A new, beautifully illustrated translation of Felix Salten's most celebrated work -- Bambi: A Life in the Forest --with an introduction by Jack Zipes Most of us think we know the story of Bambi -- but do we? The Original Bambi is an all-new, illustrated translation of a literary classic that presents the story as it was meant to be told. For decades, readers' images of Bambi have been shaped by the 1942 Walt Disney film--an idealized look at a fawn who represents nature's innocence--which itself was based on an English translation now nearly one hundred years old. This masterful new translation gives contemporary readers a new perspective on this moving allegorical tale and provides important details about its creator, the Austrian Jewish writer Felix Salten. Originally published in 1923, Salten's 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's introduction traces the history of the book's reception and explores the tensions that Salten experienced in his own life--as a hunter who also loved animals, and as an Austrian Jew who sought acceptance in Viennese society even as he faced persecution. With captivating drawings by award-winning artist Alenka Sottler and a select bibliography, The Original Bambi captures the profound intent of a celebrated story.