Customer Reviews

The Call of the Wild and White Fang (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (B&N Classics)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Written almost of century ago by Jack London, both of these stories have truly stood the test of time. Both of them are based on London's experience in the Yukon, and both are written from the point of view of dogs.

In "The Call of the Wild", the dog Buck is kidnapped from an easy life and sold to a sled team during the Klondike Gold Rush. In spite of the numerous cruelties inflicted on him, Buck learns to survive. Eventually, he returns to the wild and to run with the wolves.

In "White Fang", the story is reversed. White Fang is three-quarters wolf and was born in the wild. Through a series of events, he is domesticated and eventually becomes a tame and loving pet.

There is much to learn in both of these stories. One thing is the way of animals and their life in the wild. Another is of the way of life in the Yukon. And of the men, both brutal and kind, who rely on the dogs to pull the sleds.

Jack London used his words well. There's an elegant cadence and a vigorous spirit. His love for the animals comes through as well as his respect for the wild forces of nature. And the theme that life changes are really possible because of environmental forces.

London didn't set out to write a story about the glorification of nature or vanishing wildlife. Indeed, during his short lifetime (1876-1916) the way of the wild was a fact of life. London just simply wrote his stories. And through his words, left a legacy of work that will continue to enrich the lives of readers for many generations to come.

This, in my opinion, is among the greatest sociological books existing. Unlike any other book you have read: there is no jealousy in this book, no bickering, no envy, no greed, no pettiness -- there is only life and the struggle for life. That life is good. That living is good. That making it through the day, or the hour, is good.

The book pounds the reader through the confines of the frozen north, where two men attempt to transport a decedent in his coffin. On the way, hungry wolves pursue the trail -- we can't blame them -- "their muscles are strings" -- the wolves are literally starving to death. The men understand this, but also that they have a job to do.

Later, one of these wolves delivers a few pups, and the pups struggle to live within their den while the mother attempts to find food that is virtually nonexistent. One of these wolves is White Fang -- in his struggle for survival, he must rise above his fears and his teachings, and in so doing, discovers that living is essential, that living is good.

Through trials and tribulations, White Fang understands that love is the highest pinnacle of existence, and that order is the highest essential of Life.

Crammed with so many wonderful scenes, so many poigant and solemn images of life, the struggle for life, the very act of living -- impossible to put down, impossible to ignore.

If you have doubts about your world, your doubts will be shaken if you read this book.

Jack London has written the finest of stories in White Fang. The bar has been raised never to be surpassed. White Fang is the story of life and the will to live. Nothing else! I have read this story many times and have ventured to continue the legacy of "The Blessed Wolf". There has yet to be a novel written of such an exceptional understanding of the energy of life that surges within all living creatures. An energy superceded only by the power of love, loyalty, devotion and honor. The world must read this novel, for it is a part of everything.

This is a compelling tale of a dog named Buck taken from his home and used to find gold. Sometimes there could be a funny moment but most of the time you can see the cruel abuse people give to dogs and other animals. Buck is a true survivor and he makes it through that perilous journey. You should read this book and you will be at the edge of your seat all through it. A lot of deaths happen in this story so if you really do not like animal abuse I wouldn't recommend it to you. I can't tell you the whole story because I don't want to give you away one detail that might spoil the end or any other good things that happen. Read it and you'll find out how a dog named Buck survived!

White Fang is a wonderful book. Although Jack London has some misconceptions of the nature of wolves, he has no misconceptions about the enduring power of love to heal a wounded spirit. White Fang, part dog and part wolf, is born wild into a harsh Alaskan world by a loving mother. When he is still a young pup, he comes to experience the world of native Indians, then cruel dog fighters in a heartless "gold rush" boomtown, and finally, a man which represents a more civilized and hopeful world. The book is a wonderful adventure, and sentiments fall firmly on the side of White Fang, love and fair play. It only remotely follows the story line of Disney's movie, "White Fang," so one does not preclude the other. It is also a wonderful inroduction or supplement to the sport of sleddog racing, and offers a riveting condemnation of dog fighting. Love and kindness will eventually prevail over hate and cruelty, and the book will leave readers asking for more.

Jack London has his faults -- prone to overuse of superlatives; overdescription and overemphasis; occasional suggestions of misanthropy; an uneasy blend of aristocratic intellectualism and socialist populism. But not that many writers can match his linguistic energy, and at his best his writings achieve a majesty and intensity akin to the cinematic mode of expression.

White Fang is the better story, despite London scholar Andrew Sinclair's protestations to the contrary. Criticizing the "bathos" of the ending, he probably missed the cynicism that can be extracted from the "Blessed Wolf" ending. Human recognition doesn't mean much in the end of White Fang, after all -- notice that London does not end on the note of "Blessed Wolf" but on the more important thing -- rejuvenation, the next generation...the puppies. This is the true triumph of the wolf, not the acceptance of the Sierra Vista.

White Fang succeeds on the strength of its coming-of-age story and because White Fang is less heroic than Buck. Buck in The Call of the Wild is almost too powerful to be convincing -- his defeat at the hands of The Man in the Red Sweater makes his devastation of the Yeehat tribe at the end of the novella incredible. However, Sinclair's criticisms of Jack London taking liberties with dog behaviour (eg. Buck's "imagination" while fighting; White Fang's electric-cars-as-screaming-lynxes nightmares) verge on the idiotic. The use of allusions (as in the case of the nightmares) is an ages-old and very effective device; as for Buck's "imagination", I would rather trust London to comment on dog behaviour than Sinclair. Besides, who cares? The novel was never designed to be a hard-line news-journalistic form, so to criticize a novel for "not being realistic", especially in the case of a modern mythmaker like London, is ridiculous.

The savagery of these two stories makes it baffling why they frequently end up in the children's section. Shocking, powerful storytelling set in a merciless world.

"The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang" are books I strongly recommend to teenagers who love animals and nature. A long time ago, as I was about fourteen, I discovered Jack London and the magic of his writing. Through his books, I was able to live adventures and feel the emotions of the animals as if they were humans.

I bought this book as a night time story book that would last my 5 year old a few weeks. I decided that it had been a while since I read the story so maybe I should read it before he and I started it. I'm very glad I did. This is a wonderful book, I love all of Jack London's stuff....but not for a 5 year old. Most of the characters you get to know in the story, die. For a tender-hearted 5 year old, that would not make for a good bed time story at all. However I work 3rd shift and there is a lot of down time at my job so it made for a great time killer at work :)

The Call of the Wild was so great I got obsessed with Jack London`s hit novels. It was the best book I had ever read and then I read White Fang. Both books were full of suspense and you never knew what would happen next to Buck or White Fang.

Picked up this book while in Alaska and throughly enjoyed it....as with most men, had read it or heard of it as a boy, but put it aside or didn't remember it...Surprisingly good, especially while in Alaska, but one doesn't have to be in Alaska to appreciate and enjoy this book. Yes, it's about a dog, but it's also about life, relationshships, and attitudes. Good book well worth reading. LIke most classics, we tend to appreciate them more as we grow older than when we first read them. Thus it is with this book.