3.98

4

Jan 07, 2018

4 out of 5 stars for both The Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London.

The Call of the Wild tells the story of Buck who is “dognapped” and is put into a dog sled team in Alaska, and then later has to learn the ways of the wild. It is a very entertaining short story.

White Fang digs a bit deeper than the The Call of the Wild. It had a deeply theological and religious theme throughout. White Fang is a wolf, born in the wild that has to learn faith in humans early in his life, then his faith 4 out of 5 stars for both The Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London.

The Call of the Wild tells the story of Buck who is “dognapped” and is put into a dog sled team in Alaska, and then later has to learn the ways of the wild. It is a very entertaining short story.

White Fang digs a bit deeper than the The Call of the Wild. It had a deeply theological and religious theme throughout. White Fang is a wolf, born in the wild that has to learn faith in humans early in his life, then his faith is tested through many trials, and then he has to make the difficult climb back to find his faith again in humankind.
The beginning of White Fang is some of the most edge of my seat reading I’ve had in a long time. It is overall a very unforgettable adventure.

I really enjoyed both of these stories and they work very well together. They are basically opposite stories and have kind of a yin/yang thing going on with the first one being a dog going into the wild, and the second one a wolf becoming domesticated. Jack London really had a way with words and in creating feelings in me as a reader. This was a perfect set of stories to read this time of year!

Matt
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4

Nov 30, 2015

I've read a good number of books with protagonists as dogs, but only in these two books I can really see the world from a dog's point of view.

True, the stories are violent, but that goes with the setup of the north. But the details are so realistic, and growth so credible. I really had the impression of traveling to that northland, and living with these dogs, day by day.

For both these stories, the ends are expansive and inspirational. They left my heart rich yet light!

3

Feb 13, 2008

Note, March 2, 2016: I've just edited this review to insert spoiler tags (which didn't exist when I originally wrote it) in a couple of places.

(Note, March 5, 2014: I posted this review a few years ago, but in reading over it just now, I realized I needed to correct a typo.)

Actually, I read these two novels in different editions than this omnibus volume. And, while I read White Fang sometime in the 90s, I'd already read The Call of the Wild in high school.

London is one of my favorite authors Note, March 2, 2016: I've just edited this review to insert spoiler tags (which didn't exist when I originally wrote it) in a couple of places.

(Note, March 5, 2014: I posted this review a few years ago, but in reading over it just now, I realized I needed to correct a typo.)

Actually, I read these two novels in different editions than this omnibus volume. And, while I read White Fang sometime in the 90s, I'd already read The Call of the Wild in high school.

London is one of my favorite authors --despite his ideological dependence on Marx and Darwin, and his Naturalist outlook (in which human behavior is viewed as purely the product of social forces, inborn instincts and biological needs), all of which are very different from my own attitudes. He has very strong storytelling skills, and he writes with a kind of clear, direct diction that makes his prose highly readable. Here, his vivid evocation of the frozen North benefits from his own personal knowledge and experience of that environment.

Given his Naturalism, London was better at portraying animals intimately than at doing the same for people (and probably more at home doing so). The behaviors and their determinants that he portrays for his sled dogs are perfectly appropriate and realistic for them. And critics who argue that he uses (view spoiler)[Buck's transition from sled dog to alpha of a wild wolf pack as a coded message advocating a similar transition from civilization to savagery for people (hide spoiler)] miss an important point: (view spoiler)[in White Fang, the canine protagonist's transition is in the opposite direction, from wild origins to a place as friend and protector of a human family (hide spoiler)]. ...more

5

Aug 10, 2011

I neither read the sypnosis nor did I have any idea about both the stories. Actually, I was provoked read them because of the special interest of Christopher McCandless in Jack London's tales.

Christopher is someone I admire alot (to know who he is read Into the Wild). He admired Jack London and his work very much. Christopher was a outdoor guy, a tramp. So I was expecting these stories to be some kind of adventure stories. But I was wrong.

This is a finest book, I've read on dogs/wolves. I neither read the sypnosis nor did I have any idea about both the stories. Actually, I was provoked read them because of the special interest of Christopher McCandless in Jack London's tales.

Christopher is someone I admire alot (to know who he is read Into the Wild). He admired Jack London and his work very much. Christopher was a outdoor guy, a tramp. So I was expecting these stories to be some kind of adventure stories. But I was wrong.

This is a finest book, I've read on dogs/wolves. Personally, I am a dog lover so I was not so disappointed when I came to know this is completely not what I expected.

Jack London is one of the finest authors of those times. One can never understand a living being this much. He has his own style of expressing the situation. The fierceness, the softness, the love, the anger, each and every action of a dog is expressed very excellently by London.

Both the stories were very interesting. Probably, this is one of the longest reads of mine. I never wanted to rush through the book. No one ever wants to rush through this book. Every sentence, every expression of the story is felt when reading this. Both the stories, follow the dogs, even though tamed and bred by man since thousands of years, they carry the wild memories which are inherited from their ancestors. The want of the dogs to chase, hunt and feel the warm blood on their muzzle are still alive deep down inside their brains.

FINEST READ... ...more

5

Jan 13, 2009

Last summer, I read Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild. I found Christopher McCandless’s fascination with Jack London to be interesting, but it was hard for me to fully understand where McCandless was coming from, having never read London’s works. I also have a deep respect for animals and a disgust at their ill-treatment at the hands of human beings. For those two reasons, I chose to read The Call of the Wild for my Literature class.

The cover of the book captivated me. I enjoyed studying the picture Last summer, I read Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild. I found Christopher McCandless’s fascination with Jack London to be interesting, but it was hard for me to fully understand where McCandless was coming from, having never read London’s works. I also have a deep respect for animals and a disgust at their ill-treatment at the hands of human beings. For those two reasons, I chose to read The Call of the Wild for my Literature class.

The cover of the book captivated me. I enjoyed studying the picture of the wolf-like dog in the snow, trying to read the expression on his face. Based on the book’s title and what I read in Into the Wild, I expected the book to be about a return to a primitive lifestyle and primordial desires. I did not expect to really enjoy it, as I thought it would probably be very “masculine.”

Upon reading, I was immediately caught up in Buck’s story. I couldn’t seem to put the book down. I thought about Buck when I was not reading, and even felt Buck in some of the music that I heard. I did not know it would be so heartbreaking, or that I would be so touched by this fictional animal.

I loved the ending of this book. It was not at all what I expected it to be. I thought that the ending would be sad, but it turned out to be powerful- even mystical. London does an excellent job of conveying how, in spite of Buck’s struggles and suffering, he may be better off in the wild than he was at the farm. He is a naturally wild animal, and he is able to be fully alive when his uncivilized side is allowed to emerge. It makes me think of how men, too, struggle with suppressing certain instincts and desires when they are trying to conform to society’s expectations. I can see how this book influenced McCandless, as he likely wanted to allow his own “wild side” to surface.

I also like how London shows how human beings can be so silly and ridiculous, in spite of their claim to having high intelligence. He portrays animals as simpler but somehow smarter than humans, and he has a valid point. Human beings, in their greed, sometimes ignore any survival instincts they have left. Animals, on the other hand, know what they need to do to survive, and they put survival above all else. It makes me wonder whether humans are as smart as we would like to believe.

This book gives us a lot to think about. What makes humans so different from animals? Is it better to live basically by following natural instincts, or is it better to conform to society? Should we explore our wild sides, or should we work to suppress them? Do human beings have an innate need to gain power over others, like Buck had a need to be the leader of his pack? How do we reconcile that with our society’s negative attitude toward omnipotent leaders? Are not human beings pack animals? In what ways do we continue to exploit animals and cause great suffering in order to make money? Is that behavior acceptable, given that many believe we possess higher intelligence?

I think all of these questions can make for interesting class discussions and debates. I can imagine organizing a debate on animal medical research, or on using animals in advertising, animals on factory farms, etc. This book could be taught in conjunction with Into the Wild, or at least by showing clips of that movie and discussing how Buck and Chris are alike. I would also like to conduct an activity where students explore their own “wild sides,” either through poems or personal narratives. They could provide examples of how they still feel natural instincts for which there is no logical explanation, and how they choose to act on or ignore those instincts.



5Q 4P ...more

4

Dec 24, 2016

The Call of the Wild - 5/5

Pros:
1. Interesting characters, from Buck (the shepherd x St Bernard), to Sol-leks (the half blind sled dog), to Perrault (the Frenchman), to Mercedes and John Thornton.
2. An vivid depiction of the gold rush in Northern North America which led to the need for sled-dogs
3. The author goes into the brutality of that time, in man and beast
4. Emotional moments
5. The writing is tight, with few words wasted

Cons:
1. None that I can think of. Probably just that it was too short. The Call of the Wild - 5/5

Pros:
1. Interesting characters, from Buck (the shepherd x St Bernard), to Sol-leks (the half blind sled dog), to Perrault (the Frenchman), to Mercedes and John Thornton.
2. An vivid depiction of the gold rush in Northern North America which led to the need for sled-dogs
3. The author goes into the brutality of that time, in man and beast
4. Emotional moments
5. The writing is tight, with few words wasted

Cons:
1. None that I can think of. Probably just that it was too short. Characters and situations could have been expanded upon.


White Fang - 3/5

Pros:
1. Excellent introduction. Vivid and memorable (view spoiler)[(Two men and their dog team were hounded by starved wolves. They ate most of the dogs, then got one man. The other had to use fire and stay awake for days to keep the fire going and keep the wolves at bay by shouts, until at last he alone was left sitting in a circle of fire. (hide spoiler)]
2. Wonderfully realistic (I think) depiction of the world from a newborn wolf's point of view. (view spoiler)[ There's a white wall through which the father disappears. (hide spoiler)]
3. One aches for the character. The author manages to manipulate one's emotions, so that one feels all the ranges.

Cons:
1. The author repeats himself over and over. This story could have been cut by a third. It felt like he was trying to make a point but either had no confidence in himself to carry it over, or had no confidence in the reader to understand him the first time.
2. The animal cruelty is hard to stomach.

----------------------

Of the two I enjoyed The Call of the Wild more. It was clear, concise and more to the point.


...more

3

Dec 09, 2018

3.5 out of 5 Stars

I think I liked Call of the Wild a little more than White Fang, but both are very great stories. I don't think I've ever read a book or story from the perspective of a wolf or dog, and Jack London captured the spirit of the wolf very well. It was also a book that captured the environment and showed just as much importance as the wolves themselves.

0

Oct 16, 2011

Are you special? Well of course you are! You are built up from your trials and pain. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Like White Fang, you are here for a purpose. Someday you'll realize what the purpose is.
White Fang by Jack London is an amazing story about a half-wolf, half-dog that goes through many struggles and truly learns about himself. He goes on a captivating journey of courage and strength; life. It also follows a team of sled dogs led by a man named Henry. It tells of their Are you special? Well of course you are! You are built up from your trials and pain. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Like White Fang, you are here for a purpose. Someday you'll realize what the purpose is.
White Fang by Jack London is an amazing story about a half-wolf, half-dog that goes through many struggles and truly learns about himself. He goes on a captivating journey of courage and strength; life. It also follows a team of sled dogs led by a man named Henry. It tells of their journeys and experiences that helps White Fang grow up.
Jack London's use of figurative language and amazing imagery make the story seem real. He uses amazing story telling and gives the book a real-life feel. It may be a little hard to grasp at first, but White Fang turns out to be a life-changing book. Jack London wrote this book to teach us a very important moral in life.
The theme of this book is quite simple. Through White Fang's struggles, he grew up. We must learn life's rules on our own and learn to take our own responsibility. Though we do have people to help us in life, we also have to pitch in on teaching ourselves. We are in charge of ourselves, our actions and our responsibilities.
This book is a great, heartwarming story for both children, young adults and adults. The story is easy to follow, and it has an amazing moral. I recommend this book to anyone that is in for an interesting story of love and rules of life. I hope you enjoy the book! ...more

4

Aug 08, 2011

Picked it up when I was on a shopping spree, I knew it was probably about dogs and wolves, but apart from that I didn't knew what to expect.
So, I just started reading and let the book surprise me.

I started with White Fang which, apart from some focus switches in the beginning, I ended up really liking. It was fast-paced action from the beginning to the end, I just couldn't put the book down. There is a healthy dose of violence, but it's far from over-the-top. Instead, it really adds something to Picked it up when I was on a shopping spree, I knew it was probably about dogs and wolves, but apart from that I didn't knew what to expect.
So, I just started reading and let the book surprise me.

I started with White Fang which, apart from some focus switches in the beginning, I ended up really liking. It was fast-paced action from the beginning to the end, I just couldn't put the book down. There is a healthy dose of violence, but it's far from over-the-top. Instead, it really adds something to the story.

After reading some other random book in between, I read Call of the Wild. It's only about half the length of White Fang, which makes it really short. The same fast-paced action from White Fang continues here.

The writing style in both books is pretty straightforward, nothing too complex, which I found good.

Overall, I have to admit that I like White Fang better, probably because it's just that little bit longer to add some more depth to the story. It may also be because that's the one I read first, so the writing style in Call of the Wild didn't captivate me any more, it was just the good story and action that kept me going. Both are very good reads though, definately recommending this to anyone. ...more

3

Jun 20, 2009

When White Fang meets Weedon Scott - it is good. Up until then it is so violent, dark, sad. It was more difficult to read than I expected but John Seelye's Introduction helped me understand London's meaning for it and so have a better respect for it as a classic.


This edition has the two stories of course - my 10 year old and I started reading The Call of the Wild together but it was too much for him - too violent, that much he could make out because the language is so old even I found it When White Fang meets Weedon Scott - it is good. Up until then it is so violent, dark, sad. It was more difficult to read than I expected but John Seelye's Introduction helped me understand London's meaning for it and so have a better respect for it as a classic.


This edition has the two stories of course - my 10 year old and I started reading The Call of the Wild together but it was too much for him - too violent, that much he could make out because the language is so old even I found it confusing at times. By the middle of Chapter 5, I was reading it to myself and really not liking it much at all. But by the time 6 started (For the Love of Man) I wished my son were still willing to read along because it finally got GOOD. Only 7 chapters, it's a short story. I guess the first 5 have to break an otherwise domestic dog so that he in the end can reign well in the wild, not needing the companionship of man that he's learned to distrust.
Now onto White Fang ... ...more

3

Oct 01, 2016

It's been many years since I read this novel, but I can recall every sentence, well, almost... If you love animals, you'll enjoy this book, except in parts where cruelty is explicit, but not gratuitous as the reader need s to understand White Fangs life. If you romanticise about wandering in a wild dangerous environment, then Jack London paints the landscape perfectly. This is a novel that will leave a taste in your mouth, and so it should. The only reason I have only given the book three stars It's been many years since I read this novel, but I can recall every sentence, well, almost... If you love animals, you'll enjoy this book, except in parts where cruelty is explicit, but not gratuitous as the reader need s to understand White Fangs life. If you romanticise about wandering in a wild dangerous environment, then Jack London paints the landscape perfectly. This is a novel that will leave a taste in your mouth, and so it should. The only reason I have only given the book three stars is it could have gone so much further in exposing the cruel nature of humankind. ...more

4

Jan 01, 2012

This book actually contains TWO Jack London stories. First is...

White Fang

It's riveting. London writes with an amazing ability to stay completely in the present. This leaves the reader scrabbling to figure out what will come next, but there is no sneaky planting of clues or leading you along. You just take each bite of the text and rush to gulp down the next so you can make sense of it all. This places us in the same position as the protagonist, White Fang. The key distinction between man and This book actually contains TWO Jack London stories. First is...

White Fang

It's riveting. London writes with an amazing ability to stay completely in the present. This leaves the reader scrabbling to figure out what will come next, but there is no sneaky planting of clues or leading you along. You just take each bite of the text and rush to gulp down the next so you can make sense of it all. This places us in the same position as the protagonist, White Fang. The key distinction between man and animals as defined by London at one point, is that they don't ask Why. Without the Why, we're constantly trying to make sense of the What from the limited perspective of a wild dog/husky mix. It's pretty intense.

Not sure what I think of all this "clay" talk. Basically it's nature v. nurture, but sometimes it feels as though London is playing fast-and-loose with that one. Despite all the talk about how all beings are shaped by their circumstances, he still makes reference to WF's basic "nature" and that kind of defeats the whole thing, doesn't it? If pressed, I think we'd find that Beauty Smith's nature outweighed the circumstances of his treatment due to being one ugly sonuvagun.

And, candidly, when I think of animal nature, at some point, I think we should have seen WF deal with the "call of the wild" female dog. Not so much. I read the intro and there is mention of that happening toward the end when WF is domesticated, but why wasn't he pulled away before? After all, his mother lured dogs away pretty easily just by frolicking around and being--female. Made even domestic dogs ditch the camp.

The descriptions of the beatings are hard going. They could have been worse, but, man, they are a heavy trip.

I think the general portrayal of the Indians was pretty shabby. The sour doughs were better, despite being more cruel. And finally, we meet our Grey Eyed Love Master and are supposed to be confident that WF's savior has arrived. I find this all a bit saccharine. Wish WF had bonded with Matt, the dog musher, but, oh well, that's not up to me.

I'm still riveted despite the fact that we're getting really Hallmark-y with WF's desperate efforts to stay with Scott. A bit hokey, but still a good read.

It would be fascinating to do a comparison between this and Kipling's Jungle Books. The portrayal of wild wolves is similar, but very different. This lacks the childlike magic of Mowgli's communication with the wolves, even though we theoretically get to know London's wolves better by being literally inside the head of his main character, White Fang.

Call of the Wild

Well, at this point, I'm kind of dogged out. This one is very similar to the other. Only difference is that this dog starts domestic and ends wild while the other was the opposite. Again, we have the crazy love between a dog and man. Meh. Again we have incidents of cruelty that make us cringe. Again we have some beautiful descriptions of the danger, freedom, and allure of living in the Wild. So there's that.

Big difference in theme in this one is the whole "man is god to dog" thing, which I find less interesting than the "we're all malleable like clay" thing. So, even though this one is shorter and more to the point, I think I prefer old White Fang. That being said, if London had cut off the last 50 pages or so of WF, I think it would have been even better.

I can see why this is a book that many boys used to read as almost a rite of passage in American lit. I hope I can get mine to read it, though with competition from Harry Potter, Rick Riordan and Artemis Fowl, he's not much in the mood for American Realism... Ah, we'll see! ...more

5

Dec 29, 2016

These were two of my favorite "classical" books growing up and I can say they both definately stand the test of time. Now that am older and also have read them both back to back just want to say I really kind of found it interesting how these two books were actually kind of bookends for one another. Buck goes from domesticated to wild, and White Fang goes from wild to domesticated. Nice exploration of contrasting and similar themes.

4

Dec 22, 2015

Although I liked White Fang much much much more than The Call of the Wild, I thought both stories were fantastic. I had never heard of Jack London before and my sister recommended this book to me, but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading through its 303 pages.

But both of the stories were upsetting, especially The Call of the Whild. I read a few pages in and then stopped because it was too unsettling for me. So I read White Fang and then I gave The Call of the Wild another try and Although I liked White Fang much much much more than The Call of the Wild, I thought both stories were fantastic. I had never heard of Jack London before and my sister recommended this book to me, but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading through its 303 pages.

But both of the stories were upsetting, especially The Call of the Whild. I read a few pages in and then stopped because it was too unsettling for me. So I read White Fang and then I gave The Call of the Wild another try and succeeded in reading it.

It's amazing how well Jack London could write both stories from the perspective of a dog and then a wolf-dog. And how much imagery he used, and the word choice was brilliant; I have learned quite a few words reading his stories haha.

Superb book! ...more

4

Aug 11, 2009

These were much, much better than I, a non-dog, non-cold-places person had anticipated. They are certainly not twee anthropomorphic animal stories, nor are they man looking at dog and describing his lot. Like Black Beauty they are told from the point of view of the animal but in the third person. However, these animals remain far more wolf and dog : they live in and respond to their environment, but do not question why it is as it is. I found this very powerful and felt London had got much These were much, much better than I, a non-dog, non-cold-places person had anticipated. They are certainly not twee anthropomorphic animal stories, nor are they man looking at dog and describing his lot. Like Black Beauty they are told from the point of view of the animal but in the third person. However, these animals remain far more wolf and dog : they live in and respond to their environment, but do not question why it is as it is. I found this very powerful and felt London had got much closer to the soul of the wolf than the protagonist of Wild Animus.

On the whole I preferred White Fang to Call of the Wild: it was more real and complete than the fairy story type arc of Buck's life (easy life turns hard because of bad people, but all ends happily ever after). It may be that having known White Fang from before his birth we get to know him better, or it may be that the change from wild animal to domestic being made in several steps over the course of a life was more credible than that of domestic to wild in a couple of years - although I don't deny it could be so. Were I to rate them separately the former would get 9/10 and the latter 8. ...more

3

Mar 26, 2015

Jack London's Call of the Wild and White Fang are two very dense and detailed stories. There is no doubt that London has a very strong connection to dogs, and his ability to describe how natural instincts separate them from humans is remarkable. I found that with both stories there were strong similarities such as heart wrenching treatments that the dogs both endured, but there were slight differences as well, though Buck was a pure dog and White Fang was half wolf. Considering that I am a dog Jack London's Call of the Wild and White Fang are two very dense and detailed stories. There is no doubt that London has a very strong connection to dogs, and his ability to describe how natural instincts separate them from humans is remarkable. I found that with both stories there were strong similarities such as heart wrenching treatments that the dogs both endured, but there were slight differences as well, though Buck was a pure dog and White Fang was half wolf. Considering that I am a dog owner, I was deeply touched by the struggles Buck and White Fang suffered, but there is some consolation in both endings as the two dogs are able to find love for at least one master. I was put off a little by the writing style that felt to me to resemble a nature documentary narration at times, and the end of White Fang seemed quite rushed and undramatic. Funnily enough, I found the rest of the story to be very slow and uneventful for the most part. Nevertheless, I have to give credit where it is due because the stories are good stories, and I can't deny that I did feel as though I was looking through the dogs' eyes. London's writing style may not be my cup of tea, but I can admire his ability to tell a story well. ...more

3

Jul 14, 2018

A black beauty in dog form.
Buck is a dog that was sold from his serene California home to become a sled dog. After insurmountable odds and countless tragedies, Buck finally learns to become one with his wild side in Call of the Wild.
White Fang takes us on a journey with the half sled dog half wolf dog pup who shares the same name as the book. After being sold in order to save an Indian village he becomes a fighting dog who is later saved by a kindly Sheriff that teaches him to trust man again.
I A black beauty in dog form. ????
Buck is a dog that was sold from his serene California home to become a sled dog. After insurmountable odds and countless tragedies, Buck finally learns to become one with his wild side in Call of the Wild.
White Fang takes us on a journey with the half sled dog half wolf dog pup who shares the same name as the book. After being sold in order to save an Indian village he becomes a fighting dog who is later saved by a kindly Sheriff that teaches him to trust man again.
I think Jack London's books are popular as classics and have stood the test of time simply because of the tremendous roller coaster ride that each one takes you through. The books are skillfully written and easy to follow the heart-wrenching downfalls and short bursts of happiness as London takes you through his stories of the wild dog. London is also very skilled at making the human the villain and showing just how cruel we can be to our animal brethren.
I enjoyed these books but like I said it's a roller coaster ride. It's just tragedy after tragedy and doesn't seem to lift you up very high after the tragedies until the very end when the dogs are finally liberated. I would definitely recommend these books to anyone who likes animals or enjoys classics. ...more

5

Sep 15, 2016

It took me a while to decide whether to mark this as a 'favourite' read and so give it top marks - the reason being that the book does include a lot of animal cruelty and to say I 'enjoyed' reading this is not true. However, this isn't what the book is about and the author uses the cruelty to highlight his message, to show how and why the dogs in both his stories act like they do, and to show how they can be redeemed, despite man's worst attempts.

'White Fang' tells the story of a half wolf, half It took me a while to decide whether to mark this as a 'favourite' read and so give it top marks - the reason being that the book does include a lot of animal cruelty and to say I 'enjoyed' reading this is not true. However, this isn't what the book is about and the author uses the cruelty to highlight his message, to show how and why the dogs in both his stories act like they do, and to show how they can be redeemed, despite man's worst attempts.

'White Fang' tells the story of a half wolf, half husky cub, born in the wilds and then getting used to the civilisation of man; first belonging to an Indian family, then a dog fighter and finally finding a form of love in a private home. It's a heart wrenching story - one that echoes the early history of man and dog, as White Fang struggles to supress his natural instincts. Yet it also shows how easily man, with his brutal ways, can bring those instincts back to the fore. The ending is a little sappy, but leaves you smiling.

'The Call of the Wild' is a similar story, but reversed. Pampered dog Buck is kidnapped and shipped off as a sled dog during the Gold Rush. He has to learn to fight to survive, to work in the traces and, once again, face the sometime cruel and ignorant whim of man. But this time, despite finding a new home of love, the ever present wild calls to him, until he is faced with the decision of whether to heed it's cry or stay with his new master.

The writing style may be a little old fashioned now, but it is very readable and the prose skips along. Occasionally, the author might get a bit preachy, but I didn't mind that. We can look at that time as being awful for the men and animals it ruined, but for contemporary readers, they might have needed a bit of shouting at!

This isn't the first time I have read this book and I'm sure I will read it again in the future. ...more

5

May 28, 2015

I purchased and read separate books, but I'll write one summary here.

Jack London was another one of those great writers who died too young, at only age 40. Born John Griffith Chaney, writer of Call of the Wild, White Fang and The Sea Wolf and numerous other works. He was burdened by illnesses and disease, and like Ernest Hemingway, some suspected he committed suicide because he was taking heavy dozes of morphine for his pain and he, like Hemingway, was a heavy drinker, so an accidental or
I purchased and read separate books, but I'll write one summary here.

Jack London was another one of those great writers who died too young, at only age 40. Born John Griffith Chaney, writer of Call of the Wild, White Fang and The Sea Wolf and numerous other works. He was burdened by illnesses and disease, and like Ernest Hemingway, some suspected he committed suicide because he was taking heavy dozes of morphine for his pain and he, like Hemingway, was a heavy drinker, so an accidental or deliberate overdose leaves the world with something to gossip about, controversy and dark. On the brighter side, this man who lived such a short life like many of the great writers of my childhood think tank created one masterpiece after another that not only survived time-tested history for my birth some 37 years after his death but still to this very day nearly 100 years after his death.

Another one of my childhood storyteller favorites whom I re-read as an adult…in the days when morality, good behavior and character were told by the storytellers who fascinated us with tales of good verses evil. Courage, bravery, wit, survival, were taught by examples, the author in a godlike fashion would create the characters to play the role of the messenger, without overbearing or boring preaching. Where writing was showing, not telling and reading was a stimulant to the mind’s imagination. You could place yourself in the remote wilderness of Alaska north country--or the Canadian North for White Fang. Johnny Horton might be singing one of his songs in the back ground, “North to Alaska,”… Songs I still use today to exercise with and like a drunken closet drinker, using my headphones so the modern world don’t hear my excursions to the imaginary world of yesterday that I visit--or re-visit--that also helps shape my characters and fortify my own writing without a hint of plagiarism or unethical encroachment on the masters of creativity’s masterpieces.

Reading as a child, especially the works of the masters like Jack London, was instrumental in my desire to be a writer. Write what you read and read what you write. They hang stars in the sky so you can gaze at them, and they untie them so they can fall and you can admire the beauty of even a falling star. Life, like death, has no bounds. Destiny is what it is. We can only take the journey and hope the cards and the stars fall in our favor. Books like White Fang, the Call of the Wild, Christmas Horse, Shane, The Little Red Pony, The Wizard of Oz, Alice In The Wonderland, Lassie, Black Beauty, My Friend Flicka, and hundreds more, stimulate the child’s and adult’s mind alike to dare to go on that journey in the remote wilderness like Alaska or Canada and find the story of your life… Good books, or should I say, good reads, don’t always have to be door stopping War & Peace. In fact some of the very best books on my home library bookshelves are less than 200 pages long and classics from the day they were printed, some even before I was born. A good story is just that. It has no secret ingredient to the length or the demand. Only the market will dictate a good story and novels like Jack London’s White Fang and Call of the Wild are timeless and priceless to those who pay attention to what they are reading.

London was a pioneer in many things, in writing and in animal rights advocacy and drawing attention to unnecessary cruelty to animals. And all animals lovers ought to love him for that. Cover jackets of Call of the Wild show the traditional Husky, but Buck wasn’t Husky, or wolf or even a Northern dog, he was a Californian domesticated Saint Bernard-Scotch-Collie. A Scotch-Collie or just simply Collie is what Lassie was, hardly a sled dog. Shepherd, as in sheep dog shepherding the sheep is what kind of dog Buck was with the other half being Saint Bernard. I had a Saint Bernard named Brady, a large dog, strong as an ox and winter’s cold weather is where they perform their best. But Buck was abducted and like White Fang, forced into cruel existences by their brutal masters who made them fight other dogs for survival. London put something else in these two books, White Fang and The Call of the Wild, something almost subliminal--tyranny and suppression. Only he used animals instead of humans to demonstrate those evils. Both books are set during the Alaskan Gold Rush. Both dogs, Buck in the Call of the Wild and White Fang, the book’s namesake, a wild wolfdog, were victors in some vicious dog fights, torturous journeys and blessed in survival by near death and triumphed to the ultimate freedom and independence by the time the stories ended. How many humans had traced a similar life--shadowed the same fate--from the dark corners of this world to liberty?

All of London’s works are good reads. London was a master at what he did, told stories as a brilliant storyteller. Most of the books I review I leave 5 stars because before I open a book or purchase one I thoroughly research the book and I already know it is a good one before I spend the time with it. London’s novels, if one pays attention to the subliminal detail, are superior reads considering they were written more than a century ago and the reality of those stories live on today, unfortunately, in the lives and deaths of humans and animals. ...more

5

Dec 13, 2016

White Fang & The Call of the Wild

White Fang is a novel written by American author Jack London (1876–1916) about the book’s main character, a wild wolf-dog called White Fang. It was first published in 1906. The story takes place in Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush and details White Fang's journey to from the cruel wilderness to eventual domestication.

"White Fang is part dog and part wolf, and the lone survivor of his family. In his White Fang & The Call of the Wild

White Fang is a novel written by American author Jack London (1876–1916) about the book’s main character, a wild wolf-dog called White Fang. It was first published in 1906. The story takes place in Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush and details White Fang's journey to from the cruel wilderness to eventual domestication.

"White Fang is part dog and part wolf, and the lone survivor of his family. In his lonely world, he soon learns to follow the harsh law of the North--kill or be killed. But nothing in White Fang's life can prepare him for the cruel owner who turns him into a vicious killer. Will White Fang ever know the kindness of a gentle master?" -Book Blurb

White Fang goes through several masters, while some are abusive others are simply cold. He learns to have a cruelty in order to survive. It is all he knows since he doesn’t know human kindness. Eat or be eaten is the law which guides him, from the wild slowly into domestication. Though as a domesticated animal that law becomes less useful or important. Will he ever find a safe place, with a master that will not harm him?



White Fang was a very exciting and interesting book. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Jack London, and for those interested in reading stories from an animal perspective. It was a very powerful and compelling book. I would recommend this book though it is not for the faint of heart, as it contains a fair amount of violence and abuse towards animals.

[OFFICIAL RATING: 5 STARS]



FURTHER QUOTATIONS:

"And so it came that White Fang learned that the right to punish was something the gods reserved for themselves and denied to the lesser creatures under them.”

"It was the masterful and incommunicable wisdom of eternity laughing at the futility of life and the effort of life. It was the Wild, the savage, frozen-hearted Northland Wild."

"Out of this pack-persecution he learned two important things: how to take care of himself in a mass-fight against him; and how, on a single dog, to inflict the greatest amount of damage in the briefest space of time.”

"The pitch to which he was aroused was tremendous. All the fighting blood of his breed was up in him and surging through him. This was living., though he did not know it. He was realizing his own meaning in the world; he was doing that for which he was made.... He was justifying his existence, than which life can do no greater; for life achieves its summit when it does to the uttermost that which it was equipped to do.”

"But there were other forces at work in the cub, the greatest of which was growth. Instinct and law demanded of him obedience. But growth demanded disobedience...In the end, one day, fear and obedience were swept away by the rush of life, and the cub straddled and sprawled toward the entrance.”

—————————————————————————

"He was beaten (he knew that); but he was not broken.”

The Call of the Wild, by Jack London, is one of the most memorable and perhaps beloved of all his books.

"First published in 1903, The Call of the Wild is regarded as Jack London's masterpiece. Based on London's experiences as a gold prospector in the Canadian wilderness and his ideas about nature and the struggle for existence, The Call of the Wild is a tale about unbreakable spirit and the fight for survival in the frozen Alaskan Klondike." -Book Blurb

Buck, an enviously powerful dog, half St. Bernard and half sheepdog, lives on Judge Miller’s estate in California’s Santa Clara Valley, where he leads an enjoyable life, but it comes to an end when men discover gold in the Klondike region of Canada and a great demand arises for strong dogs to pull sleds. Buck is kidnapped by a gardener on the Miller estate and sold to dog traders, who teach Buck to obey by beating him with a club and, subsequently, ship him north to the Klondike to work pulling sleds.

"He had been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial.”



Buck begins to adjust to the harsh life as a sled dog. He also begins to recover the instincts of his wild ancestors by learning to fight, scavenge for food, and sleep beneath the snow on winter nights. At the same time, he develops a fierce rivalry with another dog. It is a very exciting tale to be sure.

"He was a killer, a thing that preyed, living on the things that lived, unaided, alone, by virtue of his own strength and prowess, surviving triumphantly in a hostile environment where only the strong survive.”

I would recommend The Call of the Wild, to those willing to enjoy a moving adventure story with animal leads, a story that can often be harsh and grim. It is a great book, well written and full of adventure, and above all it is a survival story. I must warn, however, there is a fair amount of animal violence, some of it humans abusing the dogs and some of the violence takes place between the dogs themselves. Still, this may be disturbing to some readers. Not for the faint of heart.

[OFFICIAL RATING: 4.5 STARS]



FURTHER QUOTATIONS:

"He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars.”

"There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive. This ecstasy, this forgetfulness of living, comes to the artist, caught up and out of himself in a sheet of flame; it comes to the soldier, war-mad in a stricken field and refusing quarter; and it came to Buck, leading the pack, sounding the old wolf-cry, straining after the food that was alive and that fled swiftly before him through the moonlight.”

"But especially he loved to run in the dim twilight of the summer midnights, listening to the subdued and sleepy murmurs of the forest, reading signs and sounds as a man may read a book, and seeking for the mysterious something that called -- called, waking or sleeping, at all times, for him to come.”

"He must master or be mastered; while to show mercy was a weakness. mercy did not exist in the primordial life. It was misunderstood for fear, and such misunderstandings made for death. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, was the law; and this mandate, down out of the depths of Time, he obeyed."

"Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and as often as he heard this call, mysteriously thrilling and luring, he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it, and to plunge into the forest, and on and on, he knew not where or why; nor did he wonder where or why, the call sounding imperiously, deep in the forest.”

"He was sounding the deeps of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the womb of Time.”

"For the pride of trace and trail was his, and sick unto death, he could not bear that another dog should do his work.”

"In this manner had fought forgotten ancestors. They quickened the old life within him, the old tricks which they had stamped into the heredity of the breed were his tricks... And when, on the still cold nights, he pointed his nose at a star and howled long and wolflike, it was his ancestors, dead and dust, pointing nose at star and howling down through the centuries and through him.” ...more

5

Jan 02, 2018

A brilliant read, full of action and adventure, as an ordinary house dog, Buck, is stolen and must fight for survival in the harsh wilderness. Soon, he meets his future pack and he moves up the rankings until he's the top dog. Will he survive the endless winter on the ice?

5

Apr 12, 2018

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Think Animal Planet and National Geographic pre-television. Captivated by the themes in both stories. Below is an essay in which I defend the idea that "fittest" is saved for the beast, not for mankind.

Hell froze over and now we are stuck with the arctic wilderness.

”The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang" are opposite stories that share the same theme: survival of the fittest. The Herbert Spencer adage has assumed immortality when projected onto the human ethos. It’s basis is in nature—Darwin on Think Animal Planet and National Geographic pre-television. Captivated by the themes in both stories. Below is an essay in which I defend the idea that "fittest" is saved for the beast, not for mankind.

Hell froze over and now we are stuck with the arctic wilderness.

”The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang" are opposite stories that share the same theme: survival of the fittest. The Herbert Spencer adage has assumed immortality when projected onto the human ethos. It’s basis is in nature—Darwin on natural selection—but humans, at the core, are beasts whom are ruled by a law that attempts to keep the beast at bay. Yet, London illustrates how the onslaught of gold-rush prospectors have caused chaos amongst the order of nature. We have a situation where an already cruel world becomes a much crueler world. Man’s greed has no boundaries, and it’s the least fit of mankind whom become the cruelest in the Yukon tundra. For man, survival of the fittest only matters in means not life. The fact that Buck and White Fang rise above them illustrates it’s the animals who are more deserving the title of “fittest”, especially in a world where the rules are not swayed in their favor.

Conquest!

The docile dog whom returns to his killing roots. The killer wolf-dog whom adapts to civilian life. Buck and White Fang didn’t have a say in how they came into this world, but they sure as hell aren’t going to leave it without thrashing and biting.

The story is fast and violent in honor of it’s environment. Flight or fight mentality with a heavy emphasis on fight. A place where you’ll be bludgeoned by club, bloodied by fang. Where there’s unpredictable famine and endless toil. To survive both the wolf-dog and the dog-wolf need extraordinary grit, a cunning sense, and a quick ability to learn; but even on the good days the meat is scarce, the nights are long, and the bonds are only on an as-needed basis. This last facet of the arctic's reality may be the saddest. It’s evident that Gray Beaver would have killed White Fang for food if he needed to. Heck, he gives the poor wolf-hound away to satiate his desire for drink. And White Fang’s mother, Kiche, no longer recognizes him. He’s no longer a cub. She has new cubs to provide for. He would only hinder her in her own struggle to survive. Betrayal is nature’s way of keeping the game in check. As new contenders enter, old contenders have to be let go. The never-ending cycle.

In “Call of the Wild,” Buck learns the same fated lesson. When Buck is captured he is sold from handler to handler. The St. Bernard and Shepherd mix is finally gifted with a well-deserved master. Sadly, the kinship is short-lasting. Buck, coming back from satiating his wild temptations, finds the camp in disarray with his master brutally slaughtered by “savages.” From the beginning of his adventure it’s the man in the red sweater who beats the killer instinct into him. So Buck knows how this game is played. It’s “eat or be eaten.” The once dog engages the killers with an unrelenting rage only equipped by his howling ancestors. The transformation from dog to wolf is complete. The revenge killing’s swift, “They had died so easily. It was harder to kill a husky dog than them.” If the game were fair, man would never win. But we know life is unfair, and it’s even more unfair for our non-human friends. There’s one rule for mankind, there’s another for the beast. Making the justice all the more sweet.

London doesn’t meander or take time with details. The action is graphic and quick. The narrator is strictly focused on the dog’s perspective—besides the first few chapters of White Fang. It’s non-anthropomorphic. Anglicized for ease of communication, but the feelings, the attitude, the observations are sincere. A fair and honest portrayal, as much as a human writer can achieve with such an unscientific task. London depicts nature's indifference, where only the best can thrive, but London reminds readers how luck plays a role in each’s success. What’s a better example than the all too convenient arrival of Thornton and Scott. The masters whom save the protagonists from the impetuous malignity dealt by the hands of cowards.

The cowards, whom London likes to call them, who are the bane of our protagonist’s existence, include the ironically named Beauty Smith and the three, out of their element, yuppies: Hal, Charles, and Mercedes. These antagonists embody the divide between enduring and earning the title. As London describes in White Fang, “Beauty Smith was cruel in the way that cowards are cruel…he revenged himself, in turn, upon creatures weaker than he. All life likes power, and Beauty Smith was no exception.” And in Call of the Wild, “In the excess of their own misery they were callous to the suffering of the animals.”

When uncivilized man have been disconnected from nature for so long and is improperly reintroduced without empathy or care or any respect for his environment, he ceases to embody the human spirit--if they ever had any. They aren’t human because they lack empathy. They aren’t beasts because they are cowards. They are essentially the worst hybrid of the two; and if the game were fair, they would be the first eaten. But in the civilized world the game isn't played, or at least the purest version of it isn't. Civilized society has no 'fight of flight' response. All expressions of dominance have to be manufactured. The workers are bored and dumb; all they have is instinct without purpose. The three gold-seekers are bored and spoiled; they've never experienced any worthy adversary outside of the wilderness-- embarrassingly out of their depth. An example of mankind at it's weakest, whose plight pores solid gold compared to that of the beast.

Then there's mankind at its peak. The men contrary to cowards.

For most of the story the human-beast relationship includes human domination and the beasts holding on to as little of the teetering mercy that the humans care to offer. You feed us, we’ll work. You fall, you die. Rules of the mushing and dog fights. Each embodies their best, but cut-throat can mean attrition, and daily brutality eventually takes a toll too great for even the greatest challengers to come back from. Near the end, Buck and White Fang lay close to death until their true “gods” intervene. John Thornton and Weedon Scott each save their soon-to-be loyal wolf-dog. Saving them in haste and saving them from experiencing a future life filled with more torment. In return they get a companion who will rescue them (John from drowning and Scott from the escaped convict) and earn them more than enough respect from their rivals, families and colleagues (Buck’s 1000 lb sled pull and White-Fang’s impression of Lassie).

Even in the cesspool that is humanity, scraped at the bottom, there are a few good men who aren’t driven by fear and malevolence or dishonor and greed. If a dog’s life is a “service of duty and awe”, then a true kinship between man and dog is not only a “service of duty and awe” but includes love reciprocated. But essentially, for most animals who have to contend with the indifference of nature, the betrayal of their pack, the ‘fight or die’ spirit of predators, and the malice of men, "survival of the fittest" is a term best suited, only suited for the beast. ...more

5

Aug 21, 2017

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fantastic. White Fang's story was way more interesting than Buck's story. I hate the way the humans were so cruel to the wolves and dogs by beating them with their own hands and clubs and whips! This book is very nice because we get to see the perspective of a dogs life. Buck was a very lazy and fat dog that lived in the Sunny place of US, until he got kidnapped and brought to the North Land. They used to beat him with clubs and the other dogs would I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fantastic. White Fang's story was way more interesting than Buck's story. I hate the way the humans were so cruel to the wolves and dogs by beating them with their own hands and clubs and whips! This book is very nice because we get to see the perspective of a dogs life. Buck was a very lazy and fat dog that lived in the Sunny place of US, until he got kidnapped and brought to the North Land. They used to beat him with clubs and the other dogs would steal his meal. Life was difficult for him until he became leader of the pack. He had several fights with the other dogs of the pack.

White Fang was the son of the She-Wolf(Kiche) and old One Eye. When he was young his Father was killed by a lynx. Then when he grew up he and his mother had a fight with the same lynx that killed his father, they won the fight and killed the lynx though Kiche was very wounded and sick. One day White Fang went exploring and Indians captured him then later his mother came to save she too was captured. Then his mother Kiche was sent away from him. His master Gray Beaver then traded him for booze. The new master was evil and had him tied up for hours and always beat him with a club. His master used to make him fight other dogs and he never lost a fight until one day he lost. Then his master "Beauty" Smith started kicking him hard. Then this man named Weedon Scott came and saved him, then Scott bought White Fang off of Smith. Scott was a very good person, he later brought White Fang to the US where he totally not used to. It took a while for him to get used to it. I hate the way when he saw Kiche she ignored him and snarled at him.

I really recommend this book it's very interesting! ...more

1

Aug 04, 2019

You can read my full review of The Call Of The Wild on Keeping Up With The Penguins.

I’ll say this right at the outset: do not go into this book thinking it’s a heart-warming tale about a puppy who goes camping. Every page has dogs attacking humans, humans attacking dogs, dogs attacking each other… wahhhh! I know there are a lot of clever metaphors and allegories buried in the story, but that’s no comfort to a dog-lover. Thankfully it’s very short!

I’ve got a pretty strong stomach, on the whole, You can read my full review of The Call Of The Wild on Keeping Up With The Penguins.

I’ll say this right at the outset: do not go into this book thinking it’s a heart-warming tale about a puppy who goes camping. Every page has dogs attacking humans, humans attacking dogs, dogs attacking each other… wahhhh! I know there are a lot of clever metaphors and allegories buried in the story, but that’s no comfort to a dog-lover. Thankfully it’s very short!

I’ve got a pretty strong stomach, on the whole, but my soft spot for dogs made The Call Of The Wild a very difficult read. I can appreciate what London was doing, but for me this book was right up there with A Clockwork Orange on the confronting scale, perhaps even exceeding it. It was beautifully written in parts, the scene-setting was incredibly evocative, but why couldn’t London have tortured oysters or skunks or something instead? Dog-lovers, beware: this is not the book for you. ...more

4

Aug 02, 2017

One of the commitments I've made this year is to try and read more books that have stood the test of time rather than defaulting to the flavor of the month new release. It took some time to work through but I'm glad I read these classics novels. Jack London has a sharp command of the English language and uses it deftly to paint the vast, unforgiving landscape of the Northland.

The Call of the Wild & White Fang both told from a dogs perspective are merciless and stark tales of survival at any One of the commitments I've made this year is to try and read more books that have stood the test of time rather than defaulting to the flavor of the month new release. It took some time to work through but I'm glad I read these classics novels. Jack London has a sharp command of the English language and uses it deftly to paint the vast, unforgiving landscape of the Northland.

The Call of the Wild & White Fang both told from a dogs perspective are merciless and stark tales of survival at any cost. Both stories show the overall influence of Socialism and Darwinian thought in the life of London. However, I believe they have stood the test of time specially because you can see these influences on London and his characters but it never comes across as preachy.

The most glaring takeaway I have is the overall hopelessness that is communicated. There is no desire for anything better than living up to whatever altruism one can muster knowing that at any moment the wild can rear its head in both man and beast and devour both. ...more