Audiobook · read by volunteers
Story of Doctor Dolittle
Hugh Lofting (1886–1947)
Read by Annie Coleman Rothenberg, Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023), Andrea L, Duane Paulson, Ella Earp-Lynch, Nocturna, Marlo Dianne, Linton, paulino, Stefan Schmelz · 22 chapters · 3 h 08
About the book
John Dolittle is a kind, absent-minded doctor in the English village of Puddleby, whose house is so full of animals that his human patients have stopped visiting. Then his parrot Polynesia teaches him something remarkable: how to talk to the animals, in their own languages. Soon he is the most sought-after doctor in the animal kingdom, and when a terrible illness strikes the monkeys of Africa, he sets sail to help them, with a crew of loyal creatures. Hugh Lofting's classic is full of warmth, wit and delightfully odd characters, from a two-headed beast to a very clever parrot. It was first written for his own children, and it still suits any family. Ten LibriVox volunteers read the twenty-two chapters, just over three hours of adventure. A friendly voyage for the whole family.
Introduction
Hugh Lofting, who lived from 1886 to 1947, was a British-born author who created the character of Doctor Dolittle. The idea came to him while he was serving as a soldier in the First World War: unable to describe the horrors around him in letters to his children, he wrote instead about a doctor who could talk to animals. The Story of Doctor Dolittle, published in 1920, was the first of a long series, and it became one of the classic children's books of the early twentieth century.
The book follows the doctor from his quiet life in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh to a heroic expedition across the sea. It has a gentle, rambling humour and a deep respect for animals as individuals. Lofting also illustrated his own books, and the cheerful drawings contributed greatly to their appeal.
A note about this recording: it uses the original edition, which is in the public domain. Later editions, which are still protected by copyright, changed some of the language and plot elements that are now considered racially offensive. Readers and listeners should be aware that the original text reflects attitudes of its time, and some passages may feel dated or uncomfortable. The recording includes the author's note and dedication, and then the book's chapters, twenty-two in all.
The reading is shared by ten LibriVox volunteers and lasts a little more than three hours. It offers a chance to hear a landmark of children's literature in its first form, and to think about how stories change as the world around them does. For families, it can also open a conversation about how far attitudes have moved since the book first appeared.
Public domain
Hugh Lofting died in 1947: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text