From the Bookshelf of Topeka & Shawnee Co. Public Library…

The Call of the Wild

Jack London

Start date: October 14, 2013

Finish date: November 4, 2013

Discussion: Classic Made Modern eBooks

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Classic Made Modern eBooks

Tish: The Chronicle of her Escapades and Excursions
By Lissa · 1 post · 5 views

last updated Aug 12, 2015 10:22AM

The Call of the Wild by Jack London
By Lissa · 5 posts · 25 views

last updated Oct 30, 2013 08:24PM

What Members Thought

Sep 01, 2018 Chris Blocker rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When I see a dog turn a phrase far better than I can and wax philosophical about matters I've barely pondered, I can't help but think that modern public schooling has failed me. Buck, protagonist of The Call of the Wild, is one smart dog. He's smarter than me. Just think of what a cat could create.

I remember that once upon a time I was fascinated by Jack London. I was that age—probably 9 or 10 or thereabout. I had a copy of The Call of the Wild, maybe White Fang. I'm pretty sure I saw a movie or When I see a dog turn a phrase far better than I can and wax philosophical about matters I've barely pondered, I can't help but think that modern public schooling has failed me. Buck, protagonist of The Call of the Wild, is one smart dog. He's smarter than me. Just think of what a cat could create.

I remember that once upon a time I was fascinated by Jack London. I was that age—probably 9 or 10 or thereabout. I had a copy of The Call of the Wild, maybe White Fang. I'm pretty sure I saw a movie or two, but I don't recall now what London titles they may have been. I think I tried to give The Call of the Wild a read, but I honestly wasn't much of a classics reader at that time in my life. I enjoyed reading, but only simple books that pulled me in. Looking back, I can see why it's unlikely I made it past page ten—this book is full of dense exposition and vocabulary that even a dictionary wouldn't have helped illuminate when I was that age.

These days, my forays into reading are largely planned out far in advance. I have to-read lists and schedules, titles I plan on reading during certain times of the year. Books I must finish before I read others. I'm not obsessive with too many things in life, but I can be that way when it comes to books. Slowly, I'm trying to add a little spontaneity to my reading. That's exactly how my engagement with The Call of the Wild came about. I woke one morning without the slightest intention of getting around to this novel in this lifetime, and by evening I was halfway through it.

I don't know that I really have much to say about this novel. It's difficult to articulate my feelings about a story that's best quality is my own personal nostalgia. Would I have loved this story had I never encountered it before? Probably not. It's adventure-based, dense, and it holds some archaic thoughts that are off-putting regarding the treatment of animals, as well as various stereotypes humans held of one another at the time. Further, it certainly doesn't help that in my adulthood, I've realized I am much more of a cat person. Perhaps my greatest barrier to truly enjoying this story is the animal perspective. Chalk that one up to my own lack of imagination; it's a struggle for me to get behind a non-human narrator with a human-like perspective.

Even so, I enjoyed this novel. The transformation of Buck may be obvious from the first chapter, but seeing it play out is captivating. This is a classic adventure. It has enthralled many, particularly children, for over a hundred years. In the same way that the lamppost in the forest of Narnia pulls me completely into that novel, so does Buck bounding back to John Thornton. Its simple nostalgia, but its something I cannot ignore. ...more

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Dec 12, 2013 Melanie rated it liked it

I'm pretty sure that I had read this as a kid, but I really didn't remember it. I would say maybe I had a hard time getting into the mindset of a non-human but I loved Art of Racing in the Rain, but then that was written in first person. This does make me think about how we the animals in our lives. I think this books looses a bit with an audio version, and probably should read this again on paper. ...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Carol rated it liked it

Shelves: gar-2018

This was not what I expected... though I'm not sure what exactly I expected. It was violent and painful to read. Well written, but it evoked such empathy in me I found it hard to sit through. If you're an animal lover or find abuse of animals intolerable do not read this. ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Tricia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-the-great-american-read, 2019

Kindle version.
This is a story about survival during the time of the gold rush in Alaska. Written from the perspective of Buck, a large dog who is kidnapped and sold into sledding. It follows his adventure through several sets of owners and to his return to the wild.

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