Review of The Call of the Wild

6. The Call of the Wild (Jack London)

Pleasure: 8/10 Stars
Utility: 2/10 Stars

Jack London has created a mythical figure in this book. This is the first of the so-called "classics" that I *really* enjoyed reading. I think most of that can be attributed to the fact that there was a lot more action and less dialogue than previous books. The story follows Buck, a homely mix between a St. Bernard and Scotch Collie, who is a family pet of Judge Miller in central California. One of the judge's employees kidnaps Buck and sells him to pay off his gambling debts. Buck is shipped northward toward the Canadian border where he is trained to be a working dog. The majority of the story follows his difficult journey and his gradual return to the primordial instincts of the wolves. What London does in this story, though, is paint one of the most majestic portraits of an animal that anyone could read. He paints in broad strokes the rich soul of Buck as it transitions from the pampered life he enjoyed on the farm to the brutal wilds of the Canadian wilderness. Through the intense suffering of his journey, Buck takes on new dimensions and experiences greater joys and passions than he ever would have known had he stayed on Judge Miller's farm. By the end of the book, the once pampered family pet becomes the stuff of legends throughout the mining camps of the Yukon and the fear of many Indians who have inadvertently gotten on his wrong side. If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend doing so! It's not even very long!