The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
I finished The Call of the Wild by Jack London a while ago and even wrote a review. Unfortunately, LJ was being less than cooperative and I lost the review. I’m just now getting around to writing a new one.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. White Fang was one of my favourite novels when I was twelve and I was afraid that The Call of the Wild would be for a young audience : I’ve found that I rarelly enjoy YA literature now that I am an adult. While The Call of the Wild is suitable for teenagers, it’s also enjoyable for adults. I especially liked the point of view: we see the whole story (except chapter 5) through Buck’s eyes, and the half-imagined, half-observed insight in the inner working of a pack was my favourite part.
The narrator is a dog, Buck, who is stolen from the South and brought in the North during the Yukon Gold Rush (I guess the story takes place around 1897). Through Buck’s eyes, we see how hard life was for the people and the animals, but we also see the beauty of the North and the joy the men and dogs find in their work.
We also see the less savoury aspects of this life, especially how violent people could be towards the dogs. There were two wholes parts I was cringing through : the one when Bick gets out of the cage, during the travel up North, and the one where the immigrant family starve and overwork the dogs.
The only thing that I disliked was the ending : John Thornton, Buck’s last and favourite owner, is killed by Indians while Buck is roaming the forest. Buck then kills all the men who attacked his master’s camp, and joins a pack fo wolves. So far, so good. Here is what I disliked : the end is treated like it’s a myth (Buck becomes a Ghost Dog, a Spirit of Evil for the Indian tribe) and I found it jarring as the whole novel is firlmy set in « reality » (meaning there was nothing supernatural in the book).
Still, I enjoyed this early 20th century novel, and I feel comfortable recommending it, from everyone 10 years ofd and up.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. White Fang was one of my favourite novels when I was twelve and I was afraid that The Call of the Wild would be for a young audience : I’ve found that I rarelly enjoy YA literature now that I am an adult. While The Call of the Wild is suitable for teenagers, it’s also enjoyable for adults. I especially liked the point of view: we see the whole story (except chapter 5) through Buck’s eyes, and the half-imagined, half-observed insight in the inner working of a pack was my favourite part.
The narrator is a dog, Buck, who is stolen from the South and brought in the North during the Yukon Gold Rush (I guess the story takes place around 1897). Through Buck’s eyes, we see how hard life was for the people and the animals, but we also see the beauty of the North and the joy the men and dogs find in their work.
We also see the less savoury aspects of this life, especially how violent people could be towards the dogs. There were two wholes parts I was cringing through : the one when Bick gets out of the cage, during the travel up North, and the one where the immigrant family starve and overwork the dogs.
The only thing that I disliked was the ending : John Thornton, Buck’s last and favourite owner, is killed by Indians while Buck is roaming the forest. Buck then kills all the men who attacked his master’s camp, and joins a pack fo wolves. So far, so good. Here is what I disliked : the end is treated like it’s a myth (Buck becomes a Ghost Dog, a Spirit of Evil for the Indian tribe) and I found it jarring as the whole novel is firlmy set in « reality » (meaning there was nothing supernatural in the book).
Still, I enjoyed this early 20th century novel, and I feel comfortable recommending it, from everyone 10 years ofd and up.