The Call of the Wild/White Fang

by Jack London

English language

ISBN:: 978-1-58726-389-7

(32 reviews)

The Call of the Wild is a short adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named Buck. The story opens at a ranch in Santa Clara Valley, California, when Buck is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska. He becomes progressively primitive and wild in the harsh environment, where he is forced to fight to survive and dominate other dogs. By the end, he sheds the veneer of civilization, and relies on primordial instinct and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild. London spent almost a year in the Yukon, and his observations form much of the material for the book. The story was serialized in The Saturday Evening Post in …

32 editions

decadent_and_depraved reviewed The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Review of 'The Call of the Wild' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I don't remember this story being this brutal when I first read it as a kid, though that might be because I was extremely ecstatic, as all kids were, to be reading a story in which the main character is a dog. My fetus brain was like: YAAY, DOGGO GO BRRRRRRR!!!
Now that I have read it again, I am happy to report that I might have found a reason why this book is a classic. As a kid, you read this story for a dog. Then, you grow up. The years go by, and the more time passes, the more you miss your childhood. You could do a lot of things to try and recreate the atmosphere and the feelings from parts of your childhood and you simply choose to go back to the doggo story. There awaits you nothing of your childhood and you are tricked into pondering …

govmarley reviewed The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Review of 'The Call of the Wild' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Oh Buck! You and your friends went through so much.

A little emotional about this book. Jack London threw a lot at me. Buck, stolen and forced to work. Treated cruelly, starved, worked to the bone. I just can't. I wanted to grab a club and hit those men until they couldn't get up.

Along comes a bright, shiny savior. John Thornton is a good man, and he does his best for Buck. Too many spoilers lie ahead, so I will leave you with this advice. Read this when you want to have all the feels, and be ready for anger, sadness, and triumph. A good story with an unexpected ending. 3 stars. Hey, it's a classic for a reason. Read it, but have something ready afterwards that will make you happy, like chocolate and an episode of Parks & Rec.