Your Daily Penguin: The Jungle Books!

[@TheMikester307]

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is one of the mos frightening stories I ever read!

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

Hope you are feeling better today. I am so delighted to hear you speaking up for Kipling. He was a formative influence on my reading as a child and I have come back to him as an adult. As you say he is undervalued now because of concern about the British imperial legacy. Some of his work is jingoistic but he is so much more than that. His appreciation of Indian culture is profound. Thank you for the beautiful and moving reading. Bagheera speaks for all parents at that moment, launching their children into the world. Kipling's poem Sussex is a family anthem for us. Tilly and Alfred can recite chunks of it at will. "Our blunt, bow-headed, whale-backed Downs" and the "dim blue goodness of the Weald" are the most perfect description of our home county. Bravo Steve as ever!

[@gs547]

Growing up, I sometimes saw complete collections of Kipling in the homes of Japanese plantation workers in Hawaii. Thinking back, I think they may have appealed to these poor Japanese due to the Hindu/Buddhist swastikas imprinted on the cover of these books. These reverse swastikas must have raised the eyebrows of the govt authorities during WWII. My grandfather had his short wave radio confiscated and he was interned for a while by the authorities. Some sales person successfully marketed these books to plantation workers who spoke only broken English, probably for the edification of their children. I somehow inherited 4 random volumes, which makes up the majority of my Kipling collection. Yes, Kipling is a marvelous story-teller.

[@tripp8833]

Best daily penguin yet... wow. Bravo, Steve

[@tripp8833]

It’s amazing watching your mood gradually improve as the video goes on and you go on talking about Kipling - shows how much you appreciate him as an author!

[@mattierosss]

We should add this to our read-along list along with your other A-listers.

[@robertdavis1783]

The setting of the Jungle Books was always one that I didn’t have much interest in as a kid (was far more interested in the Arctic or a Victorian atmosphere), but this video has convinced me to find a copy and give it a shot. I already love Kipling’s poetry (criticism be damned), so I’ll at least enjoy the writing.

[@OttoIncandenza]

Henry James called his "the most complete man of genius that I have ever known"

[@jemgem9593]

Regardless. What a wordsmith. Tears too. Choked up x 💜

[@loganbarrett2203]

This was a touching video, Steve. Although it would be nice to see Penguin Classics release more of Kipling's works, Oxford World Classics maintains a wider selection.

[@dropoutNo07]

Kipling's "If" is part of our national syllabus in school here in India. Some of his books are very popular here. Illustrated editions of the jungle books and Kim flood the market. Some people here are very opposed to him, but for me personally, I enjoy reading his works.

[@thomas3803]

Recently got a great hardback of the Jungle Books in my first second hand book hunt since coronavirus. This was perfect, looking forward to reading Kipling.

[@laurawhichello]

Those farewell songs are an emotional gut-punch, I need to get me a copy of the Jungle Books ASAP! I'm sure Dogboy must feel some affinity with Mowgli and his wolf family too, both socialised by another species 😜

[@StephanieJCohen]

Beautiful. I am going to have to get the Jungle Books.

[@OttoIncandenza]

Thank you so much for sharing this! I obviously only know the story from the disney movie (my favorite disney movie as a child) so I'm glad to hear it's actually serious and one of your all time favorites. That makes me want to rush out and buy it.

[@battybibliophile-Clare]

I did an online course recently that absolutely rubbished Kipling. The academic had no balance and got important facts wrong. It was a poisonous atmosphere once I pointed out his errors. Who cares? Well not me. I have a lot of Kipling both ebooks and "real" books. Scott is another puzzle,I like him too. Most writers have their flaws, but I think that shouldn't stop an unbiased, deep read of their works. Well done for bringing the facts about his writing to the fore.

[@audreyh7892]

I read and enjoyed "Kim" and "The Man Who Would Be King" and really enjoyed them. I keep eyeing "Captain Courageous" but haven't taken the plunge.

[@jamesholder13]

Wonderful! Hope you get to feeling better!

[@vilstef6988]

Steve, about the time I was reading The Jungle Book was the time that Beast Boy appeared in the first series of Doom Patrol. When Beast Boy did his first conscious animal transformation, he became a mongoose and saved his Mother from a cobra!

[@EastLancashireJohn]

Terrific Steve, thanks.

[@duffypratt]

I came back to The Jungle Books as an adult after reading Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. Wondering what you think of it.

[@carolinasiqueira752]

I read The Jungle Books a while ago and it didn't work for me. The only story that I really liked was Rikkitikki. But I really liked the little of his poetry that I read in the Penguin Book of Fist World War Poetry, You convinced me to give Kipling another go.

[@marke6638]

Time to make my way back to Kipling

[@lukejenniferhiggins5204]

Hi, Steve. Luke here. I hope you are on the mend, I agree completely regarding Kipling. He is wrongly maligned in my opinion. He was a wonderful storyteller! I wonder if his fantasy and horror stories are the ones published by Fall River Press. An excellent anthology.

[@DebMcDonald]

THE JANEITES! WHOOP WHOOP!

[@nathanfoung2347]

Bring back poetry tuesday NOW! Please.

[@williams.5952]

Seconded!