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Bambi
Bambi
Bambi
Ebook165 pages3 hours

Bambi

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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About this ebook

Most nineties kids grew up with the adorable Disney movie Bambi, but the basis for the movie was the 1923 book by Felix Salten. In this stunning edition, experience the classic story brought to life again!

The original story of young Bambi starts as he begins life in the forest with his mother, cousins, and other furry friends. However, as winter spreads it icy hands over the forest, Bambi’s father, a powerful stag, leaves Bambi and his mother alone to brave the elements and scavenge for food. Bambi also faces the threat of Man, along with Man’s weapons that can hurt and kill any animal.

Though Bambi fears for his life and the well-being of his friends and family, nothing, not even Man, can stop him from growing to become a mighty Prince of the Forest. With the beautiful refurbished text and illustrations, adults and children of all ages can enjoy this new edition of Bambi.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherClydesdale
Release dateFeb 5, 2019
ISBN9781949846065
Author

Felix Salten

Felix Salten (1869–1945) was an Austrian author and critic in Vienna. His most famous work is Bambi.

Read more from Felix Salten

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Reviews for Bambi

Rating: 3.9876922990769232 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    this is an EXCELLENT book. it's a lot different and much darker than the disney movie(which i also love). there is a chapter with a seriously philosophical discussion between the last two leaves in the forest at the end of fall, which i have to say is one of coolest things i've ever read. ”
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A classic story for animal fantasy. The book from which Disney’s movie Bambi was based, though the book and movie have only some similarities. The book is a lot more violent though most of it is only hinted and the man (called He and Him in the book) plays a lot more of an in story role. I really liked how within the story so many different views are given to what He is from almost a kind of a god to just another living being. A really heart warming tale.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The differences between this book and Disney's animated version are many. As others have already mentioned, this is definitely a darker tale. I thought the beginning was slow, but by the first appearance of the fall season I was hooked. I hope that other adults will not shy away from giving this children's classic a try. You will not be disappointed.

    Now that the story is over I find myself still mulling over the conversation between the two leaves. I have great respect for Salten's ability to evoke empathy for something as seemingly innocuous as a leaf. I'm also mentally munching on the face-off between the fox and the hound. That scene was incredible.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am not sure if it is possible to find someone who can now read the book BEFORE seeing the movie.. but if you are one of those people, you might try it out. For the rest of us, as the first reviewer hinted.. there is at least one lesson left out of the movie.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Salten's tale of the forest is much darker and richer than the cartoon version. The animals still talk, but their interactions seem strangely appropriate, as if the author has been given the ability to sense what it actually going on in their minds. This is an unforgiving world, and the weak and hurt do not fair well. It is also a beautiful world, with captivating descriptions of Bambi's word and the creatures who inhabit his forest.I'm not sure I expected a novel about a deer to be a page-turner, but it was. I found myself eager to return to its pages, and feel emotionally invested in the story from the first chapter. I also felt a genuine amount of tension as I read, which is not a feeling I generally get from chapter book fiction. I'm really glad I decided to read this, and will definitely keep it on the shelves to read to the kids. I might wait for a bit - I'm not sure I'm ready for them to hear a book with quite this much death, even if it is about a deer. But this is an excellent novel, and I do recommend it for your little person library.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'm really not completely sure how I feel about this book now that I've finished it. On one hand, it is well written and there are scenes that illustrate the beauty and innocence of nature so vividly that one is able to picture them even without the wonderful illustrations of this particular version. Yet, there is also much of this book that deals with the violent and grisly destruction that humans bring to the wildlife of the forest.How this became regarded as a children's story, I'm not really sure. The scenes of death throughout the book are graphic and horrifying and their is a true feeling of absolute terror at times that is truly palpable. To me, this book is being aimed directly at those who choose to kill and destroy for the pure thrill and feeling of power that they derive from it and is an attempt to illustrate the destruction that these kind of actions provoke. It's done through very powerful imagery and makes one very uncomfortable at times.Why Disney decided to make this into a mostly feel-good story, I'm not sure, but those unsuspecting children who decided to read the book that one of their favorite films was based upon were surely exposed to quite a shocking experience.I didn't hate it, but I can't really say that I enjoyed it all that much either.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I first read this book when I was in the fourth grade. It's probably been over 40 years since I last read it, but as I found an old copy in a resale store, I decided to reread it.Bambi can be read by children, as I read it many years ago, and enjoyed for the animals, but it's really not a children's story, but a story that can be enjoyed by young and old alike, for different reasons. I really enjoyed it from an adult perspective. It told the story of the animals of the woods, and the encroachment of man "He/Him", but not in a preachy manner. There is violence and death, but it is not overdone or glorified for a cause.Well written, nice dialogue and descriptions of forest and meadow life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A true classic! I will forever remember Chapter 8 as one of the best chapters ever written. The perfect story for all ages. I'll never look at deer the same way again.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's a nice little book. It's kind of hard to read, not because of itself but because everyone knows the story of Bambi - the Disney story. Which bears little resemblance to this, like 101 Dalmations. No Thumper, no Flower, a lot more death and grimness. Gobo was completely cut out of the movie - not surprising, that's a complicated and morally ambiguous sequence. And the insistence on self-sufficiency is pretty much out of the movie, or at least not given anything like the emphasis it has in the book. Now I wonder if there are other translations of the book, or if Chambers' version is the standard one? This language is just a little odd - slightly stilted, with some odd word choices, particularly with adjectives. I'd be interested to read a different translation, to see if the feel is different. Nice story, but carrying a lot of baggage until it's hard to see it for itself.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very heartbreaking story about the struggles of a baby dear out in the wild, Bambi is sure to expose your soft side.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    There are a number of ways of approaching Bambi, but one way it should not be seen is as a children's book; it was originally published in Austria in 1923 for adults - it was the Disney film that associated Bambi with children's fare. Bambi is considered by some critics to be the first "environmental novel" which is probably the most significant aspect. The descriptions of woodland life are some of the most sublimely beautiful I've ever read. It's also been called a political allegory on the treatment of Jews in Europe, and was banned in Nazi Germany (Salten was Jewish), which makes the novel even more powerful as you read along considering how history would unfold and who the author was. It would probably lessen the novel to call it a political allegory though it easily stands alongside Animal Farm; and it's more than just a beast fantasy even though it has echoes of Watership Down. It is all these things and also just a beautifully told story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book as a child. I remember renewing it every two weeks for about three months from the library at one point. I just re-read to see what I would think of it as an adult and found it really interesting. Salten's depictions of masculinity and femininity are really interesting to parse out, especially in regards to the ideas of independence, solitude and wisdom. I wasn't as focused on the relationship of Man to wildlife that forms the core of the book, but instead was really taken by the ways in which Salten defines the transition from youth to adulthood.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I know what you're thinking...Bambi, seriously? Yes, I've been on a kick of reading children's classics that are also Disney movies, in order to see how Disney ruined them or improved them.

    First off, Bambi is a strange book. You could group it with other animals-with-human-characteristics books, such as Watership Down and The Rats of NIMH. But, unlike those books, which have a great-escape type plot, Bambi doesn't have much of a plot, it's simply the life of a deer, being born and growing old.

    Disney made the film version very cutesy, however, Bambi as a book is very serious. There's no skunk named Flower, no Thumper (although there is a rabbit with a minor role), and no running around being "twitterpated". There's no comedy or laugh out loud cute moments. The film builds up to the potential-childhood-scarring-scence were Bambi's mother dies, making it the great tragedy of the cartoon. However, in Bambi the book, there is much more death.

    Seeing as Bambi is probably not on a lot of people's "must read", I'll go ahead and ruin it for ya...animals with minor roles die (squirrel, rabbit, fox), Bambi's mother, Bambi's cousin, Bambi's father, and even one of the hunters dies in the forest. It's unclear if the hunter tripped and hit his head or killed himself with a gun or what since it's from Bambi's point-of-view, anyhow he's bleeding and dead.

    One could argue that Bambi's doe, Faline, is dead at the end of the book, because there's a fawn running around looking for her mother that looks just like Faline. However, I just read that Felix Salten wrote a sequel with Faline as one of the characters, so I guess she's not dead. Although, if you didn't know that, you could interpret that way.

    Anyhow, after reading the book, I really wish there was a film version that did the book justice. I think the essence of Bambi's story would fit in well with Hayao Miyazaki films such as Pom Poko and Princess Mononoke.

    Overall, Salten did a good job in teaching the reader about a deer's life, but it's an odd book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I suspect I'm not terribly unique in never having read Bambi and having my only knowledge of the story being the Disney film. Bambi is a short novel written by Felix Salten in the early 1920s and was widely popular when it was released. It even had a sequel (Bambi's Children).For those unfamiliar with the concept of the novel, Bambi is a book set in a forest and centered around the character of Bambi. It just happens that Bambi is a deer. We start the novel learning of Bambi's birth and then continue through the various stages of his life. Initially, the only characters are Bambi and his mother. Slowly, Bambi's circle of existence expands and he meets other animals and eventually even meets other deer, including a pair of other fawns born the same season as him.The story progresses at a leisurely pace, letting us grow slowly with young Bambi. We learn about the way of life in the forest, the way things are balanced, the various small dangers lurking about. We also see Bambi's innate curiosity when he discovers various topics that his mother is unwilling to expound to him. She teaches him that there is danger standing out in the open meadow in the middle of the day, but she isn't willing to go into detail about the threat of Man. She only tells him that they must only go to the meadow at night and that if they are ever in the meadow and she starts to run, that he must run as well and keep running no matter what.Bambi's natural curiosity continues to grow with each passing month. I really enjoy the way Salten portrays the childlike innocence of Bambi as he explores his world and asks many questions as he tries to understand the motivations and behaviors of the world around him. I also found it interesting the way Salten portrayed some of the instinctual behaviors of the animals and either explained them or didn't explain them but rather commented that they were just the way things were supposed to be.Naturally I found many points where the story diverged from the version portrayed in the Disney movie. There were many points of similarity and some familiar characters but I found the book more thoughtful and thought provoking than the film. Both had elements of humor and are definitely appropriate for children, especially for generating deeper conversations with kids, but the cartoon movie was naturally a bit more whimsical while the book had a little more seriousness even during playful sequences.There were two key differences from the movie that I especially appreciated.I liked the interactions with the additional fawns, in particular the interaction with the little deer named Gobo. I don't want to reveal spoilers, but I found Gobo to be a very interesting character as he shared his opinions and insights on Man. He provided an interesting counterpoint that sets Bambi thinking and creates later tension and intrigue amongst the animals.The difference that I most enjoyed between the movie and the novel was that the novel went into much more depth about the other bucks and in particular the Old Stag. In the movie, he is presented as a sort of wise, stoic creature who shows up briefly with words of knowledge. While this is certainly true in the book, he has a much larger presence and Bambi makes a distinct effort to learn more about and from the Old Stag. I really liked the way the book portrayed the animal relationship with their elders and the way the older deer, especially the old stag, interacted with the other deer.On the whole, this was a great read. With my only knowledge of Bambi being the Disney movie, this book was much different than I expected and I rather enjoyed that. Reading was a peaceful commune with nature that led me down thoughtful paths to ponder on later. Salten's other novels also seem to be explorations of the lives of animals and the natural world. He has one direct sequel to this book (Bambi's Children) as well as a number of stories in the same forest as Bambi (it's unclear to me if those stories are just excerpts from Bambi or if they are new tales). Salten's bibliography has a number of books that look interesting and varied. Bambi is an excellent place to start but I am interested in reading more.****4 out of 5 stars
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Let's get Disney out of the way first. This book does feature a deer named Bambi, and his mother is shot by a hunter. There are no other similarities between the book and the animated Disney Classic. This is a "talking animal" story, in which apart from talking, the animals all largely behave the way real animals of their particular species behave. The villain is "man" simply referred to in the book as He, with a capital H, and there are several encounters with man - none of which are positive. Bambi is a fawn through about the first third of the story. Then a "young adult" for the next third, and a full scale Prince of the Deer for the final third.I would have enjoyed a bit more actual story to the book. Apart from the encounters with He, it felt largely like just witnessing scenes from a deer's life. (To be fair, since these deer mainly behave like real deer, a true plot might have destroyed the effect.) Maybe it hasn't aged well, or maybe it's just not the kind of tale I get into. I'm clearly in the minority of reviewers on this site.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This edited/abridged version of classic children's novel loses some of the harsh, dark charm but is beautifully illustrated.

Book preview

Bambi - Felix Salten

CHAPTER 1

He came into the world in the middle of a thicket—in a hidden clearing in the woods—the kind that seems to be open in all directions, but still is covered by a canopy. It was a small space, hardly enough room for him and his mother.

There he stood, swaying timidly on his thin legs, looking drowsily around him through cloudy eyes, which saw nothing, letting his head droop, trembling mightily, and he was still quite numb.

What a beautiful child! called out a magpie.

She had flown by, lured in by the startling moans from the mother’s labor. Now the magpie sat on a branch nearby. What a beautiful child! she called out. She received no answer and continued on eagerly. How amazing that it can even stand and walk! How interesting! I have never before, in all my life, seen such a thing. Admittedly, I am still young, just out of the nest for a year, as you may know. But how wonderful! Such a sweet child … born in this moment and can already stand on its own legs. I find it so noble. I find everything about you deer is so noble. Can he walk already … ?

Of course, replied the mother quietly. But you must excuse me if I am not able to chat. I have so much to do right now … besides I still feel a bit weary.

Please do not let me disturb you, said the magpie, I do not have much time myself. But it is not every day that you get to see such a sight. I say, how cumbersome and difficult it is in these moments. The children cannot move when they first hatch from the egg, they lay there so helplessly in the nest and you must care for them. Care for them. I tell you, I can make no sense of it. Oh, what tireless work it is to feed them, how carefully I must watch over them. I say, think how hard it is to gather food for the children and at the same time look after them so that no danger should come to them; they cannot help themselves when they are alone. Do you not agree? And how long must we wait until they can move on their own, how long does it take them to get their feathers and look proper!

I beg your pardon, replied the mother, I wasn’t listening to you.

The magpie flew away. What a strange person, she thought to herself, noble, but strange!

The mother hardly realized it. She continued to eagerly wash the newborn. She washed it with her tongue; it was grooming, warming massage, and caress all at once.

The little one wobbled a bit. He folded together from the all the gentle, jostling licks and nudging and became still. His small red back, which was still a bit tousled, had fine white dots, and his drowsy infant-like face had the expression of deep sleep.

Hazelnut, dogwood, blackthorn, and young elderberry grew all around. Tall maple, beech, and oak trees built a green roof over the thicket and the firm, dark brown ground sprouted forth fern fronds, sweet pea, and sage. Leaves of violets which had already bloomed, and strawberries which were just beginning to bloom, nestled close to the ground. The light of the early morning sun permeated the thick foliage like a golden web. A mix of voices rang throughout the entire forest and infused it with joyous excitement. The oriole whooped relentlessly, the pigeons cooed ceaselessly, the blackbirds whistled, the finches flapped, the titmice chirped; this gentle chorus of music was disturbed only by the quarrelsome cries of the jays, the blaring laughter of the magpies, and the metallic bursting of the pheasants’ calls, like bells. Sometimes the shrill, short laughter of a woodpecker rose above all the other voices. Above the treetops, the falcon’s cry, bright and urgent, could be heard, and the crows let out a constant choir of their cries.

The little one understood not a single one of the many songs and shrieks, nor a word of the conversations. He listened not at all. He did not perceive the scents which the forest breathed. He only heard the soft rustling which ran along his back as he was washed, warmed, and kissed, and he smelled nothing but the close scent of his mother. He snuggled up to this comforting presence and searched hungrily to find therein the source of his food.

While he drank, the mother continued to caress the little one. Bambi, she whispered.

In this moment, she lifted her head; her ears perked up and listened to the wind.

Then she kissed her child again, calm and happy. Bambi, she repeated, my little Bambi.

CHAPTER 2

Now in the early summer, the trees stood still under the blue sky, held their arms outstretched, and received the energy that beamed down from the sun. The blossoms on the hedges and bushes in the thicket opened—white, red, and yellow stars. Some even began to bear young fruit—innumerable small, balled up fists, perched on the fine tips of branches, delicate and firm and determined. These colorful stars came up from the ground amongst a multitude of flowers, so that the woodland ground seemed to sparkle in the dawn. It smelled of fresh leaves, flowers, damp earth, and green wood. When morning broke and when the sun set, the entire forest sounded a thousand voices, and from morning until evening the bees sang, the wasps hummed, and the bumblebees bumbled through the fragrant silence.

So were the first days of Bambi’s childhood.

He walked behind his mother along a narrow path that ran through the bushes. How calm it was to wander this path! The thick foliage gently caressed his sides and bent ever so slightly to the side. The path seemed to be blocked and barricaded tenfold in each direction. However, they were able to move through it with the most comfort. Such paths were everywhere; they ran here and there throughout the entire forest. His mother knew them all and when Bambi stood before dense undergrowth like an impassable green wall, his mother always found a spot where the path led on, without stopping and searching.

Bambi asked many questions. He loved to ask his mother questions. It was the most wonderful thing for him, asking questions and listening to his mother’s reply. Bambi was hardly astonished that he constantly and effortlessly thought of question after question. He found it to be quite natural; it delighted him so. It delighted him also to wait, curiously, until the answer came. Sometimes he admittedly did not understand her, but even that was lovely, as he could always keep asking questions if he wanted. Sometimes he did not continue asking, and that was also lovely, because he then busied himself imagining what he had not understood in his own way. Sometimes he felt quite sure that his mother did not offer him a full answer and kept some of her knowledge to herself. And even this was even more lovely, for it left him with an even more special curiosity—a clue that made him search secretly, an expectation that made him anxiously cheerful, so much so that he fell silent.

Now he asked, Who does this path belong to, mother?

His mother answered, Us.

Bambi continued, You and I?

Yes.

Both of us?

Yes.

Just us?

No, said his mother, we deer …

What is deer? asked Bambi and laughed.

His mother looked at him and laughed, too. You are a deer, and I am a deer. That is what deer is. Do you understand?

Bambi sprung into the air with laughter. Yes, I understood that! I am a little deer and you are a big deer. Right?

His mother nodded to him. There you have it.

Bambi became serious once more, Are there other deer besides you and me?

Of course, said his mother. Many.

Where are they? called Bambi.

Here, everywhere.

But … I don’t see them.

You will see them soon.

When? Bambi stood still, frozen with curiosity.

Soon. His mother continued on calmly.

Bambi followed her. He was silent, because he was pondering what that could mean, soon. He decided that soon was probably not the same as right away but close. But he could not decide on it—when does soon stop being soon and become right away? Suddenly, he asked, Who made this path?

We did, replied his mother.

Bambi looked astounded. We? You and I?

His mother said, Well, we did … we deer.

Bambi asked, Who?

All of us, his mother replied quickly.

She continued onwards. Bambi was amused and wanted to bound off the path here and there, but he refrained and stayed with his mother. There was a loud rustling ahead of them on the forest floor. Something was moving about, hidden by the fern fronds and leaves. A thin voice cried out pitifully, then it was silent. Then only the leaves and blades of grass quivered for a moment. A polecat had caught a mouse. He now scurried off in another direction to enjoy his meal.

What was that? asked Bambi alarmed.

Nothing, said his mother, calmly.

But … Bambi shivered, but … I saw something there.

Well, yes, said his mother, don’t be frightened. The polecat just killed a mouse.

But Bambi was terribly frightened. An unfamiliar and great fright gripped his heart. Many moments passed until he was able to speak again and then he asked, Why did he kill the mouse?

Because … His mother paused. … let us go a bit faster now, she said then, as if she had just remembered something and she had forgotten his question. She started off. Bambi bounded after her.

There was a long pause; they again walked calmly and quietly. Finally, Bambi asked uneasily, Will we kill a mouse, too, someday?

No, responded his mother.

Never? asked Bambi.

Never ever, was her answer.

Why not? asked Bambi relieved.

Because we do not kill anyone, said his mother simply.

Bambi was then cheerful again.

A loud shriek rang out from a small ash tree that stood next to the path. His mother continued on, paying it no notice. Curious Bambi, however, stopped in his tracks. Two roosters were quarreling about a nest they had looted in the branches above.

Get lost! And never come back, you scoundrel! called out one rooster to the other.

Oh, don’t you get yourself worked up, you fool, answered the other. I am not afraid of you.

The first provoked again, Go find your own nest, you thief! Why I’ll crack your skull open! He was outraged. Such wickedness! he bickered on, such wickedness!

The other noticed Bambi, fluttered and flew down a few branches and sneered at him, And what are you looking at, you birdbrain? Get a move on!

Aghast, Bambi bound off and quickly caught up to his mother who he then followed, well-behaved and startled, and thought that she might not have even noticed he was gone for a moment.

After some time, he inquired, Mother … what is wickedness?

His mother said, I don’t know.

Bambi considered this. Then he tried again. Mother, why were those two so mean to each other?

His mother answered, They were quarreling over their food.

Bambi asked, Will we ever fight that way over our food?

No, said his mother.

Bambi asked, Why not?

His mother responded, There is enough for us all.

Bambi wanted to know something else, Mother … ?

What is it?

Will we ever be so mean to each other?

No, my child, said his mother, that is not how we are.

She continued on. Suddenly, it became bright before them, glaringly bright. The green jumble of bushes and shrubs fell away. They took just a few more steps and came out into the expansive freedom that opened before them. Bambi had the urge to jump out into the vast openness, but his mother stood still.

What is this? he asked impatiently and with fascination.

The meadow, answered his mother.

What is the meadow? implored Bambi.

His mother cut his question short. Soon you will find out for yourself. She had become stern and attentive. Motionless, she stood with her head held high, listening closely and checking the wind as she breathed out slowly.

It is safe, she finally said, we can go out.

Bambi bound forward, but she blocked his way. You must wait until I call you. In an instant he became obediently silent and still.

Very good, praised his mother. "And now pay very close attention and remember what I tell

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