Reviews with content warning for Colonisation - The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Fiction, Classics

Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Fiction, Classics by Rudyard Kipling

7 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

diana_raquel's review against another edition

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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.

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gemstonejasper's review against another edition

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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

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anniefwrites's review against another edition

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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.

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