The Call of the Wild - Classics Children's Book

The Call of the Wild - Classics Children's Book, Complete EditionADDITIONAL CONTENT : + Active Table of Contents + Illustration from Original Book + The Author Biography + Annotation - Plot Summary - Development - AdaptationsOVERVIEW:The Call of the Wild is a novella by American author Jack London published in 1903. The story takes place in the extreme conditions of the Yukon during the 19th-century Klondike Gold Rush where strong sled dogs were in high demand. After Buck, a domesticated dog, is snatched from a pastoral ranch in California, he is sold into a brutal life as a sled dog. The novella details Buck's struggle to adjust and survive the cruel treatment he receives from humans, other dogs, and nature. He eventually sheds the veneer of civilization altogether and instead relies on primordial instincts and the lessons he has learned to become a respected and feared leader in the wild.SUMMARY:Buck, a physically impressive dog, is living the good life in California when he gets stolen and put into dog slavery. For him, this means pulling a ridiculously heavy sled through miles and miles of frozen ice with little or nothing to eat and frequent beatings. As the definition of a domestic dog, Buck is out of his element until he begins to adapt to his surroundings, and learn from the other dogs. Buck also starts having strange dreams about the primitive days of dogs and men, before the advent of cities or houses or culture. There are no rules or morality here (interesting, since Buck’s first owner was a judge), save for what is called "the law of club and fang," a kill-or-be-killed, ruthless way of thinking.REVIEWS:5 Stars Review : Kaitlin - GoodreadsThis is one of my all time favorite books....I could reread this book over and over and over and over and over and over again!5 Stars Review : Jed Layton - GoodreadsIt has been a long time since I read a book with as original of a storyline, plot and main character as Call of the Wild. London's descriptions of life and the world from a dog's point of view may not be accurate, who could ever really know what it is like to be a dog? But if nothing else provides a different outlook from that typically held by humans. Call of the Wild is intriguing and captivating. It is easy to root for Buck. Added to an interesting period of American history--the Alaskan gold rush in the 1800s--Call of the Wild is a great read, even if you aren't a dog lover. I am certainly not, and I still thoroughly enjoyed it.5 Stars Review : Karen B - GoodreadsBuck has been treated kindly and awfully during the course of his life. But through it all, his inner voice longs to live free. Great read.5 Stars Review : Cynthia - GoodreadsA true classic in every sense of the word! A book that I honestly had tried reading mmultiple times but was never able to get past the first two chapters. It is now a book that I have read multiple times. I notice something new every time I read it. The way that Jack London gives human characteristics to animals while at the same time maintaining the animals' basic, in-the-moment reactions to life is truly one of the best parts of this book. The regression that the main character makes, while at the same time progressing through the story, allows the reader to really understand the simplicity of the character. Buck, although a dog, is truly a character that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished.