Book Review: Call Of The Wild

Book Review: Call of The Wild by Jack London

I'm a big Jack London fan. Even though he was a gambler and chronic drinker he produced some of the best adventure fiction ever written by an American author. When I was a kid I read "White Fang" several times, which is Call of the Wild's prequel. London was a prolific writer who wrote over 20 novels and many more short stories over his career. His style is simple, creative, and playful.

Call of the Wild picks up where White Fang left off. White Fang's son ("Buck") is kidnapped and shipped to Alaska to be used as a sled dog during the Gold Rush. It is an adventure, but a brutal one as Buck reverts to his wolf roots. The book chronicles his journey from civilization to savagery and then to his redemption. In case you haven't read it, I won't spoil the ending. I will say though that the book is brutal and not for very young children but older ones would enjoy it, just as adults will. Developing a character in a book is tricky business but it takes a master like London to do so believably when the main character is an animal. Really enjoyed this short book - it's not deep, just engaging in simple way. I rate it 4.1 ninja stars out of 5.