Call of the Wild

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My children have all read this book, but for some reason, I have never read it. This was one of those works of fiction that was easy enough for my kids to read on their own, and I knew what the book was about. I just assigned it and read other books. With the announcement of the 2020 Movie starring Harrison Ford, I decided it was time to read it, and this Call of the Wild Book Review will give you a good overview of the book and the life of Jack London without spoiling the story for you.

About the Book:

It is 1897, and the Klondike Goldrush is on. Buck is a 4 year old dog living on a ranch in the Santa Clara Valley. His father was a huge St. Bernard, and his mother was a Scotch Shepherd dog. Buck was owned by Judge Miller, and he lived life on the ranch as a ruler. The ranch was spacious with stables, groomers and servant’s cottages. There were vineyards, pastures, orchards and berry patches. 

Buck could not know that dogs like him were wanted for pulling sleds up north. He could not know that a ranch hand had a gambling problem, and he could not foresee the danger, peril, and abuse he would suffer as he relaxed on his ranch. 

As Buck is sold into the life of a sled dog, he has to adapt to survive in the cold and learn about pack behavior. Eventually, he transforms into a feral animal forced to fight his way up the top of the food chain. 

RECOMMENDATIONS for READING CALL OF THE WILD:

While this book is a classic, it is not an easy read. Since it was written in 1903, many words and phrases will need some explanation if your child is not adept at picking up meaning from the context of the story. 

It is a short read, can be found on Project Gutenberg, and there are numerous versions, both with and without illustrations. However, since I like to make written notes in my books, I opted to purchase a hardcopy of The Call of the Wild for my book review.

About The Author – Jack London:

Call of the Wild was written in 1903 by Jack London. London was born John Griffith Chaney in 1876 in San Francisco, CA. His father is believed to have wanted his mother to have an abortion, and when she refused, he left. Eventually, Jack’s mother married John London. 

London was not only an American novelist, but also a journalist and social activist fighting for unionization, workers’ rights, and socialization. He was an atheist and supported eugenics. Furthermore, he was concerned about the invasion of Asians (Chinese) into California, however, he portrayed Mexicans and Japanese in a favorable light in his writings. His most famous work is Call of the Wild and White Fang.

Jack London’s Personal Life beyond Call of the Wild

Jack married Bessie Madden in 1900, however, they were only friends. They both publicly stated they were not marrying for love. In fact, they married because they could have “sturdy children.” They had two daughters together but divorced in 1904. Jack traveled and when he was in California, he did not see his children often.

He remarried in 1905 to Charmian Kitteridge, a woman he met and fell in love with years earlier. The couple traveled together to places such a cruise to Hawaii and Australia. The contrast of how he viewed his two wives is seen in his pet names for them. Bessie, he called Mother-Girl, and Charmian was Mate-Woman. The two women were raised differently and extreme opposites in many ways. Bessie was very prudish, and Charmian is said to exhibited uninhibited sexuality. 

London considered Charmian the love of his life. In fact, the two wanted children. However, they never had children together. One child died at birth and another ended with a miscarriage.

London’s Life – The Later Years

London purchased 1,000 acres in Sonoma County, California. He wanted to be a successful rancher, but that life eluded him because he lacked the managerial skills necessary to run a ranch. However, he continued to write to add more property to his ranch. He built a sprawling mansion which he called Wolf House. However, two weeks before the Londons were set to move in, the mansion burned. The ranch is now a National Historic Landmark.

Although committed to rebuilding Wolf House, London died in 1916 before he could accomplish this. His travels to foreign countries had led to numerous tropical illnesses including yaws, and dysentery. He also suffered from alcoholism and kidney disease. There has been much speculation surrounding his death. Furthermore, the fact that he was taken morphine led people to think he actually committed suicide. His writings included several suicides involving characters that were much like him. 

More Book Reviews:

Call of the Wild Movie Review

Comparing Mary Poppins Book versus The Movie

Aladdin: The Book versus the Movie