Little Animals

We love The Jungle Book, but we're not sure that it accurately reflects the life of the feral child. For one thing, we're not sure that the animals were quite so anthropomorphic. We doubt they smiled and danced around so much. Now that we're older, we're ready for the grown-up...

By S. Anne Durham

January 28, 2010

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We love The Jungle Book, but we're not sure that it accurately reflects the life of the feral child. For one thing, we're not sure that the animals were quite so anthropomorphic. We doubt they smiled and danced around so much. Now that we're older, we're ready for the grown-up version. And while New York Times best-selling author T.C. Boyle's Wild Child is one in a collection of 14 short stories, we think it fits the bill. Authentic enough to earn a mention on the Web site feralchildren.com, the story tells the tale of Victor of Averyon, a child who lived alone in the woods in France for much of his life before being discovered and studied, but never quite domesticated. Other stories in the collection touch on the wildness of nature, the wildness of cloning and the story of a child who can't feel pain. T.C. Boyle reads from Wild Child 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Hughes-Trigg Student Center on the SMU Campus, 3140 Dyer St. Admission is free, and books will be available for purchase to be signed by the author. For information or to RSVP, call 214-768-3225 or visit smu.edu/friends.
Mon., Feb. 8, 11:30 a.m., 2010

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