First published in 1903, The Call of the Wild is regarded as Jack London's masterpiece. Based on London's experiences as a gold prospector in the Canadian wilderness and his ideas about nature and the struggle for existence, The Call of the Wild is a tale about unbreakable spirit and the fight for survival in the frozen Alaskan Klondike.

“He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars.”

First published in 1903 'The Call of the Wild' is set during the Klondike Gold Rush in Yukon in the 1890's. It is written from the perspective of Buck, an impressive St. Bernard and German Shepard cross stolen from his California home to be sold to gold prospectors to work the icy trails of Alaska and northern Canada.

Buck’s journey, involves beatings, a series of new masters, brawls with other sled dogs and struggles for survival but in the process he is transformed from loyal pet to uninhibited, into an, at times, aggressive animal.

“The Call of the Wild” is an adventure story and as such is great for young people to read, its language is simple and easy to follow but it can also teach children about inner strength, respect for authority and for nature albeit told from the point of view of a dog.

Buck witnesses and learns from men’s experiences. He comes to understand human nature, what makes men good or bad. He discovers and does what is necessary to gain supremacy among his peers. He realizes that to be part of and succeed in a man-made society, he must abide by men's rules. Buck experiences instinctively pulls him toward his natural primordial ways, but his love for his last human master John Thornton is the thin thread tying him to a life among humans and draws him back to camp. But when he is unwillingly separated from Thornton he gives these ties up for good.

For older readers, Buck’s story serves as a parable. Like any person, Buck struggles to find life’s meaning. He experiences the conflict of choosing between following one’s instincts and playing to society’s rules. Buck fights for his life, a life that despite its hardships, he respects and appreciates. Buck exemplifies what is good and natural, despite periods of adversity.

There is understandably little in the way of dialogue, just a few phrases from Buck’s human contacts. Yet London’s simple language flows naturally and there is little need for dialogue. The reader can easily relate with the hardships that Buck, his canine brethren and the humans' have to endure during the harsh frozen Yukon winters and the sheer burst of new life that spring and summer can bring even if they carry their own risks.

For such a short, simple book, it is profound. As Buck fights to survive his ancestral roots are awakened and he comes ever more alive. There is something in this book for everyone no matter what your age and it is rightly regarded as a classic. ( )

I have not read this book yet. While considered a classic be aware that I have read reviews stating there is animal cruelty as well as violence between dogs.

I would not choose this carelessly.

I felt this book kind of fizzled out at the end. The first 3/4 of it was amazing, but then it didn't have a comparable climax and denouement to balance the strength of the rising action. Still, it's an excellent book, and it's obvious why this is a classic. I'm looking forward to teaching this to middle-schoolers in a few weeks. I think they will really like it, too. ( )

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. ( )