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The Call of the Wild
by
'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 ...more
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 ...more
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Paperback, 160 pages
Published
June 7th 2018
by Penguin Classics
(first published 1903)
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Do I regret reading this book? No, of course not! I did enjoy it (sometimes) and I'm glad I read this, but I wouldn't say this is a masterpiece.
I liked this book, but it felt too short for me. The subject is fascinating - gold rush, surviving in the cold etc. It seemed like the author rushed through all of that, not settling long enough on any part of the plot.
Didn't love it. As an advocate for animals and nature, it broke me. I wonder what possessed London to write about a dog - from a dog's POV. I was filled with pride for Buck when the story began. Then, my pride was replaced with growling hatred for men of weak nature. Poor Buck. My stomach knotted at his cruel reversal of fortune. It was after Buck became saddled with Francois I lost focus. Slogged through the rest. What gives, Jack? I can't pretend I loved it. Rather sad. Been wanting to read
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Manages to say essentially everything there is to say about the primitive nature of man in less than a hundred pages. Exceptional
"He was older than the days he had seen and the breaths he had drawn. He linked the past with the present, and the eternity behind him throbbed through him in a mighty rhythm to which he swayed as the tides and seasons swayed" (page 64).
Wow. What a roller coaster. My heart is broken and I don't know what to do.
3,5/5
A harsh look into the cruelty of man, animals, and nature. Of life, basically. Yet a fascinating tale of survival and endurance.
The Call of the Wild had many violent parts (most of the violence being directed at dogs), but also had beautiful things to say about nature and freedom. The three other stories were good, but nowhere near as interesting as the titular story.
A harsh look into the cruelty of man, animals, and nature. Of life, basically. Yet a fascinating tale of survival and endurance.
The Call of the Wild had many violent parts (most of the violence being directed at dogs), but also had beautiful things to say about nature and freedom. The three other stories were good, but nowhere near as interesting as the titular story.
This is undoubtably a 5 star story but the audible that I listened to was 2 stars at best.
'The Call of The Wild' was one of the books I was supposed to read in school, but never did. On the face of it, it's a story of survival. But by the end you realise it's a story of mastery, in a world where there are only two kinds, masters and slaves. The chief character Buck becomes a Master.
This theme is not surprising, given that the author Jack London has been influenced by the philosophy of Friedrich Nietsche, with his ideas of masters and slaves, the master race and slaves. How ...more
This theme is not surprising, given that the author Jack London has been influenced by the philosophy of Friedrich Nietsche, with his ideas of masters and slaves, the master race and slaves. How ...more
(I only read Call of the Wild) Difficult to read another book from a dog's POV, after 15 Dogs did it so sensitively and philosophically, but this is from a different time. Reminded me of my brief visit to the Yukon, a fascinating place & history. Interesting allusions to the collective unconscious, and exploration of sled dog team dynamics. Compelling even in its simplicity, but uncomfortable now in some of its cliches - the only woman in the book is shallow and hysterical, and there is an
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I know I read this back in elementary , 20+ years ago. It was an interesting read and one that I didn't really remember, but with new movie coming out thought it would be good to reread. I fell in love with Buck and truly enjoyed him being the protagonist. The descriptions of the types of people he encountered throughout his life were very well developed and could tell the different people who went in search of their fortunes during the gold rush times were drawn from experience. I do feel the
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Reading about how easily a household pet can turn into a vicious killer makes me think my childhood fear of dogs was justified.
I've never cared for books that are written from an animal's point of view. To me, a dog pulling a sled (and going ferel along the way) is tedious. Add in Buck's ruthlessness, and the fact that most of the characters are unlikable, and there isn't a lot to recommend about this book.
I've never cared for books that are written from an animal's point of view. To me, a dog pulling a sled (and going ferel along the way) is tedious. Add in Buck's ruthlessness, and the fact that most of the characters are unlikable, and there isn't a lot to recommend about this book.
The main story and the two additional short stories were all very compelling reads; they were very intense and reflected the brutality of the struggles that humans and animals go through in the extreme cold. That being said, these stories were also quite unforgiving and pretty depressing in my opinion. They are not for the faint of heart...
I had a memory of reading and loving this book 25-30 years ago and revisited it via audiobook on a trip to Canada recently. That's when I discovered I didn't really care for the dog or the man who saved him! So much machismo. Which, of course is about the author. Now I'm afraid to take another look at Black Beauty...
This is written so well. I didn't necessarily enjoy-enjoy these stories, but they are so well done. It was also quite an emotionally exhausting experience. He writes in a way that put me there and it is a harsh, mostly sad and difficult life he is describing. To build a fire story was probably the one that got me the most.
I can't believe I had never read this American classic! I expected it to be a great read, and it was. Through the author's incredible writing, I felt like I was in the Yukon alongside Buck for every adventure. I'm looking forward to seeing the new movie with Harrison Ford!
I'm surprised by how much I liked this book. I enjoyed the journey and the way people just left and Buck just moved on, and that's life. The actual "call of the wild" part was a bit weird, but I skimmed part those parts and really did enjoy Buck's story.
A YA classic that I somehow missed reading before now. I read this immediately after finishing "The Great Alone" by Kristin Hannah. It certainly brought home the challenges of living in Alaska or the frozen North.
Rereading this as a middle aged adult was two hours well spent. It's lost nothing in its appeal and become so much more relatable.
Beautiful story, brilliant writer
What a great story!! Who knew the tale of a dog could make me cry like this. Epic!
Good book? Sure. Masterpiece? Not really. Bound to become a great movie, but not a book I’d be eager to recommend.
Well written, and interesting.
Disappointing
This book did not meet my expectations. I know it is considered a classic, but it really did not appeal to me.
This book did not meet my expectations. I know it is considered a classic, but it really did not appeal to me.
What a classic. Just in time for the new movie
This wasn't as cute as I hoped a little book about dogs would be. The beginning contains animal abuse (e.g., beating a dog with a club until he loses consciousness) and graphic descriptions of dogfights that sickened me to read. Once Buck finds his beloved master, Thornton, we get a few touching scenes before Thornton's tragic death. The overall effect is depressing, which the 19th-century language underlines. I won't say London repeats "primordial" as much as Melville uses "monomaniacal," but
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Wow. This book fucked me up.
1.Oxford level3
2.11/5=150min
3.Buck experience rich sledge explore wild dog
4.strange hairy man
I didn't know hairy means a person who has lots of hair.
5.This story is about life of a dog. He experienced lots of kind of life. Rich man's dog, sledge dog, work for terrible family and explore with professional explorer. While his experiences, he learned lots of things. However, his final master, professional explorer was killed by Indian, and then he become wild dog. After that, every summer he came ...more
2.11/5=150min
3.Buck experience rich sledge explore wild dog
4.strange hairy man
I didn't know hairy means a person who has lots of hair.
5.This story is about life of a dog. He experienced lots of kind of life. Rich man's dog, sledge dog, work for terrible family and explore with professional explorer. While his experiences, he learned lots of things. However, his final master, professional explorer was killed by Indian, and then he become wild dog. After that, every summer he came ...more
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Jack London was an American novelist, journalist, social-activist and short-story writer whose works deal romantically with elemental struggles for survival. At his peak, he was the highest paid and the most popular of all living writers. Because of early financial difficulties, he was largely self educated past grammar school.
London drew heavily on his life experiences in his writing. He spent ...more
London drew heavily on his life experiences in his writing. He spent ...more
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