu a odnesl si ji do svého (čtenářského) doupěte.
Příběhy o Mauglím jsou samozřejmě nejznámější a mají největší dramatický oblouk (a i proto se vydávají samostatně), ale jsou tam i jiné skvosty. Mojí nejoblíběnější ne-mauglíovskou povídkou a postavou byl Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, srdnatá promyka mungo, bojující s dvojicí kober.
Zajímavé je, že mnoho aspektů Knih džunglí se dostalo do trampské a skautské mytologie. A tak i já, byť formálně pionýr, jsem chodil do oddílu, který vedli bývalí skauti - jmenovali jsme se Vlčata, měli jsme svého Akélu a čas od času jsem se scházeli na Poradní skále. I nějaký ten Rikki-Tikki se mezi trampy občas objevil. A všichni jsme se učili a ctili Zákon džungle. Já ho dnes předávám svým dětem.
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Recenze Mauglí (audiobook) ★★★★★
Recenze Knihy džunglí (novější vydání) ★★★★
Příběhy o Mauglím jsou samozřejmě nejznámější a mají největší dramatický oblouk (a i proto se vydávají samostatně), ale jsou tam i jiné skvosty. Mojí nejoblíběnější ne-mauglíovskou povídkou a postavou byl Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, srdnatá promyka mungo, bojující s dvojicí kober.
Zajímavé je, že mnoho aspektů Knih džunglí se dostalo do trampské a skautské mytologie. A tak i já, byť formálně pionýr, jsem chodil do oddílu, který vedli bývalí skauti - jmenovali jsme se Vlčata, měli jsme svého Akélu a čas od času jsem se scházeli na Poradní skále. I nějaký ten Rikki-Tikki se mezi trampy občas objevil. A všichni jsme se učili a ctili Zákon džungle. Já ho dnes předávám svým dětem.
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Recenze Mauglí (audiobook) ★★★★★
Recenze Knihy džunglí (novější vydání) ★★★★
July 17, 2012
This collection, including all of Mowgli's stories as well as Rikki-tikki-tavi, was culled from Kipling's original, two volume collection of jungle stories. I like the thematic continuity of this volume, and including the mongoose story as a capstone played very well to my young audience.
Mowgli's journey as a boy raised among wolves resonates on a deeply human and humane level. Kipling clearly stacks the deck in favor of the animals--at least those who operate according to the Law of the Jungle--in comparison to the (mostly) powerful and willful humans that occasionally enter the stories. However, to suggest that Kipling was undercutting the unique and special place of humanity is, I think, to miss the point of these wonderful stories. Yes, we humans don't respect our world the way we should--such a message is undeniable in the stories (and in everyday life, for that matter). However, Mowgli as the central character spends the length of the stories trying to find his place in the world, among the animals, on his own, or with the humans. That he eventually ends up choosing the latter feels less like a loss and more like a fundamental reality of life--humans are humans, and we belong together. That said, the human he goes to stands as a shining example of goodness among our kind, uniting with Mowgli to form a pair of strong characters that act honorably and sacrificially when presented with difficulties and conflicts.
The stories are varied, focusing on different animals in the jungle that Mowgli associates with--the wolves, Baloo the bear, Bagheera the black panther, Kaa the python, the monkeys, Hathi the elephant, the pack of red dogs, and most dramatically Shere Khan, the tiger. Several of the stories pack an emotional wallop, none more so than the first (Mowgli's Brothers) and the last (The Spring Running) in the sequence. This is a magnificent group of tales, one that recognizes humanity's unique place among all living beings (see especially Mowgli's interactions with the animals), and one that understands the value of sacrificial love, the wisdom of elders, and the need for friendship.
Mowgli's journey as a boy raised among wolves resonates on a deeply human and humane level. Kipling clearly stacks the deck in favor of the animals--at least those who operate according to the Law of the Jungle--in comparison to the (mostly) powerful and willful humans that occasionally enter the stories. However, to suggest that Kipling was undercutting the unique and special place of humanity is, I think, to miss the point of these wonderful stories. Yes, we humans don't respect our world the way we should--such a message is undeniable in the stories (and in everyday life, for that matter). However, Mowgli as the central character spends the length of the stories trying to find his place in the world, among the animals, on his own, or with the humans. That he eventually ends up choosing the latter feels less like a loss and more like a fundamental reality of life--humans are humans, and we belong together. That said, the human he goes to stands as a shining example of goodness among our kind, uniting with Mowgli to form a pair of strong characters that act honorably and sacrificially when presented with difficulties and conflicts.
The stories are varied, focusing on different animals in the jungle that Mowgli associates with--the wolves, Baloo the bear, Bagheera the black panther, Kaa the python, the monkeys, Hathi the elephant, the pack of red dogs, and most dramatically Shere Khan, the tiger. Several of the stories pack an emotional wallop, none more so than the first (Mowgli's Brothers) and the last (The Spring Running) in the sequence. This is a magnificent group of tales, one that recognizes humanity's unique place among all living beings (see especially Mowgli's interactions with the animals), and one that understands the value of sacrificial love, the wisdom of elders, and the need for friendship.
November 14, 2021
Pues estoy gratamente sorprendida con este libro.
No me lo esperaba así para nada.
Normalmente no suelo conectar mucho con los libros de relatos, pero en este libro todos están relacionados con la selva y la mayoría conectados entre sí por la historia de Mougli, el niño lobo.
La historia de Mougli es fascinante, y a lo largo de unos cuantos relatos interrumpidos por otros independientes, conoceremos dónde nació, cómo llegó a la selva, quiénes fueron su manada, qué relación tuvo con los hombres y cuál fue su final.
Entre los relatos independientes hay uno en concreto que me ha alucinado, uno sobre un hombre santo de la India, un hombre importante que renunció a todo para irse a las montañas en busca de la paz del desapego.
En general me ha encantado, le he dado 4⭐️. He conectado muchísimo con el estilo narrativo del autor y la ambientación me ha cautivado. Ha sido como empaparme con la humedad de la selva y aprender a moverme por ella según su Ley.
Puntazo extra a las canciones que hay al final de cada relato. Todo genial.
No me lo esperaba así para nada.
Normalmente no suelo conectar mucho con los libros de relatos, pero en este libro todos están relacionados con la selva y la mayoría conectados entre sí por la historia de Mougli, el niño lobo.
La historia de Mougli es fascinante, y a lo largo de unos cuantos relatos interrumpidos por otros independientes, conoceremos dónde nació, cómo llegó a la selva, quiénes fueron su manada, qué relación tuvo con los hombres y cuál fue su final.
Entre los relatos independientes hay uno en concreto que me ha alucinado, uno sobre un hombre santo de la India, un hombre importante que renunció a todo para irse a las montañas en busca de la paz del desapego.
En general me ha encantado, le he dado 4⭐️. He conectado muchísimo con el estilo narrativo del autor y la ambientación me ha cautivado. Ha sido como empaparme con la humedad de la selva y aprender a moverme por ella según su Ley.
Puntazo extra a las canciones que hay al final de cada relato. Todo genial.
September 10, 2019
3/5stars
November 24, 2008
I read this to Nick because I read it myself as a first grader. (Yes, I was a precocious reader.) Since I haven't even glanced at it in the quarter century of intervening years, it was interesting to come back to it.
In some ways I was disappointed as an adult reader. The formal, quasi-Elizabethan language the animals use to talk to each other struck me as pretentious, which I don't believe was at all my original reaction. There was that almost total lack of female characters that is almost inevitable in books meant for boys, which ticks me off every time. Kipling's imperialism and unconscious racism were also sadly clear to me. By racism, I hasten to add, I do not mean hatred. I mean an unthinking assumption that white people, specifically the English, are inherently better than brown people, specifically Indians, in certain ways. (The imperialism clearly arises from the same source.) In fact I think Kipling loved India, including the people who lived there. He just thought they weren't quite his equal. These things bothered me, but at the same time I don't want to be too hard on him. The man was writing over a hundred years ago, after all. He was a product of his time, and really, I think his attitudes were better than most of his contemporaries.
In spite of all this, there were many things to admire about these stories. They are undeniably exciting, with a fully realized, exotic setting. Riki-Tiki-Tavi was just as good as I remembered it. The Mowgli stories were more melancholy and violent than I remembered, but that's not entirely a bad thing. It didn't bother Nick any, certainly, and it meant I enjoyed them more than I might have otherwise.
Nick's opinion may matter the most. And he loved it. Maybe not as much as Harry Potter, but he was totally into the book. The parts that bothered me didn't impinge on his mind at all. All he heard was a series of cool stories about tough little boys and brave, noble animals.
In some ways I was disappointed as an adult reader. The formal, quasi-Elizabethan language the animals use to talk to each other struck me as pretentious, which I don't believe was at all my original reaction. There was that almost total lack of female characters that is almost inevitable in books meant for boys, which ticks me off every time. Kipling's imperialism and unconscious racism were also sadly clear to me. By racism, I hasten to add, I do not mean hatred. I mean an unthinking assumption that white people, specifically the English, are inherently better than brown people, specifically Indians, in certain ways. (The imperialism clearly arises from the same source.) In fact I think Kipling loved India, including the people who lived there. He just thought they weren't quite his equal. These things bothered me, but at the same time I don't want to be too hard on him. The man was writing over a hundred years ago, after all. He was a product of his time, and really, I think his attitudes were better than most of his contemporaries.
In spite of all this, there were many things to admire about these stories. They are undeniably exciting, with a fully realized, exotic setting. Riki-Tiki-Tavi was just as good as I remembered it. The Mowgli stories were more melancholy and violent than I remembered, but that's not entirely a bad thing. It didn't bother Nick any, certainly, and it meant I enjoyed them more than I might have otherwise.
Nick's opinion may matter the most. And he loved it. Maybe not as much as Harry Potter, but he was totally into the book. The parts that bothered me didn't impinge on his mind at all. All he heard was a series of cool stories about tough little boys and brave, noble animals.
February 10, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you, Karen, for this.
April 4, 2023
Tanta buona volontà ma proprio non fa per me. Soporifero a dir poco…😪
July 23, 2023
All the three stars on this book are for Mowgli. ❤️
I didn’t know that “TheJungle Books” entails several short stories. I just thought I’d be reading about Mowgli all through, so I was very disappointed with that. I didn’t care for the other stories other than the one on Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.
I was really tempted to give this a 2 but Mowgli has my heart so three it is.
I didn’t know that “TheJungle Books” entails several short stories. I just thought I’d be reading about Mowgli all through, so I was very disappointed with that. I didn’t care for the other stories other than the one on Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.
I was really tempted to give this a 2 but Mowgli has my heart so three it is.
February 28, 2022
Kipling is a gifted short storyteller. It took me so long to get through this because I tend to have a lot of trouble getting through collections of short stories. I know, weird.
I liked Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and the only about the elephant ballrooms best. I thought Kipling showed a great understanding of nature and India in his work.
While this may not have been my favorite type of story, and it took me a long time to get through it, I appreciated the journey. I felt that Kipling also did one of the best jobs I've seen at characterizing animals and giving them a culture and traits without making them human. They retained very much an animal personality.
I liked Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and the only about the elephant ballrooms best. I thought Kipling showed a great understanding of nature and India in his work.
While this may not have been my favorite type of story, and it took me a long time to get through it, I appreciated the journey. I felt that Kipling also did one of the best jobs I've seen at characterizing animals and giving them a culture and traits without making them human. They retained very much an animal personality.
December 27, 2024
3.5⭐️. These were fun and exceeded my expectations. Kipling’s prose was masterful.
August 20, 2021
As with most short story collections, the two volumes of The Jungle Book contained stories I loved, stories I didn't, and stories everywhere in between. My two favorites were unrelated to Mowgli: "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" and "The White Seal." My least favorite of all was the incredibly morbid "The Undertakers," though the ending was pretty cool. But I enjoyed most of the Mowgli stories. I think my favorite of those was either "Kaa's Hunting" or "The Red Dog."
Kipling is extremely gifted at pulling the reader into the scene. His writing is evocative, lyrical, yet concrete. You feel the steaminess of the Indian jungle and the frozen winds of the Arctic (the setting for "The White Seal" and "Quiquern"). Your blood pumps while Mowgli is being carried off by monkeys or outrunning vicious dholes. Yet Kipling's storytelling style has an old fairytale, legendary feel as well.
Mowgli had to grow on me, but I liked all his animal friends, especially Bagheera and Kaa. (Kaa is sooo different from the Disney version!) Maybe it's just me, but I was surprised at the gruesomeness of some of the content of The Jungle Books ... just be aware of that if you haven't read them yet. :) But I do highly recommend giving them a try!
Kipling is extremely gifted at pulling the reader into the scene. His writing is evocative, lyrical, yet concrete. You feel the steaminess of the Indian jungle and the frozen winds of the Arctic (the setting for "The White Seal" and "Quiquern"). Your blood pumps while Mowgli is being carried off by monkeys or outrunning vicious dholes. Yet Kipling's storytelling style has an old fairytale, legendary feel as well.
Mowgli had to grow on me, but I liked all his animal friends, especially Bagheera and Kaa. (Kaa is sooo different from the Disney version!) Maybe it's just me, but I was surprised at the gruesomeness of some of the content of The Jungle Books ... just be aware of that if you haven't read them yet. :) But I do highly recommend giving them a try!
November 29, 2025
The feeling of authenticity
There are a few books that so struck me that I remember exactly where I was when I read them: Pushkin's masterpiece Eugene Onegin, Pride and Prejudice (actually, it is my second reading of P&P that I remember), and Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Books.
I was probably nine or ten years old and was staying for a few days with my grandmother. Like any addict on arriving at a new place, my first concern was to secure my supply. I therefore checked out Nana's bookshelves for books I could read during my visit. On one of her shelves -- I can still picture it -- there was a series of classics by different authors, published and bound in uniformly formatted hardbacks. It was the kind of series that is intended not so much to be read as to look good on a bookshelf. I was familiar with Kipling's name because my mother read to us from his Just So Stories, and even I could not forget a name like Rudyard Kipling. And there, in red leather among other red leather-bound books, were two side-by-side, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book, within convenient reach of one of Nana's armchairs. (It is possible that I am the only person who ever actually opened those books.)
They were good. They were really good. I subsequently read everything by Kipling I could find. And I still consider him one of the best story-tellers who has ever written in English. To my mind, what is distinctive about Kipling is the feeling of authenticity he gives to his stories. I can read a story written in the voice of a mongoose, and while I'm reading I can't help but believe that this is exactly and authentically what's it's like to be a mongoose.
I know of course that's nonsense. If I concentrate I can even occasionally see the magic being worked -- the detail so strange and yet believable that it could not possibly just have been made up -- even though I know it was.
Like many Anglo-Indians born in India to English parents Kipling spent his first five years in the care of servants who spoke Hindi.
About half the stories concern Mowgli, a boy raised in the jungle by wolves and his animal friends (the wolves, Bagheera the panther, Baloo the bear, Kaa the python) and enemies (chiefly the tiger Shere Khan). The other half are standalone stories. The majority of these are also set in British India, with the exceptions already noted.
Like many books written by white men around the turn of the 19th century (1894 and 1895), The Jungle Books contain much that looks objectionable to a 21st-century reader. Opinions differ, of course, but I think they repay the effort of tolerance.
Blog review.
There are a few books that so struck me that I remember exactly where I was when I read them: Pushkin's masterpiece Eugene Onegin, Pride and Prejudice (actually, it is my second reading of P&P that I remember), and Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Books.
I was probably nine or ten years old and was staying for a few days with my grandmother. Like any addict on arriving at a new place, my first concern was to secure my supply. I therefore checked out Nana's bookshelves for books I could read during my visit. On one of her shelves -- I can still picture it -- there was a series of classics by different authors, published and bound in uniformly formatted hardbacks. It was the kind of series that is intended not so much to be read as to look good on a bookshelf. I was familiar with Kipling's name because my mother read to us from his Just So Stories, and even I could not forget a name like Rudyard Kipling. And there, in red leather among other red leather-bound books, were two side-by-side, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book, within convenient reach of one of Nana's armchairs. (It is possible that I am the only person who ever actually opened those books.)
They were good. They were really good. I subsequently read everything by Kipling I could find. And I still consider him one of the best story-tellers who has ever written in English. To my mind, what is distinctive about Kipling is the feeling of authenticity he gives to his stories. I can read a story written in the voice of a mongoose, and while I'm reading I can't help but believe that this is exactly and authentically what's it's like to be a mongoose.
I know of course that's nonsense. If I concentrate I can even occasionally see the magic being worked -- the detail so strange and yet believable that it could not possibly just have been made up -- even though I know it was.
Like many Anglo-Indians born in India to English parents Kipling spent his first five years in the care of servants who spoke Hindi.
In the afternoon heats before we took our sleep, she (the Portuguese ayah, or nanny) or Meeta (the Hindu bearer, or male attendant) would tell us stories and Indian nursery songs all unforgotten, and we were sent into the dining-room after we had been dressed, with the caution 'Speak English now to Papa and Mamma.' So one spoke 'English', haltingly translated out of the vernacular idiom that one thought and dreamed in.I assume much of that feeling of authenticity that pervades The Jungle Books was learned from those Hindu servants. I say "learned" rather than "borrowed" or "stolen" because many of the stories in The Jungle Books were not told him by those childhood caregivers -- for instance, "The White Seal" or "Quiquern," a story about Inuits surviving a hard Arctic winter.
About half the stories concern Mowgli, a boy raised in the jungle by wolves and his animal friends (the wolves, Bagheera the panther, Baloo the bear, Kaa the python) and enemies (chiefly the tiger Shere Khan). The other half are standalone stories. The majority of these are also set in British India, with the exceptions already noted.
Like many books written by white men around the turn of the 19th century (1894 and 1895), The Jungle Books contain much that looks objectionable to a 21st-century reader. Opinions differ, of course, but I think they repay the effort of tolerance.
Blog review.
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