The Jungle Book

Image credit: Amazon

First off, my apologies to readers for the lengthy absence; it would appear that I am going through a stage of apathy and mental conditioning that prevents me from finding the point in doing or attempting anything bar getting out of bed. It has been three weeks since my last book review and, whilst I am about to finally break that drought, believe me that it has not gone unfelt and unforgiven on my part.

Struggling with my latest literary venture (I’m only halfway through so a review is yet to come), I decided to set it aside and see if I couldn’t knock out a quick read just to have something to write about and keep the blog fresh. It took longer than expected, but here it is: that classic Rudyard Kipling novel made into a memorable Disney flick (twice) – The Jungle Book.

A classic nursery tale or bedtime story, The Jungle Book (not that I need to remind anyone) tells the story of Mowgli, a human baby who was saved from the tiger Shere Khan and raised in the jungle by a pack of wolves. Despite being safe in the jungle thanks to the teachings of Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther, Mowgli’s life remains in danger as Shere Khan vows to hunt him down and kill him.

This is but the main focus of The Jungle Book; there are a number of other short stories set in the jungle and at sea with anthropomorphised animals being the protagonists, including Kotick the White Seal, Little Toomai of the Elephants, and animals in her Majesty’s service in India.

All Kipling’s stories within The Jungle Book exhibit a sometimes grim and hostile and other times honorary and humble attitude toward the native fauna of India and their relationship with Man. Rich in jungle fables, no doubt plucked from his own experiences growing up, The Jungle Book is a good read for all ages as its content, and a number of its heroes, is directed at children while its prose is mature and geared toward adult readers.

Image credit: Encyclopedia Britannica

This particularly, is what makes The Jungle Book so all-inclusive: it’s a collection of children’s tales that is supposed to be read by adults. There’s this wonderful, traditional, oral inclination when you read these, much better suited to a schoolroom or fireside in front of a group of youngsters.

The stories themselves are sweet, exciting, and have something of the fairytale adventure vibe to them, much like the Indian equivalent of the Brothers Grimm. I found it most enjoyable.

The Jungle Book was written by Rudyard Kipling in 1894 and was first published in magazines between 1893 and ’94, accompanied by illustrations from Kipling’s father, John Lockwood Kipling.