“The Call of the Wild” by Jack London. New York: The MacMillan Co., 1903. First edition. Cover Art by Charles Edward Hooper.
Jack London (1876-1916) was a maverick, macho young man who lived hard and dangerously and died at age 40, having written more than 50 books in 20 years. His most famous book, “Call of the Wild,” is a story set in the Yukon during the 1890’s Klondike Gold Rush, a place London was familiar with having himself spent time in the goldfields. Strong sled dogs were in high demand and the novel’s central character is a dog named Buck, a domesticated dog living at a ranch in California. Buck is stolen by his master’s gardener to settle some gambling debts and sold into the brutal existence of an Alaskan sled dog. He is forced to survive cruel treatments and fight to dominate other dogs in a harsh climate. Eventually, he becomes the property of outdoorsman John Thornton with whom he enjoys a deep rapport. When his new master is killed by Yeehat Indians, Buck gives in to his true nature, answers the call of the wild and emerges as a leader of a wolf pack.
“The Call of the Wild” by Jack London. New York: The MacMillan Co., 1903. First edition. Cover Art by Charles Edward Hooper.
Jack London (1876-1916) was a maverick, macho young man who lived hard and dangerously and died at age 40, having written more than 50 books in 20 years. His most famous book, “Call of the Wild,” is a story set in the Yukon during the 1890’s Klondike Gold Rush, a place London was familiar with having himself spent time in the goldfields. Strong sled dogs were in high demand and the novel’s central character is a dog named Buck, a domesticated dog living at a ranch in California. Buck is stolen by his master’s gardener to settle some gambling debts and sold into the brutal existence of an Alaskan sled dog. He is forced to survive cruel treatments and fight to dominate other dogs in a harsh climate. Eventually, he becomes the property of outdoorsman John Thornton with whom he enjoys a deep rapport. When his new master is killed by Yeehat Indians, Buck gives in to his true nature, answers the call of the wild and emerges as a leader of a wolf pack.