Reviews

I had never read any Jack London before (I'm not sure if that's a pro or a con of the public school system I was raised in), but as a Bay Area convert, I wanted to dig into some of the original writers integral to the history of the area. London's prose is not particularly daring, even as his characters take on risk and, usually, cruelty. What is apparent is his very specific understanding of the world. London approaches his stories with a evolutionary naturalism (I believe a movement that was current for its time) that fits well with the Klondike gold-rush era he returns to, at least in his most well-known stories. As any reader may be aware, London's two most famous works--The Call of the Wild and White Fang--offer an arc in either direction: from "civilization" into the Wild, and from the Wild back into civilization. What I found particularly interesting with London was his belief in a kind of mystic divine--he often notes that a character's actions are simultaneously informed by their inherent nature, while also being almost exclusively informed by the nature which "molds" them. Clay as a metaphor for character action is often used in any of his stories. The other main points to his world view favor power as strength (a mastery, fitting for the use of dogs in this selection of stories), that love can act as a kind of power, and that in spite of that, there is a universal order to which all may fall victim to, regardless of their strength. The short stories included in these selections felt mostly reminiscent of that world view, and rarely offered more insight into London as a writer. Though death seems to remain the constant, and a relationship to death that sees it as both natural and mostly inevitable. I think I've had my fill of London with these stories, but it was interesting to see an early perspective on the Bay, particularly with White Fang's ending.

stephielynn's review against another edition

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4.0

Only read White Fang and Call of the Wild. Will have to make time to revisit the rest. I really enjoyed both stories. It's amazing how a person can so convincingly write from the point of view of an animal.

alabooks's review against another edition

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4.0

I have always enjoyed the Call of the Wild and White Fang, but as a dog lover, it is sometimes hard for me to get through.

kai_okay's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ketevanreads's review against another edition

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2.0

This is a compendium of Call of the Wild, White Fang, and two short stories, Bâtard and Love of Life. I read Call of the Wild first which I generally enjoyed but didn’t love the racism. Couldn’t stand White Fang or Bâtard and was planning on rating this 1.5 stars rounded up but now it’s 2.5 rounded down because Love of Life is so spectacular.

In only 25 pages we get a fantastic examination of the human will to live, and the repercussions when we succeed at all costs. I recommend finding Love of Life somewhere in the public domain but not so much the rest of this collection.

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