Bambi, ein Leben im Walde (Bambi, A Life in the Woods) is a book by Felix Salten, first printed in 1923. Bambi is the name of the main character, a male deer beginning life as a fawn, then an adolescent spike, and finally a buck.
Felix Salten was the pen-name of Siegmund Salzmann, who was born in Budapest but grew up in Vienna.
The book and resultant movies have made the name Bambi grow in popularity, although it is nowhere close to common.
Adaptations
The story was made into an animated film by Walt Disney Productions first released in the United Kingdom on August 8, 1942. The company took the liberty of changing the species into a white-tailed deer, and of putting him into an American forest.
In 1969, a short film spoofing the Disney film, Bambi Meets Godzilla, was released.
Criticism
The film has often been criticized for giving several generations of children what many believe to be an unrealistic view of nature. It reflects the orthodoxy of its time, which has later been questioned, that e.g. forest fires are always bad. Hunters have complained that the film has also turned millions against their pastime, especially with the scene of the death of Bambi's mother.
Today, the emotional response of revulsion at attractive animals being harmed is called The Bambi Effect.
See also: Smokey Bear
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