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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I wanted to read Call of the Wild before going to see the movie. \\https://maybesbooks.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-call-of-wild-and-white-fang-by-jack.html
I will admit I was skeptical upon picking up this book, first of all because it was yanked from the youth section of my local library, and second because it fell into the pseudo-category of "Books I Didn't Read As A Kid But Probably Should Have." I didn't want to read a book that felt like homework. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised.
From Buck, we receive the tale of a "Southland" dog unleashed amidst the cruel, cold North and frenzied Yukon gold rush. Sold and traded among several different owners, we watch him learn, grow and adapt. From White Fang we follow the development of a wild wolf as he survives in the wild and amongst humans, from frightened pup to wise adult. White Fang is constantly facing new challenges, from his understanding of the human world to taming the immutable instincts within him.
Throughout both stories were strong, consistent themes of adaptation, instinct and environment. The language was descriptive and both stories were set in the harsh northern climate of the subarctic Northwest; London uses this setting as the forge in which both protagonists are tempered. Throughout both stories were passages that described an emotion or character to great effect. Take my favorite quote from The Call of the Wild, for example:
The only complaint I had were his lengthy descriptions of dog behavior and inherent instinct, as if he were explaining these familiar concepts to someone who had no previous conception of them.
Amongst both stories, two segments stood out the most to me. First, the description of Buck's dreams, in which he seems to travel back in time to when his canine ancestors first befriended man, hunched over and neanderthal. Given that Darwin's work had only been published 40 years prior to these books, it seemed interesting to me that such a description was included. I couldn't help but think: What was the thinking amongst London's audience at the time? Was this a radical concept to include in a book during this time?
Second, the entire first section of White Fang reminded me of something out of a horror novel: two men and a team of dogs transporting a coffin through the wilderness, pursued by a pack of wild, hungry wolves, who slowly decimate dog team and man alike. Thrilling stuff, really.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed both stories for multiple reasons. Among the great adventures of the twentieth century, The Call of the Wild and White Fang stand as classic adventure tales and hold up remarkably well over 110 years later.
A good read!
From Buck, we receive the tale of a "Southland" dog unleashed amidst the cruel, cold North and frenzied Yukon gold rush. Sold and traded among several different owners, we watch him learn, grow and adapt. From White Fang we follow the development of a wild wolf as he survives in the wild and amongst humans, from frightened pup to wise adult. White Fang is constantly facing new challenges, from his understanding of the human world to taming the immutable instincts within him.
Throughout both stories were strong, consistent themes of adaptation, instinct and environment. The language was descriptive and both stories were set in the harsh northern climate of the subarctic Northwest; London uses this setting as the forge in which both protagonists are tempered. Throughout both stories were passages that described an emotion or character to great effect. Take my favorite quote from The Call of the Wild, for example:
"With the aurora borealis flaming coldly overhead, or the stars leaping the frost dance, and the land numb and frozen under its pall of snow, this song of the huskies might have been the defiance of life, only it was pitched in minor key, with long-drawn wailings and half-sobs, and was more the pleading of life, the articulate travail of existence."
The only complaint I had were his lengthy descriptions of dog behavior and inherent instinct, as if he were explaining these familiar concepts to someone who had no previous conception of them.
Amongst both stories, two segments stood out the most to me. First, the description of Buck's dreams, in which he seems to travel back in time to when his canine ancestors first befriended man, hunched over and neanderthal. Given that Darwin's work had only been published 40 years prior to these books, it seemed interesting to me that such a description was included. I couldn't help but think: What was the thinking amongst London's audience at the time? Was this a radical concept to include in a book during this time?
Second, the entire first section of White Fang reminded me of something out of a horror novel: two men and a team of dogs transporting a coffin through the wilderness, pursued by a pack of wild, hungry wolves, who slowly decimate dog team and man alike. Thrilling stuff, really.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed both stories for multiple reasons. Among the great adventures of the twentieth century, The Call of the Wild and White Fang stand as classic adventure tales and hold up remarkably well over 110 years later.
A good read!
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So, I only read White Fang, since I've already read Call of the Wild. Just wanted to make that clear since this edition was both of those books.
White Fang was the story of a doggish wolf and all the shit he has to deal with. It basically chronicles his mental state throughout his life, as relating to whatever is happening to him. In that way, it's really quite good, and no one knows how to talk about the deep-spirits of canines like Jack London.
In comparison to Call of the Wild, I'd say it's not as great as a story. Call of the Wild has tons of tragedy and meaning that just doesn't really occur in White Fang. Though, I think I may like White Fang a little bit more just because of how happy it made me. It's basically-
Call of the Wild pretty bleak................CALL OF THE WILD..Very sad
White Fang pretty bleak....CALL OF MAN.........pretty terrible.....CALL OF LOVE....very nice : )
The three main "calls" that White Fang has as a three quarter wolf one quarter dog are super intriguing and written awesomely of course.
CALL OF THE WILD: The call White Fang starts with and serves as a weird kind of second option the whole time. It has power over him but the CALL OF MAN is stronger.
CALL OF MAN: Here's the one that overpowers White Fang's wild call.
It's here where we learn why, and it's the saddest point of the book. The power of man overpowers the CALL OF THE WILD because man works in a way that is outside of nature so completely that it can break it. This is shown by the excessant torture White Fang is subjected to, and yet keeps coming back to.
CALL OF LOVE: This is the best part of the book for me because it was just so gosh darn happy : )
Combining itself with the CALL OF MAN, in that it shapes White Fang into dependency, but different in that it touches the spirit and changes it for good.
The CALL OF MAN by itself twists White FAng's spiti into a horrible monster, as what happens most of the book. The CALL OF LOVE untwists it and even opens up trenches inside of him for new feeling, something the CALL OF MAN had scabbed over so completely it never showed.
The best parts were probably getting to watch White Fang learn how to cuddle and laugh. I mean I had legit teary eyes when it said White Fang had learned to cuddle, I really needed that for my boi.
Overall if you want a dog story that will first make you very sad and then make you very very happy, and has some cool stuff about the psyche of dogs and wolves, then this hits the mark.
Happy Ending Rating: 9/10
White Fang was the story of a doggish wolf and all the shit he has to deal with. It basically chronicles his mental state throughout his life, as relating to whatever is happening to him. In that way, it's really quite good, and no one knows how to talk about the deep-spirits of canines like Jack London.
In comparison to Call of the Wild, I'd say it's not as great as a story. Call of the Wild has tons of tragedy and meaning that just doesn't really occur in White Fang. Though, I think I may like White Fang a little bit more just because of how happy it made me. It's basically-
Call of the Wild pretty bleak................CALL OF THE WILD..Very sad
White Fang pretty bleak....CALL OF MAN.........pretty terrible.....CALL OF LOVE....very nice : )
The three main "calls" that White Fang has as a three quarter wolf one quarter dog are super intriguing and written awesomely of course.
CALL OF THE WILD: The call White Fang starts with and serves as a weird kind of second option the whole time. It has power over him but the CALL OF MAN is stronger.
CALL OF MAN: Here's the one that overpowers White Fang's wild call.
It's here where we learn why, and it's the saddest point of the book. The power of man overpowers the CALL OF THE WILD because man works in a way that is outside of nature so completely that it can break it. This is shown by the excessant torture White Fang is subjected to, and yet keeps coming back to.
CALL OF LOVE: This is the best part of the book for me because it was just so gosh darn happy : )
Combining itself with the CALL OF MAN, in that it shapes White Fang into dependency, but different in that it touches the spirit and changes it for good.
The CALL OF MAN by itself twists White FAng's spiti into a horrible monster, as what happens most of the book. The CALL OF LOVE untwists it and even opens up trenches inside of him for new feeling, something the CALL OF MAN had scabbed over so completely it never showed.
The best parts were probably getting to watch White Fang learn how
Overall if you want a dog story that will first make you very sad and then make you very very happy, and has some cool stuff about the psyche of dogs and wolves, then this hits the mark.
Happy Ending Rating: 9/10
Well, first of all - the summary on the back of the book is very misleading. "White Fang" is the main novel of this book (~200 pages) and "The Call of the Wild" are only about 70 pages.
This is one of the rare cases in which I really don't like the book but love the movie. I couldn't get into the writing style and the switching POVs and the constant repeating things that already have been said a dozen of times didn't help.
There were parts that I really enjoyed - the feeling of being in Alaska/Canada, being on the trail with the dogs, seeing the world through the eyes of a young White Fang, when White Fang meets Weedon Scott and when they go back to the Southland, when Buck comes to the aid of John in the saloon and so on and so on. I also liked that Jack London didn't pull the punches when it came to the abuse of the dogs because such things shouldn't be put under the rug. But most of the book I unfortunately didn't enjoy. :(
This is one of the rare cases in which I really don't like the book but love the movie. I couldn't get into the writing style and the switching POVs and the constant repeating things that already have been said a dozen of times didn't help.
There were parts that I really enjoyed - the feeling of being in Alaska/Canada, being on the trail with the dogs, seeing the world through the eyes of a young White Fang, when White Fang meets Weedon Scott and when they go back to the Southland, when Buck comes to the aid of John in the saloon and so on and so on. I also liked that Jack London didn't pull the punches when it came to the abuse of the dogs because such things shouldn't be put under the rug. But most of the book I unfortunately didn't enjoy. :(
This book is one that I have been wanting to read for a while now and I searched high and low in bookstores around the area to no avail until one day when I had almost given up I found it.
The strength of character given to both White Fang and Buck is amazing to read, and you really cheer for them both as they face cruelty from both nature and people. I love the contrast between the two stories, Buck being born and bred in domesticity finding his home in the wilderness of Alaska and then White Fang born fighting to survive in the wild and eventually finding his safe place and 'love-master' in a normal family home.
I feel that these tales are some that every avid reader should read at least once, whether they love animals or not. The words, the surroundings, our non-human protagonists all lead these to be amazing stories that warm your heart!
The strength of character given to both White Fang and Buck is amazing to read, and you really cheer for them both as they face cruelty from both nature and people. I love the contrast between the two stories, Buck being born and bred in domesticity finding his home in the wilderness of Alaska and then White Fang born fighting to survive in the wild and eventually finding his safe place and 'love-master' in a normal family home.
I feel that these tales are some that every avid reader should read at least once, whether they love animals or not. The words, the surroundings, our non-human protagonists all lead these to be amazing stories that warm your heart!
I adore both of these books (esp. White Fang) - adventure, love, and the human/animal relationship.
While the gritty, visceral, and often surprising writing style deservedly lands Jack London among the greatest authors of the early 20th century, I just couldn't get on board with his central thesis: that the Wild is man's natural state and that in order to return to it, we must overcome that which holds us "close to the fires" namely, love. London himself struggles with this idea in White Fang, in which the protagonist chooses to come in from the Wild and find love and comfort, though he loses parts of himself along the way and is forced to compromise who he is.
Undoubtedly, Call of the Wild is the better book and the introduction of this edition suggests that it is because London more fully agreed with his original idea, and so wrote a much more satisfying ending (and had more sympathy for its protagonist). I thought this was an interesting idea and lent a new understanding to this re-read of Call of the Wild.
Undoubtedly, Call of the Wild is the better book and the introduction of this edition suggests that it is because London more fully agreed with his original idea, and so wrote a much more satisfying ending (and had more sympathy for its protagonist). I thought this was an interesting idea and lent a new understanding to this re-read of Call of the Wild.
Part one call of the wild. Was good soils 3/5 but a soft 4/5 emotional and fast paced hard to follow sometimes
Both these books were captivating though I enjoyed the narrative and plot of white fang both books spoke to me on a primal level I see why they are classics I enjoyed the character growth, setting. Time period and seeing the world from a dogs perspective a great story ... (Full review coming soon )