enbyemu's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
My enjoyment of The Jungle Book duology is complicated. On the one hand, I feel that it is important to acknowledge and understand Kipling's nationalism/racism/classism as it permeates the entirety of both books. On the other hand, I adore and take great joy from the animalistic societies that he creates. They feel just other-worldly enough to feel truly ANIMAL and separate from humanity. However, in truth, they seem to have direct correlations to Kipling's views of British superiority (i.e. the villainized, lawless monkeys that steal Mowgli in one story are described in a very similar way to people from Afghanistan in another) - they only seem other-worldly to me because my worldview is so different than his was.
Ethical consumption of art is a complicated business, to say the least. I personally find it possible to find love for The Jungle Book while still acknowledging and criticizing the problems Kipling weaved throughout, but I understand that not everyone will feel the same.
Ethical consumption of art is a complicated business, to say the least. I personally find it possible to find love for The Jungle Book while still acknowledging and criticizing the problems Kipling weaved throughout, but I understand that not everyone will feel the same.
barbara1109's review against another edition
4.0
Da sam znala koliko se spominju zmije ne bih čitala :(
nikireads100's review against another edition
5.0
I did not want to read this as I really disliked the movie. I loved this book, and so some of the metaphors with it! Can’t wait to read the oringal.
abs91jc's review against another edition
3.0
It is very different from the Disney retelling/versions, which is not a bad thing, as at least you get something different. Some of the short stories were bizarre and boring to be honest. Not that enjoyable, so I was glad to finish it
jensgandersen's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
daisey's review against another edition
3.0
I grew up watching the animated Disney version of the The Jungle Book and just read the original book a few months ago. It was very different from the movie and actually includes several short stories about different characters. In my opinion, some of those stories were great, but as in most short story collections others were less impressive. This book is a wonderful adaptation of those original stories and stays true to their details. I truly enjoyed the same stories that I enjoyed in the original, and thought the others were well told in this format. The art added a great layer to the stories and represented the characters well.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: August 14th 2017
“The reason the beasts give among themselves is that Man is the weakest and most defenseless of all living things, and it is unsportsmanlike to touch him.”
Spoiler
I've been seriously neglecting my classics this year, but didn't want to force myself to read something complicated to avoid worsening my slump either. That is when I remembered I had a copy of The Jungle Book on my kindle, and decided to read it on the spot. I must have seen the Disney movie a hundred times when I was little and still remember some of the songs to this date... So I was really looking forward to finally read the original story the movie was based on. And let me tell you, the people of Disney have interpreted Mowgli's story VERY loosely. I personally didn't mind that much since it has been ages
A young man-cub barely escapes the claws of the greedy tiger Shere Khan as he is found by Father Wolf and Mother Wolf in the jungle. Shere Khan demands the wolfs to hand the man-cub over, but Father and Mother Wolf are determined to protect the little one and decide to raise the child as their own. Little Mowgli grows up among the wolves, but there will come a time the pack can no longer defend him... And Mowgli will have to learn the secrets of the Jungle in order to survive.
I was pleasantly surprised by just how easy it was to read this classic. Sure, the dialogues felt a bit dated, but the rest of the writing read naturally and made it really easy to enjoy Mowgli's story. The other four stories included afterwards weren't as enjoyable for me and lowered the rating a bit, but all in all I can definitely recommend The Jungle Book to those who are looking for an easy and entertaining classic. The songs at the beginning of the chapters were a nice touch!
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
kaniz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
There were a few stories here and I loved Mowgli's story the most. If you're also a fan of "The Jungle Book" (2016) movie like me, you will surely love the extra details here. So, up to Mowgli's story it’s an easy 4.75★.
But the rest of the stories, though I liked, didn’t love as much. The barrier of understanding old english may be the major reason for this. So, for the rest of the stories they were 3-3.5★ for me.
So, the overall rating I think 3.75★.
But the rest of the stories, though I liked, didn’t love as much. The barrier of understanding old english may be the major reason for this. So, for the rest of the stories they were 3-3.5★ for me.
So, the overall rating I think 3.75★.