Ref Mr Sujit Mahapatra's
query:
I have before me a copy of
Roger Lancelyn Green's book 'Kipling and the children' published by Elek Books
(2 All Saints Street, London N.1) in 1965.
Chapter VI covers
the nacency and background of the Jungle Books in some
detail.
Green examines and
comments on the location of the 'Jungle', and includes The
Forests of the Doon, Changamanga Forest,the Aravulli Hills and Seeonee in his
articulate assessment.
He draws attention to
Kipling's statement 'My Jungle Books begat Zoos of them....', one of course was
Edgar Rice Borrough's 'Tarzan of the Apes' which Kipling read, but never saw(to
his regret) any of the films.
Green also says: "As
with all stories of this kind, there are readers on whom the magic does not
work. These presumably include the critics who have tried desperately to
find political meanings in the Jungle Books, and disagree among themselves as to
whether the Bandarlog represent the Americans or the Liberals, or such 'lesser
breeds without the Law' ".
I feel Green's book would
provide Mr Mahapatra with a lot of useful material. I shall now go out and try
to track down a copy of LEAPHOME AND GENTLEBRAWN !
Regards
Michael
Jefferson
