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Reviews tagging 'Violence'
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Fiction, Classics by Rudyard Kipling
9 reviews
singalana's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.75
This book definitely isn't like a Disney movie, and I feel almost sad after reading this, as it ends with a song of the army's camp animals.
Despite the story collection's name, not all stories are of Mowgli and his animal friends. Most stories are set in India, and about half of them have animals as protagonists. Despite this, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend these stories for smaller children, as they can be quite violent.
The author is a bit controversial, as his books depict the time when the British ruled India. Colonialism is also present in this book, and some might even argue that the story about the seal conveys a certain message about whiteness.
I must say that, in my opinion, the book conveyed a certain love for India. The stories were easy to read, and the language did have its moments. My favourite tale was about a mongoose, and even though it was one of the most violent ones, there was something beautiful about it. Still, I can’t help but feel saddened about how people treat animals in this book. I’m unsure if the author tried to convey a message about that, but it made me think.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, and Colonisation
diana_raquel's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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
2.75
“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”
The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book are a collection of stories set in India, where most characters are animals. Within these stories, one of the most recognizable is the story of the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who is raised in the jungle by wolves.
For the most part, I found these stories interesting, however, I was not very interested in them. I cannot pinpoint why I was not interested, but, alas, I was not very interested. Therefore, I cannot give a more detailed review.
The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book are a collection of stories set in India, where most characters are animals. Within these stories, one of the most recognizable is the story of the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who is raised in the jungle by wolves.
For the most part, I found these stories interesting, however, I was not very interested in them. I cannot pinpoint why I was not interested, but, alas, I was not very interested. Therefore, I cannot give a more detailed review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation
gemstonejasper's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, and Colonisation
anniefwrites's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Well, it was about what you’d expect from a British colonialist writing about India. It was interesting to read the stories behind the Disney film, but the ones not included in the film weren’t as memorable. In general, I was a bit surprised by how violent and gruesome it was at times. I will give Kipling that he created some very iconic characters, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Gun violence and War
mnerd63's review against another edition
adventurous
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Racism and Colonisation
lucinotlucy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
ran_sophia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Racism, Slavery, and War
gymbeannz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
curatoriallyyours's review against another edition
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.
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.