The Jungle Books

Penguin Classics

By: Rudyard Kipling, Jan Montefiore - preface, Kaori Nagai - introduction

Narrated by: Homer Todiwala

Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Homer Todiwala. This definitive recording includes an introduction by Kaori Nagai.

The story of the man-cub Mowgli who is raised by wolves in the Indian jungle, guided by his mentors Baloo the bear, Bagheera the black panther and the ancient python Kaa, and who confronts his arch-enemy Shere Khan the tiger, is one of the greatest literary myths ever created.

Mowgli's adventures are juxtaposed with other animal stories set in the British Empire, ranging from the heroic battle of 'Rikki-tikki-tavi' and the Himalayan pastoral 'Purun Bhagat' to the drama of survival in 'The White Seal'. With The Jungle Books Rudyard Kipling drew on ancient beast fables, Buddhist philosophy and memories of his Anglo-Indian upbringing to create a rich, symbolic portrait of man and nature, and an eternal classic of childhood that has had a lasting impact on our imaginations.

Part of a series of new editions of Kipling's works in Penguin Classics, this volume contains a general preface by Jan Montefiore and an introduction by Kaori Nagai discussing the many imperial, Indian and literary contexts of The Jungle Books.

Public Domain (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Mowgli and friends and others

It is the story you know from the book, not the one you know from the Disney movies, which in my opinion have been gutted of their essential nutrients, and essential problems. And yet what stands here is an original and timeless tale, mainly about Mowgli, but with many other stories of humans and animals and India. The narrator does an excellent job of embodying each character, quite engaging.