The Call of the Wild
Books | Fiction / Classics
3.7
(3.9K)
Jack London
'The facts of life took on a fiercer aspect and, while he faced that aspect uncowed, he faced it with all the latent cunning of his nature aroused.'The biting cold and the aching silence of the far North become an unforgettable backdrop for Jack London's vivid, rousing, superbly realistic wilderness adventure stories featuring the author's unique knowledge of the Yukon and the behavior of humans and animals facing nature at its cruelest.The Penguin English Library - collectable general readers' editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century to the end of the Second World War.
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Author
Jack London
Pages
160
Publisher
Penguin UK
Published Date
2018-06-07
ISBN
0241341507 9780241341506
Community ReviewsSee all
"In advance, I’m telling you that if you are a dog person, DONT READ THIS BOOK!!!! When I had to read it in school (I just reread it because I found it in my attic) it terrified me...and now I remember why. SPOILER: If you are all for the well-being of dogs and are sad when they get hurt, I would stay clear from this book. <br/>I don’t mean to offend anyone who does like this book, but it made me really sad to read."
"A classic good book about the journey of a dog. It’s descriptive and imaginative."
C M
Caitlin Miller
"See the world through another species eyes."
S H
Sally Huntley
"I tried to read this book several times when I was younger. My dad always liked it. While I didn’t hate it, I would say it was only ok. Like Frankenstein, I think it would be an interesting book to study in a classroom while discussing London’s politics & whether there was some metaphors for his beliefs in the book."
"Buck is mixed breed of St. Bernard from his father and Shepherd from his mother. He lives comfortably on a ranch in the Santa Clara Valley in California eating, sleeping and spending time with his master Judge Miller and his sons. One day the gardener Manuel, a gambler, takes Buck for a walk and sells him to a man that throws him on a train. After a long set of journeys on trains, Buck is trained to fear the club by the man in the red sweater and learns his first lesson in survival. While in captivity Francois and Perrlaut are couriers in Canada and need sled dogs. Buck lived a very soft lifestyle in the South and it takes him time to build up strength and endurance on the journey North. He also makes enemies of Spitz, an especially mean husky and happens to lead the dogs on his sled. Buck fights his way to the head of the line before being sold to "the Scottish half-breed" that works for the postal service. After a long journey back North delivering mail, Buck and his fellow sled mates are exhausted and cannot carry on without rest. They are sold to Charlie, Hal and Mercedes who are vastly inexperienced with life in the far North. They fight, bicker and take too much belongings and not enough food for everyone including the dogs. Charlie, Hal and Mercedes drive the dogs day in and day out through starvation and fatigue. Buck has finally had enough and gives up even after being almost brutally beaten to death by Hal. He is saved by John Thorton and the threesome continue pushing their dog team until they all fall through the thin, melting ice of early spring and perish. Buck thrives in the care of Thorton and even reaches fame in the north for killing a man that threatened his master, saving his master from drowning and helping his master win money by pulling a thousand pounds of flour by himself. Thorton uses the money to search for myths and gold in the East. In the end, Thorton and all of his companions are killed by Yeehats and Buck follows the call of the wild to become part of a pack of wolves.<br/><br/>I am not always eager to read the classics but The Call of the Wild has taught me that they are "classics" for a reason. I really enjoyed reading this story from Buck's perspective. The language used made me feel and see every sensation felt by Buck. I also liked the fact that he had the good, the bad and the inexperienced as masters. From each of his masters, Buck learned a new lesson which helped him to succeed where no other domesticated dog had been able to before. He started out soft but with hard work, determination and a spirit of survival generations in the making he was able to prove himself to his masters and the North. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. I also liked Buck's transformation from domesticated dog to a dog worthy of being called a wolf."
A F
Allison Freeman
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