
Dr. Dolittle Collection (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Doctor Dolittle's Post Office, Doctor Dolittle's Circus, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, Doctor Dolittle's Zoo…By Hugh LoftingLength65h 25m
About this audiobook
Hugh Lofting's Dr. Dolittle Collection gathers the adventures of the kindly physician of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, whose gift for speaking with animals opens a world of voyages, friendships, and moral discovery. Written in lucid, playful prose, the books combine Edwardian adventure, animal fable, and children's fantasy, while gently satirizing human vanity through the wiser perspectives of nonhuman companions. Their episodic structure and conversational charm place them within the classic tradition of early twentieth-century juvenile literature. Lofting, born in England in 1886 and trained as a civil engineer, conceived Doctor Dolittle while writing illustrated letters to his children from the trenches of the First World War. Troubled by the suffering of animals in wartime and unwilling to describe battle directly, he imagined a humane doctor whose deepest allegiance was to care, curiosity, and cross-species understanding. This biographical origin gives the collection its distinctive ethical tenderness. Readers who value imaginative travel, comic invention, and humane reflection will find the collection enduringly rewarding. Though modern audiences may read some period assumptions critically, the central vision remains compelling: a world enlarged by listening to creatures usually unheard.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreChildren's Literature
Length65 hrs 25 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 20, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Historical Context
4Synopsis (Selection)
5The Story of Doctor Dolittle
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6Introduction to the Tenth Printing
7The First Chapter Puddleby
8The Second Chapter Animal Language
9The Third Chapter More Money Troubles
10The Fourth Chapter A Message From Africa
11The Fifth Chapter The Great Journey
12The Sixth Chapter Polynesia and the King
13The Seventh Chapter The Bridge of Apes
14The Eighth Chapter The Leader of the Lions
15The Ninth Chapter The Monkeys' Council
16The Tenth Chapter The Rarest Animal of All
17The Eleventh Chapter The Black Prince
18The Twelfth Chapter Medicine and Magic
19The Thirteenth Chapter Red Sails and Blue Wings
20The Fourteenth Chapter The Rats' Warning
21The Fifteenth Chapter The Barbary Dragon
22The Sixteenth Chapter Too-too, the Listener
23The Seventeenth Chapter The Ocean Gossips
24The Eighteenth Chapter Smells
25The Nineteenth Chapter The Rock
26The Twentieth Chapter The Fisherman's Town
27The Last Chapter Home Again
28Doctor Dolittle's Post Office
29Prologue
30PART I
31Chapter II. The Doctor's Reception on the Warship
32Chapter III. A Great Gunner
33Chapter IV. The Royal Mails of Fantippo
34Chapter V. The Voyage Delayed
35Chapter VI. No-Man's-Land
36Chapter VII. The Animals' Paradise
37Chapter VIII. The Swiftest Mail in the World
38PART II
39Chapter II. Cheapside
40Chapter III. The Birds That Helped Columbus
41Chapter IV. Cape Stephen Light
42Chapter V. Gulls and Ships
43Chapter VI. Weather Bureaus
44Chapter VII. Teaching By Mail
45PART III
46Chapter II. The Doctor's Story
47Chapter III. Gub-Gub's Story
48Chapter IV. Dab-Dab's Story
49Chapter V. The White Mouse's Story
50Chapter VI. Jip's Story