"Bambi" isn't about what you think it's about: Jack Zipes explains
Most of us think we know the story of Bambi\u2014but do we?\xa0The Original Bambi: The Story of a Life in the Forest\xa0(Princeton UP, 2022) is an all-new, illustrated translation of a literary classic that presents the story as it was meant to be told. For decades, readers\u2019 images of Bambi have been shaped by the 1942 Walt Disney film\u2014an idealized look at a fawn who represents nature\u2019s innocence\u2014which was based on a 1928 English translation of a novel by the Austrian Jewish writer Felix Salten. This masterful new translation gives contemporary readers a fresh perspective on this moving allegorical tale and provides important details about its creator.\nOriginally published in 1923, Salten\u2019s story is more somber than the adaptations that followed it. Life in the forest is dangerous and precarious, and Bambi learns important lessons about survival as he grows to become a strong, heroic stag. Jack Zipes\u2019s introduction traces the history of the book\u2019s reception and explores the tensions that Salten experienced in his own life\u2014as a hunter who also loved animals, and as an Austrian Jew who sought acceptance in Viennese society even as he faced persecution.\nWith captivating drawings by award-winning artist Alenka Sottler,\xa0The Original Bambi\xa0captures the emotional impact and rich meanings of a celebrated story.\nMarshall Poe is the founder and editor of the New Books Network. He can be reached at marshallpoe@newbooksnetwork.com.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices\nSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/genocide-studies