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    The Call of the Wild
    The Call of the Wild
    The Call of the Wild
    Audiobook2 hours

    The Call of the Wild

    Written by Jack London

    Narrated by Michael Kramer

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Buck, a huge four-year-old Scottish Shepherd-Saint Bernard cross-breed, lived a life of ease at Judge Miller's Santa Clara Valley estate. This is the story of Buck and how he was thrust into the life of a sled-dog in the savage Klondike during the Gold Rush, and how he ran with the wolves.

    Jack London, born in San Francisco on January 12, 1876, is well known for his stories involving men and animals and their struggles in the environment. Being an illegitimate child, he adopted his stepfather's surname. London had an adventurous life which included being an oyster pirate, a laundromat worker, a seaman and a participating in the 1897-98 Alaskan Gold Rush. His personal life adventures, idealism and belief that the fittest should survive inspired much of his writing. He wrote 50 books in 20 years, the most widely acclaimed being the story of the dog Buck in The Call of the Wild. London died at the age of 40 on November 22, 1916. He was the most successful and best-known writer in America in the first decade of the 20th century.

    Michael Kramer has narrated hundreds of audiobooks and received numerous awards including AudioFile magazine's Earphone Award.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSpotify Audiobooks
    Release dateJan 1, 1980
    ISBN9781467610681
    Author

    Jack London

    Jack London was born in San Francisco in 1876, and was a prolific and successful writer until his death in 1916. During his lifetime he wrote novels, short stories and essays, and is best known for ‘The Call of the Wild’ and ‘White Fang’.

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    Reviews for The Call of the Wild

    4/5

    174 ratings140 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book was a nice change of pace for me as I hadn't read a classic story in quite some time. I must say, I really enjoyed this short novel centered around the dog Buck. I think it is a very interesting idea to center a book around a dog, and London pulls it off beautifully. It takes us through the entire life of the dog, from his life on a farm to his days as a sled dog in Alaska. The transformation Buck makes from domesticated pet to primitive, instinctual animal is fascinating to read and think about. The descriptive language used by the author is outstanding. Overall, I can see why this is considered a classic and I look forward to reading more of him.
    • 2/5
      A romantic view of Alaska and the dogs that helped the early explorers and gold seekers open up the land to new settlers.
    • 3/5
      The story is written from the perspective of Buck, the dog. He is large, he is faithful and pragmatic, and he is kidnapped by a worker on the ranch he lives on, and sold to a trader who sends him north to run with a team dragging sleds. Poor Buck is mistreated, and faces a hard run. It is not just humans who are cruel to him, other dogs resent his size and presence, and battles for position as alpha male take place. The dog team are run to the ground, and Bucks saving grace is his size, strength and stamina. He is passed to and from inept and cruel owners until he finally meets an owner he can trust and bond with.It's a nice, if somewhat violent, story. Nothing too deep, but a read that carries you along.
    • 4/5
      (Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)The CCLaP 100: In which I read for the first time a hundred so-called "classics," then decide whether or not they deserve the labelBook #30: The Call of the Wild, by Jack London (1903)The story in a nutshell:One of the first-ever anthropomorphized children's books, Jack London's 1903 Call of the Wild tells the tale of "Buck," a cross-bred dog (part Saint Bernard, part Scotch Shepherd) who begins our story as a pampered family pet in northern California*; what made this book unusual for its time, however, is that this story is actually told from the viewpoint and mindset of the dog itself, as Buck finds himself first kidnapped and then sold as a sled dog in the Yukon, right in the middle of that region's Industrial-Age gold rush, when hearty dogs were at a premium. The rest of this short book, then, is essentially a look at what happens to Buck within this environment, and how his formerly tame nature is slowly replaced with his inborn animal instinct, as we readers are introduced one at a time to the legitimate horrors that came with this lifestyle back then (starvation, exhaustion, cruel owners, hostile natives, bloody infighting for both survival and pecking order), with Buck by the end joining a pack of rogue Alaskan wolves and becoming a semi-mythical legend, among both the civilized humans and dogs who he leaves behind.The argument for it being a classic:Well, to start with, it's one of the most popular children's books in history, with adaptations of the tale that continue to be created to this day (for example, a popular 3D movie version is being released on DVD the same exact week I'm writing this review); and then there's the fact that this was one of the first animal tales ever to be written from the point of view of the actual animal, a popular technique that in our modern times has become an entire subgenre unto itself. It can also be argued that this is a highly important historical record of the Alaskan gold rush, detailing the ins and outs of daily life there back then in a way that only a local could've (for those who don't know, London actually lived there himself for a time** starting in 1897); and let's not forget, its fans say, that this remains one of the few titles of the prolific London to still remain popular, out of the nearly hundred books he actually wrote, an author who was immensely important to the development of American literature in the early 20th century (not to mention insanely popular when he was alive), and who deserves to not be forgotten.The argument against:Like many of the children's books included in this essay series, the main argument among its critics seems to be that this book is only still considered a "classic" in the first place because of tradition; that if you take an actual close look at the book itself, it is neither superlative in quality nor even that popular anymore, one of those titles more apt to be nostalgically reminisced upon by middle-agers than an actual good book to be read again and again in our contemporary times. This is part of the problem with the term "classic," after all, is that our definition of it is constantly changing from one generation to the next; and children's literature is particularly susceptible to this change in definition, in that it's children's books that have most changed in nature in the last hundred years. Although no one seems to be arguing anymore with the idea that this is a historically important book, there seems to be a growing amount of people saying that it isn't a timeless gem either, and that it's maybe time here in the early 2000s to retire its longstanding "classic" status.My verdict:So out of the thirty books I've now reviewed for this essay series, this may be the hardest time I've had yet determining whether to classify a title as a "classic" or not. Because on the one hand, it's an undeniably thrilling book, a real page-turner that was a joy as a nostalgic middle-ager to read, and like I said is a fantastic look not just at the nature of the animal spirit but all the historical details of life in the Yukon during the gold-rush years. But on the other hand, the book is much, much more violent and dark than what most of us consider appropriate anymore for modern children, and parents deserve to know this before just handing a copy over to their kids; in fact, there's enough blood and death in this book to give just about any kid nightmares for weeks, making it ironically much more appropriate anymore for adults than contemporary children. Also, like any book that's over a hundred years old, there are big sections of Call of the Wild that simply feel outdated, and I question whether people would actually enjoy a title like this anymore if they're not reading specifically for historical reasons. As I mentioned, this is a big problem among a growing amount of children's literature that we once considered "classics," that in fact they're much more useful anymore as simple historical documents detailing a specific period in time, and aren't nearly as appropriate anymore for just handing to a modern kid, who after all has grown up with just a plethora of profoundly more sophisticated tales than such simplistic stories like these, and who aren't going to enjoy such stories nearly as much as a misty-eyed older adult looking back through the haze of nostalgia. It's for all these reasons that today I come down on the "no" side of the classic equation, although like I said, let it be known that I was right on the fence in this particular case.Is it a classic? No*And a little piece of trivia, by the way: London based this book on his landlord's pet dog, back when he lived in northern California himself during the height of the Yukon gold rush, a Saint Bernard that the families would regularly hook up to a wagon and have help perform household chores.**And if you really want to read something fascinating, check out sometime the actual derring-do life of London himself, who had real adventures in his youth twice as crazy as any of the stories he wrote: the illegitimate child of an astrologer and a mentally insane spiritualist, as a teenager he bought his first boat (borrowing money from the ex-slave who raised him) and became an oyster farmer, then after high school became a seal clubber in Japan for awhile; then during his years as a Yukon gold miner he developed scurvy and almost died, becoming a socialist by the end of his time there because of a liberal doctor who saved his life, and eventually becoming one of the first Americans in history to be able to make his entire living just from creative writing alone (and indeed, one of only a few handfuls of Americans to this day to become a millionaire from his creative writing). Sheesh!
    • 5/5
      I loved this book from start to finish. For about three seconds when it began, as I realised it was being told from the perspective of a dog, I baulked. I don't do books or movies with talking animals. However I realised quickly that the animal didn't talk. The author explained the motivations of the protaganist without ever actually giving the animal speech. This alone was amazing and made me love it.

      The book follows a dog that is taken from its cushy plantation life and made to work as a sled dog in Alaska. That is all I am going to say. This is a good book, and I refuse to spoil a good book by telling you bits and pieces about what happens. Just go read it.

      One of the things I have enjoyed most about this book is retelling it to my 2yo daughter as she goes to sleep. I draw on her back and tell her the story.

      Read this if you like "The old man and the sea" (which I loved too).

      (Quick review as I am tired and need to go to bed... go read one of the thousand other five-star reviews that will probably express my adoration better).
    • 5/5
      Jack London’s book was first published in 1903 and this complete and unabridged hardcover reproduction does justice to the story with an attractive cover and illustrations throughout. Buck is a pampered half German shepherd, half saint Bernard dog who is king of his world which entails looking after Judge Miller’s Californian raisin farm. He is kidnapped by a servant and sold to pay gambling debts. This is when his education really begins ‘Again and again, as he looked at each brutal performance, the lesson was driven home to Buck: a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed’ (London, 2002, p. 29). The book is set in the time of the Klondike gold rush and Buck must learn to survive in the Yukon where men will do anything, nothing too low, for gold. ‘He had been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilisation and flung into the heart of things primordial’ (London, 2002, p. 37). The savagery of these working dogs in this harsh country is explored in Bucks witnessing a dog’s horrific death. ‘Two minutes from the time Curly went down, the last of her assailants were clubbed off. But she lay there limp and lifeless in the bloody, trampled snow, almost literally torn to pieces’ (London, 2002, p. 39). This book is riveting, a work of art. Jack London has so honed his craft that he can transport one into the very heart and soul of his character. I was hardly able to put this book down, even though the pure savagery at times had me cringing and close to tears, empathising with Buck and feeling his pain. ‘He is at times savage but ultimately he possesses a dignity, a wisdom, and even a sort of moral code that is so often lacking in the human world’ (Kilpatrick, W., et al., 1994, p. 173). When Buck is drawn to the wolf pack and finds the community he desires, the sense of happiness is overwhelming. This book is a masterpiece and should be read by all.
    • 4/5
      Jack London centers his story on a dog by the name of Buck. Buck is a big, strong dog, his father being a St. Bernard and his mother being a Scottish shepherd dog. At one hundred and forty pounds, Buck was no mere house pet. Kept physically strong with a love of rigorous swimming and constant outdoor exercise, Buck was a lean, formidable dog. Undoubtedly, his great condition was part of the reason that the gardener's helper dog-napped and sold him to dog traders, who in turn sold him to Canadian government mail couriers. The gold rush in Alaska had created a huge demand for good dogs, which eventually led to the "disappearances" of many dogs on the West Coast. Buck was no exception. He was sold into a hostile environment, which was unforgiving and harsh. Although civilization domesticated him from birth, Buck soon begins almost involuntarily to rediscover himself, revealing a "primordial urge", a natural instinct, which London refers to as the Call of the Wild.
    • 5/5
      At just 27, Jack London wrote [The Call of the Wild], a story that relied heavily on his young adventure in the very Klondike where most of the story is set. The novel is often categorized as a juvenile or young adult book because it is written from the perspective of a dog and because London is always spare and simple with his prose. But the dark, violent nature of the book and the underlying allegory regarding the instinctive uncivilized nature of all life allows for a much deeper reading. Buck, a St. Bernard and Scotch shepherd cross, is sold out from under his owner by a gardener to satisfy a gambling debt. Any memory of the dog’s mundane, pastoral is quickly beaten and whipped out of him. Sold into a life of brutal service as a sled dog during the Gold Rush days of the Klondike, Buck quickly becomes the lead dog in a team and begins to tap into his wild instincts. The balance between fearful obedience and instinctive, headstrong action begins to blur, until Buck is the master of his own survival. He eventually finds a human counterpart who respects and loves him as an equal, but the man is savagely killed by Yeehat Indians. When Buck avenges the man’s death, his transformation into a truly wild thing is complete.Reading about Buck’s transformation, I was reminded of D.H. Lawrence’s famous line, “I have never seen a wild thing sorry for itself. A little bird will fall dead, frozen from a bough, without ever having felt sorry for itself.” London’s story of Buck examines the instinctive wild nature of things in all life, whether animal or human. How the call of the wild manifests itself, whether with bald brutality or with measured and necessary violence, has more to do with the underlying innate nature of the one answering the call.Bottom Line: Whether for the sheer adventure or for the underlying examination of the instinctive wildness of life, a pleasing and thought-provoking read.5 bones!!!!!
    • 4/5
      Synopsis.......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.Published back in 1903 after the author had spent sometime in the aforementioned Yukon.I was looking for something a little bit different and quick to read after getting bogged down by another book which I wasn't enjoying. I had previously heard of this book, hasn't everyone(?) but can't recall reading it ever during my near half-century of years, not even in the dim and distant days of school. Glad I made the effort though.Gripping, exciting, moving.......a testament of an indomitable spirit, bravery, determination, loyalty, fearlessness, and probably another dozen or so admirable attributes. Sad in places, but ultimately an uplifting and rewarding read.I wouldn't put it past me finding more from London in the future.4 from 5Down-loaded free from the internet.
    • 5/5
      A gentle, well cared for family dog named Buck is stolen, sold, and shipped to Alaska and turned into a sled dog. It is quickly determined by most who come in contact with him that he is unique. Treated cruelly by most, and kind by few, he eventually finds freedom. A beautifully written story.
    • 5/5
      I listened to this audio and enjoyed the story very much. I can't believe I never read this before. I loved Jack London's intuitive feeling for animals. This story traces Buck's sudden entry into the wild and his education in survival among the wolves. Jack London's writing is exceptional and makes him one of the greatest American storytellers. If you haven't read this yet, you should as it is a quick, easy and thrilling read.
    • 3/5
      It was fun to read this again, as I had only the vaguest recollection from reading it as a kid. Refreshingly unsentimental in its depiction of the natural world, it raises important questions about yearning for a life "beyond good and evil." A walk on the wild side...
    • 5/5
      Much better story than the 2020 movie! Why doesn't Hollywood keep closer to the great books?
    • 4/5
      Buck's journey from domestic dog, to sled dog, to wolf. Aspects of nobility in returning to nature and civilisation as superior to 'wildness' mixed in a way that I found a little hard to reconcile, maybe colonialism?
    • 5/5
      When Buck is kidnapped from his comfortable home in Santa Clara Valley, men with whips and clubs teach him to quickly forget the values of loyalty. Instead, Buck must learn to fight and steal to survive, and to respect the authority of men with sticks. As Buck’s nature is corrupted, he becomes a beast, no longer to be trusted as a devoted family pet. When Buck’s last tie to man is severed, he turns to a wolf-pack, answering the call, fulfilling his true potential as a creature of the wild.Whenever I read a story from Jack London, my only thoughts are, “I want to read more.” The story was short, but it packed a punch–I love this story each time I read it. The atmosphere is incredibly realistic, and the story very believable. I love that, even though it is told from a dog’s point of view, people can still relate to the changes that Buck (the dog) goes through. What calls Buck is the same thing that calls men to sometimes dangerous adventure far away from the comforts of home.
    • 4/5
      The amount of violence and animal cruelty in this book made it a surprisingly difficult read. I was expecting something a bit more easy going.

      Despite being a book from the point of view from a dog in the Yukon, it was extremely relatable and applicable. The power struggles were interesting, and the struggle between individualism and teamwork. and I loved the commentary of the return of the instincts vs the degradation of Buck's civilized/human side. Even though most of the humans in this book are anything but civilized.
    • 2/5
      The author seems to know an awful lot about dog fights, assuming this was not plagiarized.
    • 5/5
      Book title and author: The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Reviewed 6/5/234Why I picked this book up: it was the next book in The Banned Books Compendium: 32 Classic Forbidden Books by Gringory Lukin (Editor) I won in April 23. Actually, it was the next book after The Awakening and Selected Short Stories (by Kate Chopin) that I have not fully reviewed yet, probably because of my harsh feeling of a wife and mother from traditional familial and prioritizing mothering over her own children that fully rubbed me the wrong way (I am working up to reviewing it though) Thoughts: from the beginning of this book in Banned Books compendium “The Call of the Wild is a short adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named Buck. The story opens at a ranch in Santa Clara Valley, California, when Buck is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska. He becomes progressively more primitive and wild in the harsh environment, where he is forced to fight to survive and dominate other dogs. By the end, he sheds the veneer of civilization, and relies on primordial instinct and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild.London spent almost a year in the Yukon, and his observations form much of the material for the book. The story was serialized in The Saturday Evening Post in the summer of 1903 and was published later that year in book form. The book's great popularity and success made a reputation for London. As early as 1923, the story was adapted to film, and it has since seen several “cinematic adaptations.London's story is a tale of survival and a return to primitivism. Pizer writes that: "the strong, the shrewd, and the cunning shall prevail when ...life is bestial”“Jack London's writing was censored in several European dictatorships in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1929, Italy banned all cheap editions of his Call of the Wild, and that same year Yugoslavia banned all his works as being "too radical." They were probably concerned about the ethos of individualism and attacks on totalitarianism in this and other books by London.In 1932, Call of the Wild was thrown into the Nazi bonfires along with other books.”Why I finished this read: This amazing book dramatically pulled me in, made me care for Buck, it motivated me, laid out the path to greatness from force of nature, instinct, hard, lengthy struggle in bitter cold, wolves, ravages, consistency, not giving up hope, teamwork, being the lead dogs in the sled team, to the experiencing and feeling what rupture was like being in all they went through to the ecstasy of the summit of life.Stars rating: 5 of 5. This is more than a dog sled team book. I highly recommend buy and obviously reading it multiple times.
    • 5/5
      What a great, timeless and wonderful story. The story of Buck an unbreakable dog removed from a life of luxury and thrown into the cold and heartless adventure of the Alaskan wilds. A true story of heart and courage. At times the story is extremely violent but it all works. A story of such depth could never be told without the true grit in which London puts in its pages.
    • 5/5
      Another re-read of an old favourite was exactly what I needed yesterday. Jack London's masterpiece stands the test of time, and it's a snapshot of what it was like in the Klondike during the madness of the gold rush. Being Canadian, I can relate to the winter scenes and even to the gorgeous scenery. We are very fortunate to still have lots of beautiful wilderness in the province of Alberta. I love dogs, and Buck, as I remember, was the ultimate dog for me when I read this book the first time as a child. If you need a picker-upper or you're looking for a little nostalgia, pick up this little gem (or any one of the classics that you enjoyed as a child) and turn off the world for just a little while.
    • 5/5
      Moving, powerful, and beautifully written. I leaked from my eyes more than once.
    • 3/5
      Good Yukon adventure from dog's point of view. I remember he eventually left men and joined the wolves. It's been a long time.
    • 4/5
      The Call of the Wild by Jack London. I read this when I was about 10 years old. A long time ago. This book is included in the book "1000 Books to Read Before You Die" by James Mustich published in 2019. I've got a long way to go to finish this list. Posted on Vintage Paperback FB page. 10/20/22
    • 5/5
      Excellent writing but I can see why I didn't like this in junior high - the cruelty to animals is pretty difficult to take. I saw recently that this is on a "banned book" list - have no idea why.
    • 4/5
      This is a classic I missed reading while growing up. While watching the recent movie adaptation w/ Harrison Ford, I made a note to fix this wrong and read this book soon.

    • 2/5
      fiction. Family pet stolen/sold for work in Alaska/yukon gold rush (historical fiction/dog's point of view--some parts more accurate than other parts).
    • 4/5
      Jack London was vocal in his socialist views, and it was interesting to think of that while reading about this brutal, dog-eat-dog world of the Klondike Gold Rush, which he himself had been a part of at the tender age of 21. He created some indelible images, such as the dangerous impracticality of the inexperienced prospectors that leads to their demise out on a frozen lake, and the novella is a good read. I think he was less successful in anthropomorphizing the dogs, as to me it took away from the grim realism of the setting, and unfortunately we also get a couple of glimpses of London’s racism as well. Overall, I wish it had been fleshed out and had a perspective shift, but as a fable and a window into the past, it has some charm.
    • 5/5
      This was one of my favorite books as a kid. The first version I read was an abridged edition designed for children with lots of illustrations. I did read the original a few years later, when my reading ability caught up with my taste. This book gave childhood me puppy fever, even though before that I was afraid of dogs because one chased and tried to bite me. I was raised by cat people, you see, so I didn't know that the dog was trying to play. Now I know better. My favorite stuffed animal from the time was a husky that I named after Buck, a toy that I still own at thirty, even though one of my dogs chewed its ear a bit. Anyway, childhood love aside, Jack London is one of my favorites for this book and White Fang. This may be one of the sources of my anthropomorphized animal story love affair, and I am not ashamed of it in the least.
    • 4/5
      A tale of dog, his various owner and a trip from Salinas, California to Dawson, Alaska and then some. Buck is a quick learner and proves himself time and a again in the Alaska wilderness.
    • 4/5
      Rated: BAdventure story of Buck, a big dog "dog-napped" from easy living in Northern California to harsh realities in the Canadian Yukon.