White Fang

Written by Jack London

Narrated by Norman Dietz

White Fang is the titular character and a novel by American author Jack London. First serialized in Outing magazine, it was published in 1906. The story takes place in Yukon Territory, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush at the end of the 19th-century, and details a wild wolfdog's journey to domestication. White Fang is a companion novel (and a thematic mirror) to London's best-known work, The Call of the Wild, which is about a kidnapped, domesticated dog embracing his wild ancestry to survive and thrive in the wild. Much of White Fang is written from the viewpoint of the titular canine character, enabling London to explore how animals view their world and how they view humans. White Fang examines the violent world of wild animals and the equally violent world of humans. The book also explores complex themes including morality and redemption. White Fang has been adapted for the screen numerous times, including a 1991 film starring Ethan Hawke.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 10, 2008
• ISBN: 9781440798238

Jack London

Jack London (1876-1916) was an American novelist and journalist. Born in San Francisco to Florence Wellman, a spiritualist, and William Chaney, an astrologer, London was raised by his mother and her husband, John London, in Oakland. An intelligent boy, Jack went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley before leaving school to join the Klondike Gold Rush. His experiences in the Klondike—hard labor, life in a hostile environment, and bouts of scurvy—both shaped his sociopolitical outlook and served as powerful material for such works as “To Build a Fire” (1902), The Call of the Wild (1903), and White Fang (1906). When he returned to Oakland, London embarked on a career as a professional writer, finding success with novels and short fiction. In 1904, London worked as a war correspondent covering the Russo-Japanese War and was arrested several times by Japanese authorities. Upon returning to California, he joined the famous Bohemian Club, befriending such members as Ambrose Bierce and John Muir. London married Charmian Kittredge in 1905, the same year he purchased the thousand-acre Beauty Ranch in Sonoma County, California. London, who suffered from numerous illnesses throughout his life, died on his ranch at the age of 40. A lifelong advocate for socialism and animal rights, London is recognized as a pioneer of science fiction and an important figure in twentieth century American literature.

Reviews for White Fang

[Atticus Foster · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

White Fang was one of my favourite childhood stories, and this reading is excellent and elegant. The viewpoint of a dog through its life's journey really let's you immerse yourself, and sympathize with a sometimes cruel but loving creature, and it's a great time piece of the Yukon Gold Rush. However: this story contains many explicit elements of white supremecy. Of course, it's a book from 1902, but it is still relevant. While I love this book, this actively weakens the story.

[Nenye Smith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic read! Perfectly construed, animal behavioral superbly mastered! I got the jitters listening to this perfect book!

[Tate Tousey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have always loved books written by London. White Fang is by far my favorite, it reminds the reader that life is a luxury and that love and trust don’t come easy and as humans, we forget that as soon as we get a new dog or cat.
The San Francisco part of the book always astonishes me because here is this wolf that has worshipped humans at their most modest stature (Native Americans: Gray Beaver or at Weeden and Mac’s cabin), now he has to get used to the ultimate capability of humanity’s creations, the big city.