The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Literature
The delightfully eccentric Doctor Dolittle, rendered immortal on screen by the gifted Rex Harrison, has remained a firm favorite with generations of children ever since he made his debut in an earlier novel, The Story of Doctor Dolittle. In his second outing titledThe Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, the maverick physician takes on a new assistant, Tommy Stubbins. The story is structured as a first person account given by Tommy, who is now a very old man. The boy who was the son of the village cobbler first meets Doctor Dolittle when he takes a hurt squirrel to the doctor for treatment. Tommy and the doctor quickly become friends, and the boy soon learns how to communicate with animals in their own languages. The remarkable talking parrot, Polynesia and other amazing creatures from the previous book also appear in this sequel. The mysterious disappearance of a friend of the doctor's called Luke the Hermit sets off a train of strange events. And Tommy finds himself accompanying the good doctor on an exciting, hazardous voyage to find Long Arrow, a native American and the son of Golden Arrow, who is reputed to be the greatest living naturalist in the world. The kind hearted, quirky, animal rights activist Doctor Dolittle dominates the plot. His enduring humanitarian approach to the world around him, his desire for peaceful coexistence among all and his concern for the environment make him a memorable and endearing character. This as much an adventure story as a strong appeal for compassion towards the innumerable species that share our planet with us. There are shipwrecks, South American and Mediterranean locations, underwater explorations where they discover a giant sea snail and wonderful descriptions of land and sea. Critics of Hugo Lofting's work point out that there are several passages which are now politically incorrect. However, readers would do well to remember that these books were written more than a hundred years ago, when attitudes to colonization and race were quite different. In the dozen or so books featuring Doctor Dolittle, the author Hugo Lofting ensures that a wide variety of themes, locations and ideas are explored. The books were originally illustrated by the author himself, as he was a talented artist and naturalist himself.
Location:
United States
Description:
The delightfully eccentric Doctor Dolittle, rendered immortal on screen by the gifted Rex Harrison, has remained a firm favorite with generations of children ever since he made his debut in an earlier novel, The Story of Doctor Dolittle. In his second outing titledThe Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, the maverick physician takes on a new assistant, Tommy Stubbins. The story is structured as a first person account given by Tommy, who is now a very old man. The boy who was the son of the village cobbler first meets Doctor Dolittle when he takes a hurt squirrel to the doctor for treatment. Tommy and the doctor quickly become friends, and the boy soon learns how to communicate with animals in their own languages. The remarkable talking parrot, Polynesia and other amazing creatures from the previous book also appear in this sequel. The mysterious disappearance of a friend of the doctor's called Luke the Hermit sets off a train of strange events. And Tommy finds himself accompanying the good doctor on an exciting, hazardous voyage to find Long Arrow, a native American and the son of Golden Arrow, who is reputed to be the greatest living naturalist in the world. The kind hearted, quirky, animal rights activist Doctor Dolittle dominates the plot. His enduring humanitarian approach to the world around him, his desire for peaceful coexistence among all and his concern for the environment make him a memorable and endearing character. This as much an adventure story as a strong appeal for compassion towards the innumerable species that share our planet with us. There are shipwrecks, South American and Mediterranean locations, underwater explorations where they discover a giant sea snail and wonderful descriptions of land and sea. Critics of Hugo Lofting's work point out that there are several passages which are now politically incorrect. However, readers would do well to remember that these books were written more than a hundred years ago, when attitudes to colonization and race were quite different. In the dozen or so books featuring Doctor Dolittle, the author Hugo Lofting ensures that a wide variety of themes, locations and ideas are explored. The books were originally illustrated by the author himself, as he was a talented artist and naturalist himself.
Language:
English
3-05 – Polynesia Has a Plan
Duration:00:06:25
3-06 – The Bed-maker of Monteverde
Duration:00:04:49
3-07 – The Doctor’s Wager
Duration:00:09:00
3-08 – The Great Bullfight
Duration:00:11:51
3-09 – We Depart In A Hurry
Duration:00:06:30
4-01 – Shellfish Languages Again
Duration:00:07:00
4-02 – The Fidgit’s Story
Duration:00:19:13
4-03 – Bad Weather
Duration:00:05:22
4-04 – Wrecked!
Duration:00:10:32
4-05 – Land
Duration:00:08:01
4-06 – The Jabizri
Duration:00:08:16
4-07 – Hawk’s-Head Mountain
Duration:00:10:57
5-01 – A Great Moment
Duration:00:09:45
5-02 – The Men of The Moving Land
Duration:00:05:20
5-03 – Fire
Duration:00:06:39
00 – Prologue
Duration:00:01:53
1-01 – The Cobblers Son
Duration:00:06:49
1-02 – Hear of the Great Naturalist
Duration:00:12:03
1-03 – The Doctor’s Home
Duration:00:12:58
1-04 – The Wiff Waff
Duration:00:10:55