I was pleasantly surprised by Jack London's The Call of the Wild. It's a wonderful, though admittedly difficult at times, adventure story. I have to say I had my reservations about reading a novel that is narrated by a dog, but now I can see why it has been included in many 'best of' reading lists. I'm only a little surprised that this is considered a young adult novel (due to the dog as narrator?), as it was actually rather dark and there's a fair amount of violence in the story. I wonder what I would have made of it had I read it as a child? I guess I am somewhat squeamish when it comes to brutality towards animals as I found those sections hard going. I do think London painted a realistic portrait of what it had been like no matter how unpleasant it was. There are universal themes, which even a child could appreciate, however--the idea of looking within for the strength to overcome difficult obstacles in particular.
The book was published in 1903 and it brings to life the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98 in Canada's Yukon Territory and Alaska--something I know very little about. The main protagonist is a St. Bernard/Scotch Shepherd dog called Buck. In the beginning of the story he is the pampered pet of a wealthy judge and his family in the Santa Clara Valley in California. He's stolen and sold by a poor farm worker to be a sled dog. I read that at this time dogs were a scarcity in the area as so many were needed as working dogs in the Yukon. Very quickly Buck learns the "law of the club and fang". He's essentially beaten into submission. And it is not just humans he needs to be wary of. There is a certain pecking order amongst the dogs and he must find his place in the pack.
Buck learns quickly. He eventually will fight his way to the top, so to speak, to become the head sled dog. The dogs were pushed to cover vast distances in hostile conditions very quickly. Buck becomes strong and lean, but the dogs could endure only so much without proper rest. They were literally just a commodity. A means to an end. They were traded and sold and when they had outlived their usefulness they were discarded. This is what I found very difficult. I was despairing for a while of there being anything at all happy about this novel, but Buck's last master, John Thornton, was a good man. Buck becomes loyal only to him, and these chapters are particularly a pleasure to read. From the moment of learning from the club and fang, however, there is a primordial call he must answer.
As this is my library's Big Read, a reading guide was available, which includes some interesting information about London and the book.
London's artistic intentions were often misunderstood. After one particular critique from President Theodore Roosevelt and John Burroughs, London wrote a letter of explanation: "The writing of (The Call of the Wild and White Fang)...was in truth a protest against the 'humanizing' of animals...Time and again...I wrote, speaking of my dog-heroes: 'he did not think these things; he merely did them'...these dog-heroes of mine were not directed by abstract reasoning, but by instinct, sensation, and emotion, and by simple reasoning."
Jack London was actually born John Griffith Chaney. His mother, Flora Wellman, was unwed and when his father discovered Flora would not have an abortion he deserted them. Later his mother would wed a widower, John London, and he gave his adopted son his name. London had only a grammar school education. He had a variety of jobs and was essentially self-educated. In 1897, along with his brother-in-law, he went in search of riches to join the Klondike Gold Rush. He suffered ill health there, but it was there that he found inspiration for his writing. He was one of the first Americans to have a successful career as a writer. In his short life wrote many novels, many more short stories, nonfiction and even two plays. He died in 1916 at the age of 40.
Now I seem to recall some hesitation on my part when I found I had to read this book as part of the library's winter reading program. So, yes, I see again it is a good thing to read outside one's comfort zone. I really liked The Call of the Wild. For a slim book (less than 150 pages), and one that is considered a book for children, there is an amazing lot to think about in it. And I think I may even look for a copy of White Fang, which is a reverse of The Call of the Wild (where a dog goes from being wild to domesticated). I may even look for some of his other works. If you're curious you can read about London here and you can even read The Call of the Wild online here.