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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I don't remember this being so gruesome when I was a kid...
fast-paced
Timeless. Always deserving of a reread. When I was a child I read it in Bulgarian. Today I read it in original English and it’s magnificent.
My next classic read is a short one, so I’m giving a halfway through update since I plan to be finished this early next week. So far, it’s hard not to empathize with Buck. He was just a dog living life before he was stolen and turned into the hard creature he slowly becomes. Watching Buck slowly descend into wild dog has been a little heartbreaking because at first he had no idea what was happening. Now as he moves to becoming the alpha dog, we see him lose all sense of trained dog and more wild beast. I like that each chapter we see Buck lose himself piece by piece. The way London writes can be so chilling, even the wintery climate gives this book that extra crisp edge.
I actually really enjoyed this. I liked the writing a lot, but for the longest time I wasn’t quite feeling the story. There were a lot of descriptions of dogs ripping apart one another, the writing could get pretty graphic and gruesome. But what really brought this up was chapter 6 when Buck has to prove himself and he wants to do it for his human. That chapter was nail biting and so tense, but the love and compassion either of them have for each other was so palpable in the writing. London did a wonderful job of creating this atmosphere that was chilling, yet there was also an undertone of love in it. Even the last chapter, too had me feeling some kind of way to watch Buck become one with the wild. It felt like the perfect ending the way it all came together. It didn’t feel rushed, but very thought out and just perfect for the trajectory of the story. This was like a coming of age story for a dog; really well done.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am so disappointed when an otherwise adequate book is ruined by its ending.
Call of the Wild was going to be a 4 star read for me. I had decided this within the last 20 pages of the story. Buck is enjoyable as a protagonist, it’s an easy read, I was vibing.
However, the author decided to make up a Native American tribe to paint one final murderous villain for no reason. Truly no reason.
The ending of Call of the Wild suffers from the same syndrome that many books of the WWII era do in making Nazis the villains. It determines that the big scary villain of the era is Native American people, and paints them as such.
Buck could have easily been written to choose to leave his master as the call of the wild broke through to him (this would have been more satisfying of an ending I think) or the last human he held ties to could have died a myriad of other ways. But no, London had to create a villain to appeal to the unfounded sense of fear that spread through white America at the time.
*sigh* this is why I struggle to read to many classics. I often find myself disappointed when weak plot choices are made in order to throw in a race or gender commentary that ages like an egg, slowly rotting away at the rest of the story.
Call of the Wild was going to be a 4 star read for me. I had decided this within the last 20 pages of the story. Buck is enjoyable as a protagonist, it’s an easy read, I was vibing.
However, the author decided to make up a Native American tribe to paint one final murderous villain for no reason. Truly no reason.
The ending of Call of the Wild suffers from the same syndrome that many books of the WWII era do in making Nazis the villains. It determines that the big scary villain of the era is Native American people, and paints them as such.
Buck could have easily been written to choose to leave his master as the call of the wild broke through to him (this would have been more satisfying of an ending I think) or the last human he held ties to could have died a myriad of other ways. But no, London had to create a villain to appeal to the unfounded sense of fear that spread through white America at the time.
*sigh* this is why I struggle to read to many classics. I often find myself disappointed when weak plot choices are made in order to throw in a race or gender commentary that ages like an egg, slowly rotting away at the rest of the story.
adventurous
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Hyvää luonnonkuvausta ja simppeliä kerrontaa koiran näkökulmasta. Joskin välillä villin eläimen fiilistely meni naurettavuuksiin asti. Hieman jää ihmetyttämään että kuinka tämä on jäänyt sensuurin hampaisiin liian radikaalin kerronnan takia.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Revisiting an old classic
This book is fitting to read while they hiking the PCT. I feel the call of the wild. I know exactly what Buck is experiencing - it’s primal. My body is adapting. My muscles getting harder. An excess fat on my body melting off. I’m becoming a machine made for this trek. Strength and endurance.
I do wish there were any strong female characters in this book. We got a crying useless woman on the sled, a dog who dies immediately, a sappy wound caring dog of John thortons, and some stray female moose. Weak, weak, caregiver, mother. Need a little stronger messaging than that.
Love buck’s character. Relatable. Strong. Fierce. Driven. Quick witted. Loyal. Has a set of morals / rules but they are his own.
4.7⭐️
This book is fitting to read while they hiking the PCT. I feel the call of the wild. I know exactly what Buck is experiencing - it’s primal. My body is adapting. My muscles getting harder. An excess fat on my body melting off. I’m becoming a machine made for this trek. Strength and endurance.
I do wish there were any strong female characters in this book. We got a crying useless woman on the sled, a dog who dies immediately, a sappy wound caring dog of John thortons, and some stray female moose. Weak, weak, caregiver, mother. Need a little stronger messaging than that.
Love buck’s character. Relatable. Strong. Fierce. Driven. Quick witted. Loyal. Has a set of morals / rules but they are his own.
4.7⭐️
The author does a great job of making Buck's transition feel natural and engaging.
We discussed from favorite Jack London stories on the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-235-jack-london
We discussed from favorite Jack London stories on the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-235-jack-london