A review by curatoriallyyours
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I was pleasantly surprised by this classic - the adventures are fast-paced and it was easy to get into the rhythm of the language, despite the different time it was written in. I tried to view it as much as possible without the lens of modern thinking overlaid, but some of the British colonial ways of talking about the people and cultures of India and Afghanistan sit awkwardly, even though I’d hesitate to call them overtly racist. If anything, I’d say India and the way of life is depicted as exotic and fascinating from a perspective of someone who sees himself as superior, which is, of course, not ok but also not unexpected from an author living in British colonial India during the period. Still, this is a minor aspect of the book as it mostly focuses on anthropomorphic animals and their affairs and only a little on people. I was surprised, given the Disney film I remember, that the Mowgli part of the book was only about half of it. The other stories were also engaging and I particularly liked The White Seal. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Grief

This book is written from the British colonial mindset during India’s time as part of the British colony. There are some negative or ‘othering’ attitudes toward people of colour that come through but these are a minor part of the book, which is a product of its time. I also felt a little surprised by the way children were thought of and treated, which is not in line with my own views of how children should be thought of and treated.