White Fang

Written by Jack London

Narrated by Geoffrey Giuliano and The Crush

White Fang is a novel by American author Jack London and the name of the book's eponymous character, a wild wolfdog. First serialized in Outing magazine between May and October 1906, it was published in book form in October 1906. The story details White Fang's journey to domestication in Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush. It is a companion novel (and a thematic mirror) to London's best-known work, The Call of the Wild (1903), 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Icon Audio Arts
• Release date: Nov 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9798887675381

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

[natalieriley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first time reading Jack London. I acquired the audiobook through my Audible membership and thought I would give it a try. As a lover of animals and nature, I suspected I would appreciate London’s work. I was a bit apprehensive as the description mentioned White Fang’s cruel owners. (One thing that seriously turns my stomach is animal abuse.) While reading about the abuse White Fang endured hurt my heart immensely, it also made my love for him grow. I was anxious and hopeful he would find a human that would love him dearly and treat him the way he deserved. This is an incredible story of endurance and perseverance; I loved it from beginning to end.

[krista.rutherford · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Classic story of a wold-dog hybrid named White Fang. It's kind of the reversal of Jack London's other work "The Call of the Wild" wherein the animal starts off in human society and goes feral. White Fang is born wild and ends up with a beloved master. The point appears to be that nature is savage and brutal ("Eat or be eaten!"), and that man can be even more savage and brutal, or let the power of love and gentleness overcome.

[tonyasb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I drive a lot for work and get bored with listening to the radio after a while. A lot of times I'll listen to audiobooks but they're so expensive that I haven't listened to one in a while. So I was happily surprised when I found White Fang and The Call of the Wild on audio for $4 apiece at Half Price Books. If you are not familiar with this store, I am very sorry. It's absolutely wonderful (but not near as wonderful as our own Recycled Books here in Denton - I really love that store).So I remember reading The Call of the Wild when I was kid and I think I saw a movie on White Fang at some point in my life but they're both very fuzzy and needless to say I had the two confused in my head. Well, maybe not confused but merged is the better word. I had somehow remembered a wild half-wolf dog that was captured and tortured to fight other dogs then rescued and taught be a sled dog who eventually went back to the wild. Yeah. Just remember it had been a long time.After listening to the two back to back, I believe that The Call of the Wild is my favorite of the two simply because I'm not fond of the narrative in White Fang. The narrator keeps referring to people as "gods" in White Fangs eyes. Also, he sees power as coming from material possessions. This is a human qualification and I have never seen animals give deference to another animal because of possessions. They base power on strength. It is possible with some animals that the leader may have access to more food and other possessions but that is because he/she is ALREADY leader. Those things do not make the leader. So, because the wolf apparently sees materials possessions as power he sees white people as being superior to all others. See where I'm going here? Very irritating.Ok, here's another problem: inconsistency. I realize these are different stories but they both concern sled dogs at some point. In The Call of the Wild, the sled dogs regard the lead sled dog with deference and treat him as leader in all other aspects of life. In White Fang, the other dogs view the lead dog as running away from them and therefore a coward to be tormented. The lead dog must sit with the people in order to be protected. WHAT??!! I don't know anything about sledding but I know about dogs and this simply doesn't make sense. The Call of the Wild was written first so maybe he discovered something that I don't know about. I tried to find some other reviews to see if there was any mention of this but all I could find were school papers and descriptions of the book. Anyone know where I can find good critiques not written by 6th graders?Ok, so I didn't completely dislike White Fang. I was irritated by those things but the storyline is very good. I was surprised when I found out it was written after The Call of the Wild because it seems a little more rough. It reads like a first book, where The Call of the Wild seems more polished. In both books I really enjoyed the interplay between the main characters and the other dogs. The dogs seemed more real than the people. This makes complete sense, since the story is told from the point of view of the dog. The other dogs would be the ones that Buck and White Fang knew the best. London accomplishes this very well. I also enjoyed the exchange between Buck and Thornton and White Fang and Scott. Being an animal lover and having dogs all my life, I know the power of the love from an animal. I was impressed by how Scott won over White Fang. His devotion to Scott reminds me of my boyfriend's dog, Skillet, who treats Jeff as if he hung the moon and my dog, Loki, who treats me the same way. Both of these dogs were rescued also. There seems to be something that happens to a dog who is rescued and loved that makes them more devoted than a dog who comes to you as a puppy, like my other dog, Aurora. She obviously loves me and I love her very much but Loki and Skillet become visibly upset just being out of our presence. I was also impressed that Buck remained with Thornton even when he wanted to be free simply because he loved this man. Many people may say this is anthropomorphizing, that animals can't love like this. I say they have never given themselves to an animal enough to feel that love.

[jimocracy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't want to get too critical of this book but it is ironic that the author reversed the very thing I liked best about The Call of the Wild: the ruthless ending. I suppose that this book ended with a ruthless event but not with a wildness of mind and life. I thought that parts one and two were simply brilliant. The beginning of the book was gripping and exciting and a great way to introduce the reader to White Fang.

All in all, I enjoy this book very much... I just thought it got too sappy and lovey-dovey in the end. Also, I did not really enjoy the deification of humans to the extent it was used. The first couple of references would have sufficed to make the point of the wolf's point of view.

[marsap_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic by Jack London, White Fang could be considered the companion to London’s Call of the Wild, except in reserve. Whereas Buck from Call of the Wild finds his wild nature—White Fang finds his human love and is able to integrate into domestic life. White Fang is born in the wild to a wolf father and a half wolf mother. When he is made captive by humans, he is outcast from the other dogs because of his wildness. He learns to fight for his life. Finally, he has an opportunity to experience a new life away from the violence and savagery—but will he learn to embrace it is the question. I loved this book despite the violence and the brutality of the life led by White Fang—and the cruelty of the humans he encounters. A 4 out of 5 stars.

[crashmyparty · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book a few years ago, and have constantly gone back to it because I just enjoyed the story and London's style of writing that much. 

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I bought this book at a book fair at school when I was nine. I cannot tell how many times I have read it. As a child, I mainly read it for the 'wolf' story, but as an adult, I have appreciated the deeper aspects of the writing. London was big on analyzing why people do what they do, not always correct imo. It's still a good read, forget the movie(s).

[maryreinert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful writing about the life of a dog/wolf in the Yukon. Life in the wild changes as White Fang is first "owned" by an Indian, later by a terrible man named Beauty Smith who makes him into a fighting dog, and last by a kind man who becomes very attached to the dog.

[kimmclean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

White Fang is the story of wolf/dog who descend from Kiche, a wolf/dog who runs the wild in ??anartica? The story begins with two man traveling across the dark frozen tundra with 8 dogs a sled and a coffin. But the wolf continuously attacks all the dogs and the one man traveler. The wolf is then found by it's "owner" gray bear where White Fang grows up, learning to become a fighter to survive in the pack for food and for his life. The vocabulary and the writing style takes some time to get your mouth around. This is an intriguing and sometimes intense story, but not a fast read.

[oreillynsf_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you have kids you are trying to interest in reading more, White Fang is a great book suggestion. Especially if they are boys yes go ahead call me sexist. The story is gripping. the language is gripping, and London paints a scene like no one else. It's a book that kids can understand, but it is not a kids book, which I bet your children or nephews or nieces or whatnot will appreciate.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

White Fang is ¼ dog and ¾ wolf. He is born into the wild, but since his mother is ½ dog, she brings him back to live with people. Over the course of his lifetime, he has to learn to adapt to many different worlds. London does an amazing job of telling the story from the wolf/dog’s point of view. Although, I find it very, very difficult to get past some of the abuse that happens in the story, it is an amazing book about an amazing animal. The way the story is told depicts exactly how I think an animal’s mind would work.

[andyray_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I used to confuse this with London's "Call of the Wild," and stupidly so. White Fang is three times meaner than Buck ever became. Hee. Curious that London's pieces have become Young Adult classics over the years.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For Christmas, I ordered an mp3 player (Library of Classics) that was pre-loaded with 100 works of classic literature in an audio format. Each work is in the public domain and is read by amateurs, so the quality of the presentation is hit or miss. White Fang is a novel written by Jack London, much on the same topic and of the same style as his classic novella Call of the Wild. In Call of the Wild, the story is told from the point of view of the kidnapped sled dog, Buck. Likewise, in White Fang, the protagonist and narrator is a wolf/dog hybrid named White Fang. Born in the wild to a wolf father and half wolf, half dog mother, White Fang soon becomes domesticated as a pup in a nearby Indian village. From there he passes through various stages of life in Canada, Alaska and finally California.London’s writing is fascinating and the imagery is first rate. White Fang’s progression from a wild animal, to domesticated sled dog, to fighting dog and finally to family pet (interestingly, exactly the opposite experience of the protagonist in Call of the Wild) is vastly entertaining and educational.

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed the first three chapters, even if they were a bit gruesome. Cast Liam Neeson and you'd have the makings of a fine movie there. Lost interest when the narration switched to the wolves' point of view. Also, the narrator's voice was grating and seemed to emphasize the wrong things. Unfinished.

[barryu21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A true classic.

[iudita_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's never a good sign when a relatively short book feels like forever to finish. I'm not sure why this beloved classic didn't speak to me. Maybe I didn't gel with the writing which I found very plain. Or maybe it was the perspective of the animal which doesn't often work for me. Maybe it was just the wrong book at the wrong time. Either way, I was bored by it. On to other books!

[sammelsurium-831072 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

White Fang is, much like Black Beauty, unrelenting in its depiction of animal misery. As an adult, I find the misery rather tiresome, but it would have no doubt been far more bestirring when I was child. It's emotionally evocative, and it forces the reader to embody an animal perspective very different from their own and confront the pain caused by animal cruelty.I still want to make note that it's an unrealistic depiction of wolf mentality. While books about animals don't have to be realistic, the wolves in White Fang are unrealistic in ways that uphold longstanding harmful narratives about wolves and the wilderness. In White Fang, the fact that wolves are not obedient to humans is a problem--and it doesn't just make them bad pets, but bad in terms of their moral character. In White Fang, the wild wolf is cruel, brutal, and lonely because nature requires it, because wolves cannot think beyond their selfish individual needs without human help and love--even though in nature, unlike the novel, wolves are highly social and companionable with one another, and rarely benefit from increased contact with humans. Wolves are not especially violent or dangerous animals, and the idea that they are has fueled the anti-wolf policies still in place in much of their natural territory today.All of that is bad enough; still worse, the idea that wilderness and wild animals are a problem that must be solved feeds directly into the novel's harmful depiction of Native Americans. Just as White Fang is part-wolf and part-dog, Native Americans in this novel are presented as part-wild and part-civilized. And just as White Fang benefits from being tamed and becoming more doglike, it's clear that Native Americans would benefit from becoming more civilized, like their colonizers. This bias is not subtle: when White Fang meets Native Americans for the first time, he sees them as gods; and when he meets white people for the first time, he explicitly states that they are superior gods. Add to that the fact that the primary Native American character is an animal abuser and an alcoholic (a common stereotype) and the depiction becomes especially distasteful. I'd suggest reading Black Beauty instead.

[evan719 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Book ReviewBy: Evan MercadoThis is a classic story about survival (in my eyes). This starts off interesting with a pack of 6 wolfs, and ends up with, well, you have to read the book for that :). It ends up in a good home after attacking it's owner's family. No one knows for sure, but the other wolfs might still be alive. Only 1 dies that I know of) the rest (except for 1 who goes solo) and they travel in a pack of 4. That until they came across this tribe of Indians (I called them Indians because in the book they were called Indians, if that offends anyone).Thats when one wolf turns on the rest of it’s pack, and leaves. It found a home, owner , until a Dog Musher wants this dog. But the owner (Scott) keeps the dog and moves to Sierra Vista, with his family.

[gbill_7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The sequel to ‘The Call of the Wild,’ ‘White Fang’ is more developed and tells a mirror story. In it, a half-wolf, half-dog endures great hardship in the wilds of Alaska, and eventually is domesticated. As in the first book, its realism suffers as London ascribes emotions and actions to the dogs that are too human-like, but he is effective in painting a picture of life in the cold, harsh climate, where the law is “eat or be eaten,” as he puts it. Unfortunately, it also has a dose of the white supremacy common to the period, as the dogs look up to the Indians as “Gods,” and then look up even more to “White Gods,” who are described as superior. Overall, though, it has some memorable scenes, such as the owner who holds brutal dog fights, and a nice message of how love, tenderness, and patience can overcome the bitterness bred from a violent upbringing. London also gets in a little jab at corruption in law enforcement towards the end, via a prisoner who has been framed. Imperfect, but worth reading.Just this quote:“To have a full stomach, to doze lazily in the sunshine – such things were remuneration in full for his ardors and toils, while his ardors and toils were in themselves self-remunerative. They were expressions of life, and life is always happy when it is expressing itself.”

[andjhostet-527429 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Extremely similar to Call of the Wild in many ways, but also opposite in a sense. While Call of the Wild was about degradation of the human side, and an embrace of instincts and the wild side of the dog, "White Fang" is a repression of instinct and wild, and succumbing to a life of love and domestication.

In many ways, this feels like a grander version of TCotW, London feels a bit more confident in his writing, and expands on ideas a bit more in gratifying ways.

[pummelson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

White Fang is the story of a wolf, the likes of which has never been heard of before. It takes place in Yukon Territory, Canada, and follows the life of White Fang, a crossbreed of wolf and dog, through the many twists and turns that make a story memorable. White Fang begins his life in a small cave, with very little more than a mother and an instinct: Survive. Following a chance encounter with Grey Beaver, an Indian that was once his mother’s master, his life begins to change drastically. Once a young wolf struggling to learn the ways of the wild, then a furious devil in awe of the power of man, White Fang struggles with conflicts. When he is bought by Beauty Smith, a coward with a brutal nature, and made to fight in an arena against other animals, his rage only worsens. Then he is rescued from certain death by Weedon Scott, the son of an influential Judge, and his life begins to take a turn for the better. But can White Fang overcome his killer instinct and lead a different life? One of Love, instead of hate?White Fang is one of the best books I have read for a long time. Once I picked it up, it was truly impossible to put it down again. Every page I turned only made me more curious as to how the story would end. Like Call of the Wild, Jack London has worked his magic again. A truly memorable read.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

White Fang by Jack London is the story of a wolf who is born in the wild to a half wolf/half dog mother and a full wolf father. He spends his first few formative months in the wild being raised by his mother and then the two of them are absorbed into an Indian village and White Fang learns about living with humans. There is always an aspect of wildness about White Fang and unfortunately as he is passed on to other humans this aspect is taken advantage of. He is tortured and mistreated and set to fight against other animals. Eventually he is rescued from the fighting ring but now must learn how to trust and care for a human again.This book shows both the cruelty and kindness that an animal can face during it’s lifetime. It reminded me a lot of his Call of the Wild, although to my way of thinking White Fang should have been left in the wild where he truly belonged. Set in the Canadian Yukon at the time of the Klondike Gold Strike, I found this to be an absorbing read. I know that research into wolves has advanced since Jack London wrote about them, but the writing here is extremely descriptive and at times quite lyrical. I couldn’t totally buy into this story as the author’s descriptions of White Fang’s thought processes were a little too detailed and human-like, but I can certainly understand this author’s popularity as the book was a true adventure read.

[steller0707 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Many years ago our friend had a beautiful dog, named Bianca. She was 3/4 dog and 1/4 wolf, a wonderful, gentle family dog, and, like White Fang, from the "northlands." Although Jack London's White Fang is the reverse proportions of Bianca, and leads a very different life, I couldn't help but have Bianca on my mind while reading this classic story. I visualized a beautiful animal, even through the brutal descriptions of White Fang's life. The hunting and killing instinct for survival was inbred from White Fang's puppy-hood. But London puts us into the mind of the wolf-dog, as he learns the "laws" that govern his existence in the wild and in his relationships to the "god-men" who take him on. Without sentimentality the reader comes to understand how he might think and react toward other animals and people, and to appreciate both his wildness and his loyalty. I loved seeing him come to life. White Fang and those like him, even while acting on instincts, are indeed beautiful and intelligent animals.

[corinneblackmer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Jack London imports Social Darwinist credo, used more clumsily and less divertingly by authors such as Frank Norris, into letters with fervor, conviction, and skill. We encounter White Fang, a part domestic dog and mostly wolf dog that lives with a pack in the wilderness and whose mother had once been domesticated by the Native Americans. As in the case of its companion volume, "Call of the Wild," (where the dog Buck moves from domesticity to the wild, as opposed to vice versa), White Fang has abusive owners who want White Fang to fight for money, but White Fang is rescued by a man who is called, under the regime of London's casually assumed racism, one of the "white human gods." A great tale, and a book that serves as an excellent introduction to literature for young adolescents, bit can be relished at all ages.

[dvansuch · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book. I have read this upwards of 20 times, and it never gets old! His description of wolves is almost magical. Very interesting perspective and easy to read.

[bookslesstravelled · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I tried to read this book many times. I now wonder what took me so long! I really enjoyed this book, and the touching example of what a kind heart can do to a damaged soul.

[melea_says · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book....I've read other books from the point of view of animals and they have all seemed to fall flat..but this book was so exciting and inciteful. I felt that the writer truly understood the canine mind. You absolutely fall in love with White Fang and want to stand up for him, cheer for him, or cry for him throughout the book...it's a heartwarming story.

[meditationesmartini · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I expected to like this more than Call of the Wild because it was supposed to be London's book where he got all nitty-gritty about writing from the wolf's perspective in a real as opposed to a kind of anthropomorphic epical way, and there was some good stuff in that vein early on, with the baby wolf figuring out how the world works, and I think the "nature faker" label is somewhat unreasonable to apply to him unless you were expecting actual nature writing and not tall tale shit. (But only somewhat, since the fact that White Fang's narrative arc is basically that he is wild and magnif and then bad humans make him ornery and vicious and then good humans bring him into the light of civ gives the ecocritic-type, let-the-animals-be-animals-irretrievably-Other criticisms levelled against London by Teddy Roosevelt (!) at least three legs to stand on.)No, the problem with this book has nothing to do with nature--it's London's atittudes toward humanity that are the problem. We see how nails-tough Grey Beaver and the other native people who first semi-domesticate White Fang are, but then when he wanders into the white man's town he sees--apocalyptic revelation!--that those "gods" (humans are gods) are as nothing before the pale gods, and you're like, why exactly, given that the white people in this are mostly a bunch of drunks and fuckups. London's racial ideology is accompanied by this thing where the scion of the judge's family in California comes in and stomps the vicious lumpen goldpanners who are forcing White Fang to dogfight ("You beasts!" he shrieks, fists flying, superman curl coming unstuck. "You beasts!"). And White Fang is redeemed by being brought into the manor of the patriarch, the Judge of the Law. London himself said this book was an expression of "worship of power" and evoked Nietzsche, but it's a pretty thin Nietzscheanism--more Leibnizian all-is-for-the-best-in-this or Calvinist elect: those who rule are the strongest by virtue of ruling, not vice versa. Like, this guy's a socialist???? But then you read further that London saw this book as a fable-retelling of his own stratospheric rise from working-class kid to millionaire author, and you're like, no, he may think he's a socialist but he's actually the worst kind of fuckhead.

[faitharo5_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. It chronicles the life of a wolf(half dog) through the harse wilderness, brutal treatment at the hand of man, and then ultimately friendship and love. The book is written from the aspect of the wolf. Truly a great book. Highly recommend for dog lovers!

[karenleefield · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first read this book when I was a young teenager. I remember crying then. I didn’t cry this time round but the actions in this book did strike a chord with me. I really do detest cruelty to animals; the cruelty in this book is paramount.White Fang is a product of his past. He has been taught to hate. He has been taught to survive at any measure. He is vicious. He is a killer! Yet he’s these things because he has to be. His other choice is to be the weak link and die.It’s a powerful story. Well told. No holding back; aimed straight for the jugular. The biggest lesson learned by reading White Fang is that you can beat an animal (and I believe this relates to people too) into doing what you want but loving them produces a much better (long-lasting) result. A beaten animal will do as you want, but will rip your throat out if given the opportunity. A loved animal will be faithful, loyal and forever.There’s little more to be said about this book except that it’s worth reading. I highly recommend it.