The Jungle Book [Hardcover]

 

 

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Don't get me wrong. Kipling's Jungle Book is Awesome. The problem with this adaptation is that it is not Kipling's Jungle Book. Be careful what you order!! The language and tone of Vogel's adaptation is changed in ways that strip the stories of the sense of pride and self that made the originals such tremendous lessons, and of the subtle darkness that gave them the ring of truth. It's almost worse than Disney's handiwork, because in a certain sense it purports to be the orginal story!

Some examples:

Original Version: Ye choose and ye do not choose! What talk is this of choosing? By the bull that I killed, am I to stand nosing into your dog's den for my fair dues? It is I, Shere Khan who speak!

Adapted Version: How dare you talk of choosing. I, Shere Khan, demand that cub.
***
Original Version: They fed me behind bars from an iron pan till one night I felt that I was Bagheera - the Panther - and no man's plaything, and I broke the silly lock with one blow of my paw and came away.

Adapted Version: After my mother died there, I broke the silly lock with one blow of my paw and escaped.

***
Original Version: He is a man, a man's child, and from the marrow of my bones I hate him!

Adapted Version: Remember, he is just a man.

****
Original Version: "Also, I paid for him with a bull when he was accepted. The worth of a bull is little, but Bagheera's honor is something that he will perhaps fight for," said Bagheera in his gentlest voice. "A bull paid ten years ago!" the Pack snarled. "What do we care for bones ten years old?"
"Or for a pledge?" said Bagheera, his white teeth bared under his lip. "Well are ye called the Free People!"

Adapted Version: And I paid for him with a bull when he was accepted into the pack," added Bagheera. "What do we care about a bull we ate ten years ago" snarled the young wolves. "What do you care about promise either?" snapped Bagheera.

And so on....

Virtually every paragraph is watered down like this. Was this done to make it easier reading for today's reading-challenged youths? Or to introduce PC to this classic (we obviously can't have any talk of "brown men", killing, hatred, or of fighting for principles). Whatever the reason, the entire flavor of the original is changed. Kipling was doing fine without the help.

The book The Jungle Book is a book about a young boy who was found by a black panther in the jungle. The panther took the boy and for ten years the boy grew up with wolfs and learned how to scratch and pick out thorns of paws. The he goes and learns different things from different animals. But one animal that hates him is a tiger; because he thinks some day he will be hunter. After the tiger tries to kill the boy the boy goes and live with humans. I like this book because it has bigger words and it has good fun with animals. I recommend it to anyone. And the movie is even better.

"The Jungle Book" is a collection of stories (or fables) and songs/poems by Rudyard Kipling, and was originally published in 1894. The book consists of 7 short stories, separated by seven poems. The first three stories involve Mowgli, but the other four stories are not part of that series, nor do they all take place in the same jungle or any jungle at all. What these stories do have in common is the anthropomorphizing of animals as characters in these stories. As with all fables, these stories impart a moral message to the reader.

"Mowgli's Brothers" is the first story in the book and was originally published in January of 1894 in "St. Nicholas Magazine". The story is about Mowgli being adopted by the wolf family which then raises him. With Shere Khan hunting in their area of the jungle, the Father Wolf (Akela) and the mother (Raksha) find and take in a human baby. At the wolf council, Baloo speaks for the cub, and Bagheera buys his life with a fresh kill. As time passes, Shere Khan turns most of the wolves against Mowgli, and they plot to overthrow Akela as the leader. Mowgli is then sent away from the wolves, vowing to return with Shere Khan's hide. This story is followed by the "Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack".

"Kaa's Hunting" is a short study from March-April of 1894. It takes place sometime during the period covered in "Mowgli's Brothers", though it isn't mentioned in that story. It is a story about Mowgli's abduction by monkees, a.k.a the Bandar-log. Baloo and Bagheera, rescue Mowgli with the aid of Kaa. This story is followed by the "Road Song of the Bandar-Log".

"Tiger! Tiger!" was a short story published in February of 1894 in magazines before being published in this collection. This covers the confrontation between Mowgli and Shere Khan. Mowgli has been kicked out of the jungle and has been adopted by a couple who believe he is Nathoo, the child that they lost. Mowgli tries to fit in, but he alienates himself from the others because he doesn't accept their misconceptions about the jungle. Shere Khan returns and is plotting to kill Mowgli, but he is warned by one of his wolf friends (Grey Brother) whom he goes to visit regularly. Mowgli comes up with a plan to kill Shere Khan, but when successful he gets into an argument with Buldeo, the hunger. Buldeo tries to take Shere Khan's skin, but Mowgli refuses to give it to him, so Buldeo turns the entire village against him and Mowgli finds himself an outcast of both the jungle and the village. This story is followed by "Mowgli's Song".

"The White Seal" is a short story published in August of 1893. The story is about Kotick, a rare white-furred seal who spends his life searching for a home where seals will not be hunted by humans. He is isolated from the other seals by his goal, but he finally discovers a place that the Sea Cows know which is free from man. This story is followed by "Lukannon".

"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is a story from November of 1893. In this story an English family save a young mongoose (Rikki Tikki) who becomes their pet. Rikki Tikki first saves the families young boy Teddy from a dust brown snakeling. Rikki Tikki takes to patrolling the house while the family sleeps, and it is during this that he is warned by Chuchundra that there are two cobras (Nag and Nagaina) that are planning to kill the family. Rikki Tikki first takes on Nag, waking the father who kills Nag. Nagaina then swears vengeance, but Rikki Tikki gets help from Darzee (a tailor bird) and locates Nagainaj's nest and then uses the eggs to distract Nagaina to save Teddy again. This story is followed by "Darzee's Chant".

"Toomai of the Elephants" is a short story from the December of 1893. In this story little Toomai is told that he cannot be an elephant handler unless he sees the dance of the elephants. When the great elephant Kala Nag hears the call of the elephant from far off in the jungle, he goes to find the elephants, taking little Toomai with him. This story is followed y "Shiv and the Grasshopper".

"Her Majesty's Servants" was originally published in March of 1894. This story is about the various animals used to support Her Majesty's armed forces in India. The animals discuss their roles in the army, each taking pride in the function they perform. This is followed by "Parade-Song of the Camp Animals" which closes out the book.

This is a good collection of short stories, though there is a definite variability in the quality, and of course they don't all take place in the jungle. Rudyard Kipling wrote poems, short stories, and novels. Having lived in India, England, and the United States, and also spent a fair amount of time in South Africa. He drew on the rich cultural history that he enjoyed to create some wonderful tales. He remains one of the best known writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "The Jungle Book" is one of his best known works, though most know it through films which do not accurately represent the stories within. It blends his short fiction with some of his poems, but I find it a bit too uneven to give it five-stars.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Kipling's Masterful Storytelling, History, and Modern Mythology Come Together
Legends are made from legends. Rudyard Kipling dug deep into the tales of the jungle from his years living in India, and drew from them the kinds of stories that live... Read more

Published 18 months ago by Brockeim

1.0 out of 5 stars Jungle book
Probably would have been a great book to read but Amazon decided that our address of 70 years does not exsist according to a gps or something, no personal contact was made to... Read more

Published on Mar 4 2010 by Carol Germain

4.0 out of 5 stars Classics then and now
Not being able to recall a time when the Jungle Book tale was not apart of my life, it was a shock when I realized in my third decade that Kiplings words had yet to be read by my... Read more

Published on Oct 3 2007 by V. G. Gaudio

5.0 out of 5 stars Kipling's original masterpiece
I've been looking for the "Jungle Book" book since I watched both Disney films. Both are wonderful but I do understand what reviewer rockdoc28 meant by there being a watering down... Read more

Published on Jun 19 2004 by Carmen K. Welsh Jr.

2.0 out of 5 stars I read this book just to compare
When I started this book I just didn't like it, but then I remembered the movie of Walt Disney and I kept reading just to compare the original story with the movie, I definitely... Read more

Published on May 21 2004 by Jorge Frid

5.0 out of 5 stars WELL BEYOND DISNEY
The Jungle Book

When we say "The Jungle Book" most of us invariably think of Disney's films, both animated and live action, that have become the norm for Rudyard Kipling's... Read more

Published on Nov 16 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars A book of wonder
This was probably one of my most favorite books as a young child if not my favorite. The way Kipling shows the struggle of this young boy in the jungle is amazing. Read more

Published on Mar 24 2003 by Jon Bowling

5.0 out of 5 stars All time favorite
The Jungle Book is now one of my all time favorite books. When you read the book it makes you feel like you're there too. Read more

Published on Feb 25 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
I think the jungle book was very interesting and adventurous.I recommend this book because it was fun to read.

Published on Dec 3 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
Kipling's Jungle Book is one of the great classics of children's literature. The central story, that of Mowgli, is an engaging adventure with a much deeper theme of alienation,... Read more

Published on Oct 24 2002 by Bukkene Bruse

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