2007-12-07 Man's red flower!

"Man goes to man, in the end." Poignant, endearing, at times brutal, The Jungle Book pressed all my buttons.

As a young child who loved and adored all the Disney animated classics, particularly The Jungle Book, once I found out it had actually originated from a book, it was a must read, especially from such an esteemed writer. The book however is much more in depth and fulfilling than the animated cartoon. It charts Mowgli through his adventures in the jungle and his rise to friend and master of all in his domain. Along the way Kipling breaks off for exciting forays into other animal kingdoms and environments other than just the jungle, giving a real mixed bag of wonderful images resonating in the mind, from seal and Innuit, to a mongoose and elephant, there is plenty of variety that kept me entertained.
What particularly impressed me, was the way Kipling managed to muscle a meaningful short story into individual chapters, without leaving me with a sense I hadn't gotten to know the characters.

I really loved this book, and would definitely recommenend it.