“He was beaten (he knew that); but he was not broken. He saw, once for all, that he stood no chance against a man with a club. He had learned the lesson, and in all his after life he never forgot it. That club was a revelation. It was his introduction to the reign of primitive law, and he met the introduction halfway. 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.” Jack London, The Call of the Wild

The Call of the Wild (aka "Unbroken" with dogs)

I couldn't remember if I read this or "White Fang" in high school, but I know I read one of them (maybe both!) In any case, since I couldn't remember I decided to revisit this classic via audio book.

I don't usually read "adventure" stories, but found much appreciation for this tale, especially as it was told from the perspective of a dog, Buck, who was kidnapped from a California farm and sold to traders during the Alaskan gold rush to be worked as a sled dog. Modern readers may have a hard time reading (or listening) to the literal dog-eat-dog conditions and depictions of animal cruelty.

While written about dogs, I found the whole tale to be an allegory of the human experience. How and why a person can behave like their most primitive self when forcefully removed from the comfort of home; how a being relates to unconditional love instead of force and punishment; and the far-reaching implications of ineptitude.

4 stars. ( )

A classic tale about a dog who goes on an adventure in Alaska and learns to live by the Law of Club and Fang. Some parts have aged a little, but a fairly straight forward story. A short audiobook - almost 4 hours. Out of 5 calls to the wild, 4 were answered. One went straight to voicemail. ( )

What makes a book like this stand the test of time? It is an adventure story about a rugged, dangerous time and place, told through the eyes of a dog. After Buck is stolen from his home in Southern California, he has to adapt to a new and brutal life. His first encounter with violence is through "the man in the red shirt", a dog-breaker. This man was the first to introduce Buck to the "law of club and fang". Prior to this, Buck's life was one of a privileged, favored and pampered pet.
Gradually, he begins to disassociate with domesticity and feels the stirrings of the "primordial" life- instinctual memories and the "call of the wild". ( )

Book source ~ Audio purchased at Chirp

An historical tale of sled dogs during Alaska’s gold rush. Told from the POV of Buck, a dog stolen from his home in a warmer climate and sold to assholes up north, it is not for the faint of heart.

I read this a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Not really. But it was a long time ago. I’m almost 56 afterall. This time I listened to the audio version and it was fantastic. Brutal, but fantastic. If that makes sense. Poor Buck really has his cushy life turned upside down. So cruel! I really hate that dogs were and still are treated that way. However, the history of dog sledding during the gold rush is interesting and the story is told entirely from Buck’s POV which is fascinating. This is an excellent story with an awesome narrator and I highly recommend it. ( )

Needing a specific kind of book for a reading challenge recently, I settled on this one as my pick for the month. I was excited; I’ve been interested in Jack London’s books for a long time, but this was the first time I ever actually picked any of them up.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t really to my taste. I was disappointed by how much evolution was brought into the story, and some of the scenes didn’t feel particularly realistic, which was sad. There was also quite a bit of violence in these pages, plus what felt like glorification of the “primordial longings” the main character experienced.

There were things to enjoy in the story; I found the history side fascinating (aside from the despicable abuse and violence!), and since I haven’t read much about the Klondike Gold Rush, I appreciated that part. It was a well-written story, and I think I would have enjoyed the writing style had not other things bugged me. Overall, it wasn’t a horrible book, but it’s not one I’m planning to keep on my shelf or recommend to others. ( )