Call of the wild

Jack London's The Call of the Wild takes a very intriguing approach to story telling. I am not a very big fan of animals, unless they are on my dinner plate. So naturally I was less than enthused when I found out that I had to read a whole book dedicated to one beast. More than that I don't believe that animals can talk. I assumed that London would have the reader be inside Buck's head, or have Buck narrate the story itself. I was expecting a more Animal Farm style. However I was pleasantly surprised to find out when I started reading the book that I did not have to read any dog talk. London captures the emotions of Buck and the other dog's without making them speak. The only human characteristic I found in the book was when the dogs laugh. However when the dogs laugh, London states that the dog laugh only in a way in which dogs can laugh. I found it fascinating that London could reveal so many details of Buck's emotions without giving him to many human features. London's lack of personification highlight what a truly talented writer London was.

One significant change is the behavior and character of Buck. In the beginning of the book, Buck was innocent, happy, and comfortable. Buck knew that he was the master of his household. He would never dream of killing a fellow dog. And he spent his days basically playing and having a good time. However as the book develops, it becomes clear that Buck must take a stand against the cruel outside world. He must take a stand against cruel owners, cruel weather, cruel dogs, and cruel circumstances. He had to take a stand against them or he would have died. Even though Buck survives, something more important in him dies, his tame and loving, parts. It is replaced by fierce and ferine characteristics.

I would recommend this book to all animal book sceptics like myself