The Call of the Wild (Children's Classics) [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Jack London (Author), William Hootkins (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1997 | Series: Classic, Children's, Audio

Taken from the warmth of the Santa Clara Valley to work as a sled dog in the frozen Yukon during the Gold Rush, Buck is forced to rediscover his natural instincts. He and the other dogs are brutalized and beaten, but Buck is saved from this cruelty by John Thornton, in whose care he learns how to be loved. Buck has now learned the art of survival, so that when he is free to return to the wild, he is feared, respected, and truly fit for leadership.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up?These two classics receive fresh and worthy treatment in this new series. Children raised on computer games and frenetic television images may find the writings of Kipling and London to be old-fashioned and unrelated to the worlds they know best. That's why these books are a welcome addition to most collections. Kipling's stories of Mowgli, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, and Toomai of the elephants and London's story of the heroic dog Buck are superbly packaged. The original, unabridged texts are presented along with period maps and photographs, historical etchings and engravings, and newly created full-color illustrations that supply invaluable detail and background. Generous and colorfully presented details about the places, times, people, events, and natural life provide vital context. In The Jungle Book, readers learn about the English colonization of India, the domestication of elephants, purported cases of "wild children" raised by wolves, India's thick-lipped bears, panthers, wolves, mongooses, Bengal tigers, and myriad other details that contribute to fuller and more enjoyable appreciation of Mowgli's adventures in the lush jungle landscape of 19th-century India. Similarly, visual and print information about the Klondike, the Alaskan Gold Rush of 1896, sled dogs, wolves, and Jack London enrich the reading experience of young people first encountering The Call of the Wild. Both books are handsome to look at, inviting to read, and a boon to anyone charged with introducing today's youth to classic works.?Jerry D. Flack, University of Colorado
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

London's 1903 classic of a kidnapped dog and Yukon gold is revisited here by editor Dyer, who restored the text to its original form sans the editorial alterations that corrupt most of today's available editions. He also includes numerous photographs and maps as well as notes on the text.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Penguin Audio; abridged edition edition (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140862382
• ISBN-13: 978-0140862386
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (449 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,799,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Books on Cassette > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > London, Jack

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buck realizes his potential, December 25, 2009

By 

bernie "webviator" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Call of the Wild (Kindle Edition)

Gold was found in Alaska, the rush to obtain it required a strong constitution and many dogs to do the work that horses usually did in the states. The environment bread harsh attitudes. Also in the testing of ones mettle one finds their true potential.

Buck (a dog that is half St Bernard and half Shepherd) goes through many lives, trials, and tribulations finally realizing his potential. On the way he learns many concepts from surprise, to deceit, and cunning; he also learns loyalty, devotion, and love. As he is growing he feels the call of the wild.

This book is well written. There is not a wasted word or thought and the story while building on its self has purpose and direction. The descriptions may be a tad graphic for the squeamish and a tad sentimental for the romantic. You see the world through Buck's eyes and understand it through his perspective until you also feel the call of the wild.

The Call of the Wild - Dog of the Yukon (1997)

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really good literature on a fascinating time in Western history, May 19, 2010

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Call of the Wild (Kindle Edition)

Buck is a St. Bernard/Scotch Shepherd mix dog living in the "sun-kissed" valley of Santa Clara, California. But, when he is stolen and transported up to frozen lands of the Yukon, he discovers an existence almost beyond his comprehension. However, while most southern dogs that are suddenly dropped into this harsh and unforgiving environment, Buck not only survives, he thrives. It seems that ancient memories are speaking to Buck, drawing him towards the call of the wild!

I must say, now that I have finally taken the time to read this book, I clearly see why it is considered a classic! The story is very well-written, filled with action and adventure, and presents a strangely compelling world - the world of the Arctic Circle at the beginning of the 20th century. Now, this is no happy-happy book written for the more sensitive reader. Indeed, the story is filled with violence and conflict and death, much as the Yukon was back then.

I really found this book to be compelling reading, one that I could not put down. So, if you want to read some really good literature on a fascinating time in Western history, then get this book. You won't be disappointed!

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good and involving book, March 27, 2000

By 

Paul Kim - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Call of the Wild (Enriched Classics (Washington Square)) (Mass Market Paperback)

The two rivals circle the ring, probing for any point of weakness. The duel has lasted longer than either competitor had anticipated. Weakened by fatigue, the challenger feints high and goes for a crippling blow. No, this is not a boxing title match in Las Vegas. This is a life-and-death struggle of one domestic dog for survival in the cold, icy, barren regions of the Alaskan plains. This is a clash between the civilized and the primordial. This is the conflict between domestication and liberation. This is the Call of the Wild.

Jack London centers his story on a dog by the name of Buck. Buck is a big, strong dog, his father being a St. Bernard and his mother being a Scottish shepherd dog. At one hundred and forty pounds, Buck was no mere house pet. Kept physically strong with a love of rigorous swimming and constant outdoor exercise, Buck was a lean, formidable dog. Undoubtedly, his great condition was part of the reason that the gardener's helper dog-napped and sold him to dog traders, who in turn sold him to Canadian government mail couriers. The gold rush in Alaska had created a huge demand for good dogs, which eventually led to the "disappearances" of many dogs on the West Coast. Buck was no exception. He was sold into a hostile environment, which was unforgiving and harsh. Although civilization domesticated him from birth, Buck soon begins almost involuntarily to rediscover himself, revealing a "primordial urge", a natural instinct, which London refers to as the Call of the Wild.

This book is set in the Klondike, a region in Alaska that was literally stormed by thousands of men looking to get rich quick via the gold rush. Transportation was increasingly important, but horses were near useless in winter, prone to slip and fall on snow and ice. Dogs were by far the best means of transportation in Alaska at the time, somewhere near the end of the 19th century. As the demand for dogs grew, the prices for good dogs skyrocketed. This price hike inevitably created a black-market- style selling of dogs, and the gardener's helper Manuel did what many men did; they sold the dogs for a good price.

A recurring theme in London's novel is the clash between natural instinct and domesticated obedience. Soon after the dog traders captured Buck, a man broke him with a club. Buck is thoroughly humiliated, but learned an all-important truth of the wild: The law of club and fang. Kill or be killed. Survival is above all. Buck resolved to himself to give way to men with clubs. In the beginning, Buck had problems with this new restriction, but learned that when his masters' hands hold whips or clubs, he must concede. However, that did not keep Buck from doing little deeds like stealing a chunk of bacon behind his masters' backs. However, as London says, "He did not steal for joy of it, but because of the clamor of his stomach . In short, the things he did were done because it was easier to do them than not to do them." In this way Buck learns the way of the wild but also acknowledges his inferiority to men with clubs or whips. Eventually in this novel, Buck throws away his old life completely and replaces it with his natural urge, the primordial version of himself, the Call of the Wild.

Another underlying theme is the relationship between dog and master. In the beginning, Buck is acquainted with the Judge with a dignified friendship, his sons with hunting partnership, his grandsons with protective guardianship, the mail couriers Francois and Perrault with a mutual respect. Against the man with a club he despised but gave respect. However, when Buck met John Thornton, he loved his master for the first time ever. There wasn't anything Buck wouldn't do for his master. Twice Buck saved Thornton's life, and pulled a thousand pounds of weight for Thornton's sake. Even after Buck routinely left his master's camp to flirt with nature, Buck always came back to appreciate his kind master. However, even after Thornton was gone and Buck had released all memories of his former life, Buck never forgot the kind hands of his master, even after answering the Call of the Wild.

Jack London truly brings Buck to life. Using a limited 3rd person view, the reader is told of Buck's thoughts and actions. Obviously, London gave several ideal human qualities to Buck, including a sharp wit, rational reasoning, quick thinking, and grounded common sense. However, he does not over-exaggerate the humanity in Buck, which would have given an almost cartoon-like feeling for a reader. Rather, being a good observer, London saw how dogs acted and worked backwards, trying to infer what the dogs think. The result is a masterful blend of human qualities and animal instinct that is entirely believable. It is obvious that Buck's experience was similar to many other dogs' experiences.