Call of the Wild & White Fang by Jack London
The Call of the Wild (1903) and White Fang (1906) are world famous animal stories.
Set in Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s, The Call of the Wild is about Buck, the magnificent cross-bred offspring of a St Bernard and a Scottish Collie. Stolen from his pampered life on a Californian estate and shipped to the Klondike to work as a sledge dog, he triumphs over his circumstances and becomes the leader of a wolf pack. The story records the "decivilisation" of Buck as he answers 'the call of the wild', an inherent memory of primeval origins to which he instinctively responds.
In contrast, White Fang relates the tale of a wolf born and bred in the wild which is civilised by the master he comes to trust and love. The brutal world of the Klondike miners and their dogs is brilliantly evoked and Jack London's rendering of the sentient life of Buck and White Fang as they confront their destiny is enthralling and convincing.
The deeper resonance of these stories derives from the author's use of the myth of the hero who survives by strength and courage, a powerful myth that still appeals to our collective unconscious.
About the Author
Jack London (1876-1916) is a good example of how the popularity of a writer can wax and wane over the years. In the first fifteen years of the twentieth century, London's stories of his native America monopolised the market like few authors before or since, yet following his early death interest in his work dwindled. It was not until the 1960s that his work began to be re-evaluated, and he is now considered one of America's finest, and most widely translated, writers.
Format: Paperback | 256 pages
Dimensions (cm): 19.7 x 12.6 x 1.4 | 266g
Publication Date: 05 Jan 1992
Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Limited
Publication City/Country: London, United Kingdom
Language: English
ISBN10: 1853260266
ISBN13: 9781853260261
Condition: Good
A vintage book that has been read but is in good condition. Some minor damage to the cover including minor scuff marks along the edges, and a minor crease on the top-right corner of the back cover, but no holes or tears. The majority of pages are undamaged with very minimal creasing, but no tearing. No pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text and no writing in margins. No missing pages.