A To Z Book Review: The Call Of The Wild By Jack London
My letter “C” pick for this year’s A to Z Book Challenge was THE CALL OF WILD by Jack London. I try to add in at least a couple of classics to the yearly reading challenge, and since it’s been solid winter weather in Pennsylvania, I figured this was a good pick.
Jack London spent some time in the gold fields of the Klondike and Alaska during the gold rush of 1897. He had stake in several successful gold mines and liked to say he “found himself” during his time in Alaska. Eventually, he rafted 2000 miles down the Yukon River to California, where he settled in to write this book in 1903. I give you this background because there is no way London could have captured the grit, the cold, the bone-deep weariness of a miner’s life (and a sled dog’s life) in the Klondike without having lived it himself.
The story is told from the POV of Buck, a St. Bernard and Shepherd mix who was once a pampered member of a family household, only to be stolen, sold, and shipped off to Alaska to be a sled dog for various parties. While up north he’s caged, beaten, overworked, starved, and despite all that, he – like the author – feels a stirring in his soul while in the wilds of the Klondike. Eventually, he’s rescued by a much kinder man named John Thornton, whom he bonds with. Together, they, a couple of partners, and a pack of sled dogs find a successful claim and from that point, Buck has a lot of free time, which he uses by running with a local wolf. When John Thornton and the others are murdered by the indigenous Yeehat tribe, Buck challenges the alpha of the wolf pack and wins, taking on the role of leader for the pack. Buck eventually becomes known as the “Ghost Dog” by the Yeehats, as he returns to John’s cabin every year and wreaks havoc on the Yeehat tribe.
Telling the story from the dog’s point of view is an instant gut-punch to the reader. Sure, the miners suffered hardship, but it really brings it home to see the harsh conditions – and the deeply moving beauty of the land – through Buck’s eyes. I have a serious urge to travel to Alaska (but in the summertime!). This book is more than a hundred years old and stands the test of time. I’m going four stars as it rambles a bit but still a book I’d read again and again.
