Bambi, a Life in the Woods

Bambi, a Life in the Woods (German: Bambi: Eine Lebensgeschichte aus dem Walde, lit. 'Bambi, a Biography from the Woods') is a 1923 Austrian coming-of-age novel written by Felix Salten, and originally published in Berlin by Ullstein Verlag. The novel traces the life of Bambi, a male roe deer, from his birth through childhood, the loss of his mother, the finding of a mate, the lessons he learns from his father, and the experience he gains about the dangers posed by human hunters in the forest. It is also seen as a parable of the dangers and persecution faced by Jews in Europe.^[1]

An English translation by Whittaker Chambers was published in North America by Simon & Schuster in 1928,^[2] and the novel has since been translated and published in over thirty languages around the world. Salten published a sequel, Bambi's Children, in 1939.

The novel was well received by critics and is considered a classic, as well as one of the first environmental novels. It was adapted into an animated feature film, Bambi, by Walt Disney Productions in 1942, as well as two Russian live-action adaptations in 1985 and 1986, a ballet in 1987, and a stage production in 1998. Another ballet adaptation was created by an Oregon troupe, but never premiered. Janet Schulman published a children's picture book adaptation in 2000 that featured realistic oil paintings and many of Salten's original words.