The Call of the Wild by Jack LondonCanadian Book Challenge: Yukon entry; decades challenge: 1900s; novella challenge (172 pages)
Well, I was pleasantly surprised with this book. John Mutford recommended it to me for the Canadian challenge as I was having difficulty finding a Yukon book. It was written by an American, Jack London, but it was set in the north, including Yukon, during the gold rush of the late 1800s.
It's a simple story but written well. Buck is a dog who was essentially kidnapped from the good life in San Fransisco and taken north, where dogs were needed to work the trails. Buck begins of process of returning to the wild, gradually. There is an element of Black Beauty here, as Buck is passed from one bad situation to a worse one, but he becomes strong and a leader among dogs, as he heeds his call to the wild.
The writing was simple but readable, something I don't always expect from a classic novel. I really liked it and will try the other famous London book, White Fang.
Hubby and I took an Alaskan cruise last fall and during one of our excursions we went up through BC to Yukon and back down the Trail of '98. As we were going through the passes in the mountains, I often thought of Jack London and his books. It has been *years* since I've read anything by him, but I'd definitely like to revisit. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this book as well. I think you'll like White Fang. It's a similar story, but of the flip side.
ReplyDeleteWay back when I was in grade 7 or 8, I took to reading classic dog stories for some reason (odd since I've never been a dog person). I read this one and White Fang, Old Yeller, Big Red, Incredible Journey and a few others.
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