The Call of the Wild is a novel by Jack London published in 1903. The story is set in the Yukon during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush—a period in which strong sled dogs were in high demand.
The novel's central character is a dog named Buck, a domesticated dog living at a ranch in the Santa Clara Valley of California as the story opens. Stolen from his home and sold into service as sled dog in Alaska, he reverts to a wild state. Buck is forced to fight in order to dominate other dogs in a harsh climate. Eventually he sheds the veneer of civilization, relying on primordial instincts and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild. The terrible, never relenting work of pulling sleds in sub-freezing temperatures combined with little food and rest quickly killed any dog not extremely tough. It almost kills Buck but his fierce determination to survive finally brings him through.
Call of the Wild is an emotional rollercoaster of a novel set during the late 19th century Klondike Gold Rush. The central character is Buck, an Alaskan sled dog who is forced to adjust to the cruel climate in order to survive. If you have even a remote love of dogs then you will fall head over heels in love with this book. In fact, take away the fact that Buck is a dog and the story is the same, a struggle against greed and to live a life of freedom.
London spent a year in Yokel researching the book, making it extremely detailed, very simplistic in its descriptions and genuinely heartfelt. Essentially the book explores the concept of survival of the fittest, as we join Buck’s fall from grace, when he is kidnapped for work, and the desire to rise again. Power struggles ensue when we meet Buck’s rival Spritze and we see how brutal the world can be. The vivid descriptions of nature are where this book excels. London is an expert at writing about survival in a natural world. When we are forced into extreme condition, we have to rely on our instinct, what is primitive to us, themes mirrored in Buck’s journey throughout the book.
On the surface, Call to the Wild is a simple adventure story, much like London’s other works such as ‘ White Fang’ but underneath there are layers upon layers of questions and thought provoking statements that make us stand up and think about how humans can have a negative impact on nature. A book to open your mind, make you think and to connect with characters that you never thought you could talk to.
Название: The Call of the Wild Автор: Jack London Издательство: LibriVox Эту книгу озвучил: Phil Chenevert Год выпуска: 2015 Жанр: Action & Adventure Fiction Аудио кодек: mp3 Битрейт аудио: 128 kbps Продолжительность: 03:50:28 Качество: Отличное