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The Call of the Wild, White Fang & To Build a Fire
'To this day Jack London is the most widely read American writer in the world,' E. L. Doctorow wrote in The New York Times Book Review. Generally considered to be London's greatest achievement, The Call of the Wild brought him international acclaim when it was published in 1903. His story of the dog Buck, who learns to survive in the bleak Yukon wilderness, is viewed by many as his symbolic autobiography. 'No other popular writer of his time did any better writing than you will find in The Call of the Wild,' said H. L. Mencken. 'Here, indeed, are all the elements of sound fiction.'
White Fang (1906), which London conceived as a 'complete antithesis and companion piece to The Call of the Wild,' is the tale of an abused wolf-dog tamed by exposure to civilization. Also included in this volume is 'To Build a Fire,' a marvelously desolate short story set in the Klondike, but containing all the elements of a classic Greek tragedy.
'The quintessential Jack London is in the on-rushing compulsive-ness of his northern stories,' noted James Dickey. 'Few men have more convincingly examined the connection between the creative powers of the individual writer and the unconscious drive to breed and to survive, found in the natural world. . . . London is in and committed to his creations to a degree very nearly unparalleled in the composition of fiction.'
White Fang (1906), which London conceived as a 'complete antithesis and companion piece to The Call of the Wild,' is the tale of an abused wolf-dog tamed by exposure to civilization. Also included in this volume is 'To Build a Fire,' a marvelously desolate short story set in the Klondike, but containing all the elements of a classic Greek tragedy.
'The quintessential Jack London is in the on-rushing compulsive-ness of his northern stories,' noted James Dickey. 'Few men have more convincingly examined the connection between the creative powers of the individual writer and the unconscious drive to breed and to survive, found in the natural world. . . . London is in and committed to his creations to a degree very nearly unparalleled in the composition of fiction.'
Unbound
First published January 1, 1906
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About the author
Jack London
7,497 books7,641 followersJohn Griffith Chaney, better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to become an international celebrity and earn a large fortune from writing. He was also an innovator in the genre that would later become known as science fiction.
London was part of the radical literary group "The Crowd" in San Francisco and a passionate advocate of animal rights, workers’ rights and socialism. London wrote several works dealing with these topics, such as his dystopian novel The Iron Heel, his non-fiction exposé The People of the Abyss, War of the Classes, and Before Adam.
His most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set in Alaska and the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, as well as the short stories "To Build a Fire", "An Odyssey of the North", and "Love of Life". He also wrote about the South Pacific in stories such as "The Pearls of Parlay" and "The Heathen".
London was part of the radical literary group "The Crowd" in San Francisco and a passionate advocate of animal rights, workers’ rights and socialism. London wrote several works dealing with these topics, such as his dystopian novel The Iron Heel, his non-fiction exposé The People of the Abyss, War of the Classes, and Before Adam.
His most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set in Alaska and the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, as well as the short stories "To Build a Fire", "An Odyssey of the North", and "Love of Life". He also wrote about the South Pacific in stories such as "The Pearls of Parlay" and "The Heathen".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
September 17, 2011
Remarkable.
Stated in the introduction, London considers White Fang a companion to Call of the Wild in that Fang is the "complete antithesis" of Wild. What makes both books so compelling are London's mutual arguments about the nobility and nature of the Wild vs. the Civilized. The themes are, I would guess, ones with which the author struggled with his entire life.
While the tale of Buck's return to the world of his ancestors is one of primal, ideal beauty, White Fang's gradual understanding and acceptance of love, safety, and the new world of men is equally complex and moving. As both stories occupy the same world and grapple with contrasting motivations, yet elevate the animals in both to a state of enlightenment is remarkable.
Additionally, "To Build a Fire" is a wonderful companion. London is able to distill the environment, action, and fatal struggle of life in the north in only a handful of pages like precious few of his peers. It left me eager to find a larger collection of his short stories to continue the journeys of his characters in that snowy hell.
Stated in the introduction, London considers White Fang a companion to Call of the Wild in that Fang is the "complete antithesis" of Wild. What makes both books so compelling are London's mutual arguments about the nobility and nature of the Wild vs. the Civilized. The themes are, I would guess, ones with which the author struggled with his entire life.
While the tale of Buck's return to the world of his ancestors is one of primal, ideal beauty, White Fang's gradual understanding and acceptance of love, safety, and the new world of men is equally complex and moving. As both stories occupy the same world and grapple with contrasting motivations, yet elevate the animals in both to a state of enlightenment is remarkable.
Additionally, "To Build a Fire" is a wonderful companion. London is able to distill the environment, action, and fatal struggle of life in the north in only a handful of pages like precious few of his peers. It left me eager to find a larger collection of his short stories to continue the journeys of his characters in that snowy hell.
June 18, 2019
Fantastic stories - very entertaining and well worth a read. Would rate it 4.5 stars.
July 31, 2008
Jeffrey and I listened to The Call of the Wild on our road trip home from San Francisco this summer. Our friend Joe Papp recommended it as a good novel to listen to because the cd book really makes the listener understand from the get go that the story is being told by the dog....And as Jeffrey points out the art of listening to a book in the car only works when the sentences are short and the narrative is linear.
December 9, 2024
EXCITING UPDATE!
Just read this to my 5-year-old and while I thought it might go over his head (there was period vocabulary I was unaware of). When I would query him before the next session, he had a surprisingly good recall of the events. Of Course, I animated the story for him with wolf howls, snarls, and the like, but he seemed to love the story time and our bonding. At my rather advanced age, I still remember my mother reading to me. This is an opportunity parents should not overlook.
Anyway, I raised it one star, because this time I was overwhelmed by the depth of the writing. The wat London brings the animals to life with unparalleled anthropomorphic skill.
A lifetime classic to be savored, shared, and cherished!
This is pretty amazing stuff. I put it off forever and a day, and like the "Old Man and the Sea," I ask myself why ever? Perhaps, at that time, I was not mature enough to enjoy the fine, thoughtful, and in-depth writing involved.
This is a three-part anthology containing White Fang, The Call of the Wild, and a short story, "Building a Fire." The stories White Fang and Call of the Wild are slightly interrelated but are actually polar opposites in approach. They are a very interesting examination of animal personality in an imaginative way.
Call of the Wild is a dark tale, with a mixed anding and White Fang A tragic tale that finishes happily. To Build a Fire is a tragic tale that concerns the arrogance(and associated stupidity and short-sightedness)of the frailty of human foresight. I loved it although it was very depressing and foreboding from the outset.
Did I like it yes and yes again. Is it worth reading? In my humble opinion, these stories are a must. I like the connection I made between reading London's later "Star Rover" and this earlier work. While there are some overarching themes and connections, one can see the writer's growth and development over time.
Now once you read this you understand full well how and why, Jack London is seen as the fountainhead, the father of the Beat generation.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. It was a pleasant and terrifying literary journey into the harsh and foreboding climes of the barren Yukon of the Northland.
Just read this to my 5-year-old and while I thought it might go over his head (there was period vocabulary I was unaware of). When I would query him before the next session, he had a surprisingly good recall of the events. Of Course, I animated the story for him with wolf howls, snarls, and the like, but he seemed to love the story time and our bonding. At my rather advanced age, I still remember my mother reading to me. This is an opportunity parents should not overlook.
Anyway, I raised it one star, because this time I was overwhelmed by the depth of the writing. The wat London brings the animals to life with unparalleled anthropomorphic skill.
A lifetime classic to be savored, shared, and cherished!
This is pretty amazing stuff. I put it off forever and a day, and like the "Old Man and the Sea," I ask myself why ever? Perhaps, at that time, I was not mature enough to enjoy the fine, thoughtful, and in-depth writing involved.
This is a three-part anthology containing White Fang, The Call of the Wild, and a short story, "Building a Fire." The stories White Fang and Call of the Wild are slightly interrelated but are actually polar opposites in approach. They are a very interesting examination of animal personality in an imaginative way.
Call of the Wild is a dark tale, with a mixed anding and White Fang A tragic tale that finishes happily. To Build a Fire is a tragic tale that concerns the arrogance(and associated stupidity and short-sightedness)of the frailty of human foresight. I loved it although it was very depressing and foreboding from the outset.
Did I like it yes and yes again. Is it worth reading? In my humble opinion, these stories are a must. I like the connection I made between reading London's later "Star Rover" and this earlier work. While there are some overarching themes and connections, one can see the writer's growth and development over time.
Now once you read this you understand full well how and why, Jack London is seen as the fountainhead, the father of the Beat generation.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. It was a pleasant and terrifying literary journey into the harsh and foreboding climes of the barren Yukon of the Northland.
September 12, 2019
The book explains a deep connection between dog-wolves and man. The take-aways are two:
1. First half explains that even the most kind-hearted or frail person can turn into stone hearted and strong. Second part of the book says that the most arrogant and stone-hearted person can become kind-hearted and loving in the proper hands.
2. Never give up on what you sow and you will reap at the end.
1. First half explains that even the most kind-hearted or frail person can turn into stone hearted and strong. Second part of the book says that the most arrogant and stone-hearted person can become kind-hearted and loving in the proper hands.
2. Never give up on what you sow and you will reap at the end.
June 21, 2010
These three stories, despite being written in the early 1900's, are still very readable and thoroughly enjoyable. London writes vividly and realistically and recreates the world of Northland for the reader so well you can feel the chill of the cold wind on your neck.
The Call of the Wild tells the tale of Buck, a large household dog that is stolen from his owners in Southland and taken north to be a sled dog for the many gold hunters who have arrived there in search of their fortunes. Although the story is told through his eyes, London doesn't humanise him in any way as the story is told on instinct and feeling rather than conscience thought and logic. It follows Buck from his first experience in the north through his development into the sled dog leader and eventually to his escape into the wilds of the frozen forests.
White Fang is effectively the antithesis to the Call of the Wild as it follows a wolf pup, with a quarter heritage of sled dog, who is captured and becomes a sled dog himself, through his struggles establishing himself within the dog pack and his time spent as a fighting dog before he is rescued by the one man who spends the time to earn his trust through love and care rather than through beatings and violence. He ends his tale following his new master to the Southland where he further tames his wild nature.
To Build a Fire is a short tale following a man and his dog as they try to make their way along one of the Northland trails during severely cold weather despite warnings against such action. It illustrates the differences between man and dog, as the dog knows instinctively that they should stay in the warmth and safety of the camp, while the man and his pride is determined to go on no matter what and only realises too late that his pride has led him to a fall.
The Call of the Wild tells the tale of Buck, a large household dog that is stolen from his owners in Southland and taken north to be a sled dog for the many gold hunters who have arrived there in search of their fortunes. Although the story is told through his eyes, London doesn't humanise him in any way as the story is told on instinct and feeling rather than conscience thought and logic. It follows Buck from his first experience in the north through his development into the sled dog leader and eventually to his escape into the wilds of the frozen forests.
White Fang is effectively the antithesis to the Call of the Wild as it follows a wolf pup, with a quarter heritage of sled dog, who is captured and becomes a sled dog himself, through his struggles establishing himself within the dog pack and his time spent as a fighting dog before he is rescued by the one man who spends the time to earn his trust through love and care rather than through beatings and violence. He ends his tale following his new master to the Southland where he further tames his wild nature.
To Build a Fire is a short tale following a man and his dog as they try to make their way along one of the Northland trails during severely cold weather despite warnings against such action. It illustrates the differences between man and dog, as the dog knows instinctively that they should stay in the warmth and safety of the camp, while the man and his pride is determined to go on no matter what and only realises too late that his pride has led him to a fall.
July 26, 2014
Read these many times before...
White Fang has always been and will always forever be a flat out 5 stars for me. The Call of the Wild is terrific but not as good for me. To Build a Fire is okay, but White Fang, I'm a sucker for that one.
Quotable (or what you might expect):
"There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive.
This ecstasy, this forgetfulness of living, comes to the artist, caught up and out of himself in a sheet of flame; it comes to the soldier, war-mad in a stricken field and refusing quarter; and it came to Buck, leading the pack, sounding the old wolf-cry, straining after the food that was alive and that fled swiftly before him through the moonlight.” - The Call of the Wild
"He had learned well the law of club and fang, and he never forewent an advantage or drew back from a foe he had started on the way to Death." - The Call of the Wild (Cue Metallica guitars, yo.)
"The man looked down at his hands in order to locate them, and found them hanging on the ends of his arms. It struck him as curious that one should have to use his eyes in order to find out where his hands were." - To Build a Fire
White Fang has always been and will always forever be a flat out 5 stars for me. The Call of the Wild is terrific but not as good for me. To Build a Fire is okay, but White Fang, I'm a sucker for that one.
Quotable (or what you might expect):
"There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive.
This ecstasy, this forgetfulness of living, comes to the artist, caught up and out of himself in a sheet of flame; it comes to the soldier, war-mad in a stricken field and refusing quarter; and it came to Buck, leading the pack, sounding the old wolf-cry, straining after the food that was alive and that fled swiftly before him through the moonlight.” - The Call of the Wild
"He had learned well the law of club and fang, and he never forewent an advantage or drew back from a foe he had started on the way to Death." - The Call of the Wild (Cue Metallica guitars, yo.)
"The man looked down at his hands in order to locate them, and found them hanging on the ends of his arms. It struck him as curious that one should have to use his eyes in order to find out where his hands were." - To Build a Fire
August 7, 2013
Wow. Admittedly, I hadn't read this for thirty years or so... The Call of the Wild is truly amazing; just the structure of this short novel is astoundingly fine. And the strangely exalted yet slightly condescending narration is so singular--definitely wouldn't work with a person as protagonist!; this is even more pronounced where London combines human perspectives and animal ones in the same piece (White Fang + To Build a Fire). Crazy. And I forgot or have really new appreciation for London's prose. Whoa. That opening of "To Build a Fire" is phenomenal."
White Fang got a little long for me, and raggedy, and perhaps the wild-to-tame narrative isn't quite as compelling as that of The Call of the Wild's tame-to-wild one, but still pretty great.
Still, we're on vacation and my wife kept stealing this book from me.
Also, from White Fang:
“But the cub was learning. His misty little mind had already made an unconscious classification. There were live things and things not alive. Also, he must watch out for the live things. The things not alive remained always in one place; but the live things moved about, and there was no telling what they might do. The thing to expet of them was the unexpected, and for this he must be prepared.”
White Fang got a little long for me, and raggedy, and perhaps the wild-to-tame narrative isn't quite as compelling as that of The Call of the Wild's tame-to-wild one, but still pretty great.
Still, we're on vacation and my wife kept stealing this book from me.
Also, from White Fang:
“But the cub was learning. His misty little mind had already made an unconscious classification. There were live things and things not alive. Also, he must watch out for the live things. The things not alive remained always in one place; but the live things moved about, and there was no telling what they might do. The thing to expet of them was the unexpected, and for this he must be prepared.”
July 22, 2015
The Call of the Wild:
Dette var nok ikke riktig bok å ta med på jobb. Flere ganger i dag kikket jeg opp fra boka med tårer i øynene og så at en av studentene rakk opp hånden, og jeg måtte ta meg sammen og svare som best jeg kunne på spørsmål og funksjonsdrøfting og logaritmer. Men for en bok. Synes London legger akkurat passe mye tanker bak hundenes oppførsel og handlinger. Man kan relatere til dem, men de er likevel helt tydelig ikke menneskelige. For meg, som ikke klarer å se på naturprogrammer fordi jeg enten blir så fryktelig trist når et byttedyr blir drept og spist eller så fryktelig trist når et byttedyr slipper unna og rovdyret må gå sultent, var dette også en påminnelse om hvordan naturen faktisk fungerer, enten jeg liker det eller ikke, og at det er helt greit. Kanskje til og med fint (men jeg er ikke sikker på om jeg klarer å strekke meg så langt). God bok.
White Fang:
Åå, igjen! Ja, historien er kanskje den motsatte av den i The Call of the Wild, men boka er likevel veldig lik. Trodde ikke jeg kom til å like den like godt, men det gjorde jeg, kanskje til og med bedre. De er i hvert fall perfekte sammen, og kjempefine begge to.
To Build a Fire
Dette var nok ikke riktig bok å ta med på jobb. Flere ganger i dag kikket jeg opp fra boka med tårer i øynene og så at en av studentene rakk opp hånden, og jeg måtte ta meg sammen og svare som best jeg kunne på spørsmål og funksjonsdrøfting og logaritmer. Men for en bok. Synes London legger akkurat passe mye tanker bak hundenes oppførsel og handlinger. Man kan relatere til dem, men de er likevel helt tydelig ikke menneskelige. For meg, som ikke klarer å se på naturprogrammer fordi jeg enten blir så fryktelig trist når et byttedyr blir drept og spist eller så fryktelig trist når et byttedyr slipper unna og rovdyret må gå sultent, var dette også en påminnelse om hvordan naturen faktisk fungerer, enten jeg liker det eller ikke, og at det er helt greit. Kanskje til og med fint (men jeg er ikke sikker på om jeg klarer å strekke meg så langt). God bok.
White Fang:
Åå, igjen! Ja, historien er kanskje den motsatte av den i The Call of the Wild, men boka er likevel veldig lik. Trodde ikke jeg kom til å like den like godt, men det gjorde jeg, kanskje til og med bedre. De er i hvert fall perfekte sammen, og kjempefine begge to.
To Build a Fire
October 21, 2007
A excellent collection of stort novels by an excellent writer.
Focusing on a domestic dog's journey to wildness and a wild wolf's tale of domestication, The Call of the Wild and White Fang are perfect companion pieces. To Build a Fire focuses on a man tragic hubris, though there's a dog in that one too. All set in the Alaskan wilderness, this book is London at his best with a supreb sense of pacing and character.
If you didn't read any of these in high school, I would definitely recommend it.
Focusing on a domestic dog's journey to wildness and a wild wolf's tale of domestication, The Call of the Wild and White Fang are perfect companion pieces. To Build a Fire focuses on a man tragic hubris, though there's a dog in that one too. All set in the Alaskan wilderness, this book is London at his best with a supreb sense of pacing and character.
If you didn't read any of these in high school, I would definitely recommend it.
October 6, 2012
This book is thematically so conflicting that one could lecture on it for an entire semester. The seemingly racist, spiritual, and existentialist undertones are coupled with the naturalist scientific approach that a journalist like Jack London would provide in a narrative. Buck has human qualities projected onto him by London. The story is both dark and profound in its depiction of the human condition. I love this novel. It's length does not detract from its breadth of theme or conflict. It also had the ability to move me emotionally.
January 7, 2011
Jack London is an amazing storyteller and every page is packed with adventure. I loved The Call of the Wild and found myself laughing, crying, and just holding my breath until the last page. He writes beautifully and is completely unpretentious. I love his descriptions of the harsh Alaskan frontier and the animals and dogs that survive in that landscape. I look forward to reading these stories to the girls when they get older!
February 12, 2008
I read "To Build a Fire" as a kind of companion piece or contrast to Into the Wild. The narrator describes the man as thoughtless. He doesn't think about life or value it, and this is of course obvious with the way he treats his dog. Dying for him seems almost like a purely physical act, which makes the story very sad and creepy.
March 25, 2008
Jack London writes with such description and clarity that as you read, you begin to feel the bitter sting of the Artic rising up around you.
These are the stories I can come back to time and time again, and of the great classics that you can just flip through and start again on any page. You will find yourself always immersed in it.
These are the stories I can come back to time and time again, and of the great classics that you can just flip through and start again on any page. You will find yourself always immersed in it.
April 13, 2010
Really enjoyed reading these old classics again.
I find it interesting that as a child, I loved The Call of the Wild and couldn't get through White Fang. This time, I thought The Call of the Wild was great, but liked White Fang more. I wonder what that says about where I am in my life?
I find it interesting that as a child, I loved The Call of the Wild and couldn't get through White Fang. This time, I thought The Call of the Wild was great, but liked White Fang more. I wonder what that says about where I am in my life?
May 11, 2011
London's stories all teach so many lessons while in the mystery of the story. To Build a Fire is a great short story. Man should always listen to those who are more experienced or be ready to pay the consequences! While Fang and Call of the Wild are classic favorites!
August 9, 2010
I had a craving for some Jack London. I used to have a dorky love of wolves in my youth, and I loved these books like crazy.
Nice to get an edition with a new story in it, story was good.
Nice to get an edition with a new story in it, story was good.
April 17, 2012
I have always loved Jack London for making us Remember a time gone by, and to let us experience men who live on the edge of the wild.
January 7, 2014
Each of these are well written, entertaining stories of adventure.
February 20, 2014
I was almost fired because I balled myself up in a bathroom reading this book, when I was suppose to be working.
March 26, 2020
I hadn't read these since I was in fourth or fifth grade (possibly abridged versions?), but given the effect they had on me at the time (inspiring a life-long love of reading) I thought them worth revisiting, and I was right! The brutality of the untamed wilderness and its effect on both man and animal are still powerful; still inspire in me a love for both the outdoors, dogs, and--of course--reading.
September 4, 2021
5 stars for Call of the Wild and To Build a Fire.
3 stars for White Fang.
White Fang is such a repetitive and pale imitation of the lean, atmospheric Call of the Wild that reading it almost makes the latter worse. But much is to be said for its opening scene of the men transporting a corpse by dogsled, which makes in itself a great short story.
To Build A Fire is better than either, nearly flawless.
3 stars for White Fang.
White Fang is such a repetitive and pale imitation of the lean, atmospheric Call of the Wild that reading it almost makes the latter worse. But much is to be said for its opening scene of the men transporting a corpse by dogsled, which makes in itself a great short story.
To Build A Fire is better than either, nearly flawless.
March 31, 2019
American Literature II is a class that I am currently taking. During this class we are required to read novels, poems, and short stories that we might not have ever read otherwise. Some are good and some are bad; however, all are legendary and useful for the overall growth of literature everywhere.
February 9, 2020
Great short read. A tale of rediscovering lost knowledge, choosing battles, and enduring struggle to achieve success. People, places, and things move in and out of your life. The one constant is you.
August 7, 2023
I only read Call of the Wild. I like thinking about this book as an allegory for navigating all of life's experiences and over time attuning more and more to the call of my true nature. There are beautiful descriptions of Alaska as well.
Read
November 7, 2025Decades later, I can hardly remember a single moment from The Call of the Wild, but I remember every single step of To Build a Fire. Never felt the urge to reread because it's always continued to haunt me.
November 17, 2017
Great read!
August 8, 2018
3-Stars is strictly for White Fang, the only story read from this book.
June 13, 2019
this story transmits emotions and descriptions are amazing. I really enojoyed and it made me cry!
July 25, 2019
It made me feel cold during the hot, humid summer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews