Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    The Call of the Wild (Collins Classics)
    Unavailable
    The Call of the Wild (Collins Classics)
    Unavailable
    The Call of the Wild (Collins Classics)
    Ebook176 pages2 hours

    The Call of the Wild (Collins Classics)

    By Jack London

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Listen to the audiobook instead
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMay 31, 2012
    ISBN9780007480708
    Author

    Jack London

    Jack London was born in San Francisco in 1876, and was a prolific and successful writer until his death in 1916. During his lifetime he wrote novels, short stories and essays, and is best known for ‘The Call of the Wild’ and ‘White Fang’.

    Read more from Jack London

    Related to The Call of the Wild (Collins Classics)

    Related ebooks

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Love In Strange Places

      Sep 22, 2021

      A YEAR ago, our friend the Lovelorn Laird asked me to become a family trustee. I consented, honoured to be asked, anything to help and so forth. And then heard nothing more. Naturally, I thought this was just another example of the West Coast sense o

      2 min read

    • Article

      “His Flesh Had Rotted, And His Bed Was Full Of Worms”

      May 13, 2021

      Just what does it take to make a hermit? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, it’s “a person who lives alone and apart from the rest of society, especially for religious reasons”. But in reality, these characters can be far more complex. For more t

      6 min read

    • Article

      The best bad things

      Sep 29, 2020

      The best bad things
      12 min read

    • Article

      A Warning To The Fortean

      Jul 14, 2022

      A Warning To The Fortean
      9 min read

    • Article

      Why Do We Fear Wolves?

      Dec 12, 2017

      Why Do We Fear Wolves?
      9 min read

    • Article

      A Pre-loved Treasure House

      Oct 14, 2019

      A Pre-loved Treasure House
      9 min read

    • Article

      Unreality Television

      May 27, 2020

      Unreality Television
      4 min read

    • Article

      Bookshelf

      Mar 2, 2020

      There are simply some books that you inadvertently read out loud to whoever is closest—cat or human. I found myself having a giant laugh and then being unable to resist sharing long passages of Carla Funk’s memoir. Though I worried that the religious

      5 min read

    • Article

      Eating My Words

      Nov 15, 2021

      Eating My Words
      9 min read

    • Article

      Tall Tales

      Dec 22, 2023

      Tall Tales
      2 min read

    • Article

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS

      May 18, 2023

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS
      7 min read

    • Article

      Black Stump Hotel, Merriwagga

      Nov 14, 2018

      Black Stump Hotel, Merriwagga
      6 min read

    • Article

      Finding Facts In Fiction

      Mar 12, 2021

      Finding Facts In Fiction
      10 min read

    • Article

      The Modest Man

      Oct 17, 2019

      The Modest Man
      5 min read

    • Article

      Roger’S PROFANISAURUS

      Aug 4, 2022

      profanisaurus@viz.co.uk air fryer 1. n. Device for making chips that won’t fur up your arteries. 2. n. A highcalorie food’s ghost exorcised from the premises of one who enjoys an unusually high-fat diet. Alan Sugar’s beard n. A straggly, threadbare f

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Upper Echelon NOCCUNDRA HOTEL

      Sep 17, 2020

      The Upper Echelon NOCCUNDRA HOTEL
      6 min read

    • Article

      Frank’s Fable

      Mar 18, 2021

      Frank’s Fable
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Hedgerow Moralist

      Nov 18, 2020

      A Hedgerow Moralist
      5 min read

    • Article

      Readersʼ Letters

      Jul 27, 2022

      Readersʼ Letters
      6 min read

    • Article

      Sleep Nights

      Oct 5, 2021

      Sleep Nights
      18 min read

    • Article

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS

      Feb 2, 2023

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS
      8 min read

    • Article

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS

      Feb 2, 2023

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS
      8 min read

    • Article

      Back to Nature

      Jun 22, 2022

      ON November 27, 2020, Mo Wilde, a herbalist, forager, Lyme disease specialist and member of the Linnean Society, decided to eat only ‘wild’ food for a year. Fortunately, she lives in West Lothian, with access to sea and rivers, stalker and wine-makin

      5 min read

    • Article

      Nine Haunting Postapocalyptic Novels

      Feb 3, 2022

      The paradox of imagined apocalypses is that they’re always more about the present than the future. Here's a list of a few haunting and evocative titles. The post Nine Haunting Postapocalyptic Novels appeared first on The Millions.

      4 min read

    • Article

      England’s Nomads

      Mar 16, 2022

      England’s Nomads
      4 min read

    • Article

      What’s In The Water

      May 10, 2019

      What’s In The Water
      7 min read

    Reviews for The Call of the Wild (Collins Classics)

    4/5

    2,561 ratings140 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Great book. Everyone should read it.
    • 5/5
      It's pretty hard to find fault with this story or the way it's told. It was particularly engaging to read while my family is in the process of rehabilitating a very fearful rescue dog. Jack London is among the go-to authors for perspective on how we think when you pare away frivolous comforts - and that's exemplified in CotW.
    • 3/5
      When I initially read this American classic, I was in either elementary or high school. It had all the elements to entice a young boy. It is an adventure which occurs during the Yukon gold rush. The story's protagonist is Buck, an 140 lb St. Bernard and Scotch Collie mix, who is abducted from an easy life as the pet in St. Clara, California, and sold to dog traders who eventually sells him to mail couriers as a sled dog in the Yukon Territory. Buck will need to tap in to his more primeval instincts if he is to survive the harsh northern conditions. The third reason I chose this book is that it was short at less than 100 pages. I had recently read Moby Dick and I needed a break!It has been good revisiting some of the classics I read as a youth. They become more enjoyable when you understand better literary themes and metaphors.
    • 2/5
      Believe it or not, I've never read The Call of the Wild (1903) by Jack London, which one would think is a requirement of being a kid in America. And I still haven't read it, although on a whim I listened to my library's audiobook copy, albeit not very carefully. Narrated in an appropriately macho fashion by Frank Muller, The Call of the Wild tells the story of Buck a farm dog who is kidnapped from Northern California and forced to pull sleds for for miners in the Yukon gold rush. A cushy pet learns to fight for food and compete for leadership of the pack through fighting and violence, and eventually becomes alpha dog in a wild wolf pack after his owner dies.Yes friends, before I read this book I knew it had something to do with Alaska and dogs, but I had no idea that the entire book is about a dog from a dog's point of view. Granted, the book is very symbolic in that we humans sit very tenuously on the edge of civilization and brutality and savageness (and London wrote this before the World Wars, the Holocaust, and all the horrors of the 20th century that tested humanity). Still, as a book about dogs it's a very good and accurate look at what may be going on in a dog's mind.
    • 4/5
      I read this book a few pages at a time (distracted by Facebook, Instagram & Twitter - the usual suspects). When I finally finished it I felt I had read a wonderful, though quite violent, story. Yes, despite flaws, a great tale.
    • 1/5
      Maybe it's because I'm not a dog, but I just don't find it interesting being in the mind of Buck. I was very excited to read this because so many people raved about it, but it just didn't hold my interest even as a child.
    • 4/5
      Trust, betrayal, loyalty and animal cruelty. A heart wrenching story about the life of dogs during the gold rush from an animal POV. I am not always a fan of such an approach but it worked well here. Highly engaging (worked well for an audiobook) but not black and white, as I could relate even to the most "evil" characters. I guess that's why it's a "classic" (mental note: "Read more classics"=).
    • 5/5
      Another childhood favorite.
    • 3/5
      The story is written from the perspective of Buck, the dog. He is large, he is faithful and pragmatic, and he is kidnapped by a worker on the ranch he lives on, and sold to a trader who sends him north to run with a team dragging sleds. Poor Buck is mistreated, and faces a hard run. It is not just humans who are cruel to him, other dogs resent his size and presence, and battles for position as alpha male take place. The dog team are run to the ground, and Bucks saving grace is his size, strength and stamina. He is passed to and from inept and cruel owners until he finally meets an owner he can trust and bond with.It's a nice, if somewhat violent, story. Nothing too deep, but a read that carries you along.
    • 3/5
      Honestly, the best part about this book was that it was narrated by Jeff Bridges. I love animal books but I feel as if I really would have enjoyed this much more in my youth. The Call of the Wild tells the story of Buck, a mixed breed dog who is stolen from cozy home and his lush life as a house dog to be taken up north to be a sled dog during the Yukon Gold Rush. Buck quickly acclimates to the tough life and sets himself apart from the other dogs with his strength, smarts, and cunning. Told entirely through Buck's perspectives, this was one of the first popular books that had an animal as a narrator. To me the most interesting parts were about the wilderness, the scenery, and the people; it was a fascinating time during the late 1800s! Even though it is a little violent, this is a great kids book, especially for animal lovers!
    • 4/5
      This book was a nice change of pace for me as I hadn't read a classic story in quite some time. I must say, I really enjoyed this short novel centered around the dog Buck. I think it is a very interesting idea to center a book around a dog, and London pulls it off beautifully. It takes us through the entire life of the dog, from his life on a farm to his days as a sled dog in Alaska. The transformation Buck makes from domesticated pet to primitive, instinctual animal is fascinating to read and think about. The descriptive language used by the author is outstanding. Overall, I can see why this is considered a classic and I look forward to reading more of him.
    • 5/5
      I listened to this audio and enjoyed the story very much. I can't believe I never read this before. I loved Jack London's intuitive feeling for animals. This story traces Buck's sudden entry into the wild and his education in survival among the wolves. Jack London's writing is exceptional and makes him one of the greatest American storytellers. If you haven't read this yet, you should as it is a quick, easy and thrilling read.
    • 4/5

      I was quite impressed by this book. I expected a simple, canine adventure story. I did get an adventure story, but the most interesting part was the inner journey. As you read it, keep in mind that Mr. London sets up Buck as a person. It's easy to identify with him, and more difficult to identify with most of the humans in the story. It's definitely food for thought.
    • 4/5
      Great book!
    • 1/5
      Horrid book.
    • 4/5
      Very enjoyable. I felt like Buck's dreaming of prehistoric man was unnecessary and I think it would have been better without that.
    • 4/5
      Another one of those books that seems to have gotten past me in my school days, I just recently read The Call of the Wild for the first time. Like many of these books that I'm discovering pretty much everyone else has read except me, I think I'm glad that I came at them as an adult, as I don't think I would have revisited them had I read them earlier, and I don't think I would have taken away as much when I was younger. Jack London's story about Buck, a St. Bernard-Scotch Shepherd who is kidnapped from his idyllic southern California home to be a sled dog in the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush is a powerful tale. We follow Buck's journey as he discovers that not all men are kind like his previous owners, learns to navigate the ins and outs of the sled dog's pack pecking order, and finally as he discovers the primal nature of his being as he eventually starts to venture out into the wilderness on his own. The imagery that London uses in describing Buck's discovery of that primal nature is remarkable; I think of anything else in the book, I enjoyed these sequences best.
    • 4/5
      It's great juvenile literature, however, adults could also enjoy it for its so many fine qualities. Dog lovers and nature lovers in general will share more than one state of mind with Buck and the general description of the wilderness. Highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      It's hard to believe, that with 82 years of reading all sorts of books, this the first American Classic from an American Classic author that I''ve read. I'll try more of the classics but this work is no where near the top of my list of books. Yes, it is quite an adventure for this dog and he certainly had very many experiences but I can't get to the level of classical literature.
    • 3/5
      These tales are so brutal."All the easy moral maxims of social life are tested - and most found wanting - in this ferocious landscape. This sometimes seems to be one of London's driving motives, as though his calling is to remind everyone of the chill below the warmth of our cozy social conventions." (Tobey Hiller)
    • 2/5
      This book was okay. That's all.

      I was expecting a bit more really. so much happens in the book but it's glossed over pretty quickly each time and then something new comes along. The characters are all fairly vague so you don't really care when they pass out of the story.

      It was short but I was more than ready for it to end. Not a bad book but just not one I was drawn in by.
    • 4/5
      Decided to read this when I saw it on the Guardian's best 100 books list - thought I had read it when I was younger but realised that was White Fang. Follows Buck the domestic dog stolen from the south and brought north to be a sled dog. Absorbing quick read.
    • 3/5
      I'm glad I read it because I had never done so earlier in my life, but I won't read it or anything else like it again. I can't take the brutality against the animals in the book. It's just hard for me to read that.
    • 4/5
      Buck's journey from domestic dog, to sled dog, to wolf. Aspects of nobility in returning to nature and civilisation as superior to 'wildness' mixed in a way that I found a little hard to reconcile, maybe colonialism?
    • 5/5
      Excellent writing but I can see why I didn't like this in junior high - the cruelty to animals is pretty difficult to take. I saw recently that this is on a "banned book" list - have no idea why.
    • 5/5
      The Call of the Wild by Jack LondonI re-read Call of the Wild by listening to it on audio from Audible. Although I have read it a few times over the years, I wanted to refresh it in my mind before seeing the up-coming movie. I am so glad that I did. I never fail to be taken back to my positive reading experiences of youth and the simple and powerful story lines where classics such as: White Fang, Old Yeller, Where the Red fern Grows, and Call of the Wild bring to the reader. It is perfect for young readers and those that love animal or dog stories. It does describe the cruelties and hardships endured by these wonderful dogs so consider this when choosing for a child. I give this story a 5 stars and consider it a classic.
    • 5/5
      A gentle, well cared for family dog named Buck is stolen, sold, and shipped to Alaska and turned into a sled dog. It is quickly determined by most who come in contact with him that he is unique. Treated cruelly by most, and kind by few, he eventually finds freedom. A beautifully written story.
    • 4/5
      I read this book when I was a freshman in hih school and while I have nor surviving record of what I thought about it when I read it mymemory is that I liked it a lot.
    • 4/5
      When Buck is taken from his comfortable home, sold as a work dog, and sent to Alaska, his whole world changes. Brutality and hard work. Cold and crazy men. All of these forever change Buck's nature. As his instincts take over, can Buck continue to exist in the world that his various owners have brought him into?I went into this book with no expectations and was blown away by the writing. London's prose is gorgeous and rich; I found myself relishing each sentence and the language he uses to perfection. I also was impressed that the novel is told from Buck's perspective but never comes to a point of anthropomorphization nor is it saccharine. The novel doesn't shy away from the brutality of the life of men who went in search of gold in Alaska and London never pulls punches when describing animal cruelty. But don't let the harshness frighten you away. There are also wonderful passages depicting the special bond that form between animals and their people. A short classic that pleasantly surprised me.
    • 4/5
      This rating is not just for Call of the Wild, but for "To Build A Fire", which was in this edition of the book as well.

      I felt that CofW was a really good read--even if at times I cringed at the pain and suffering Buck went through. To see how his life is altered by the humans he was kidnapped and 'broken' by is interesting, and kept me enthralled. It is not a long book (novella?), but one that kept me wanting more.

      Fire was a great story that had me wanting to see how the idiotic human would react...and ultimately face his demise from not listening to those more experienced in the Alaskan wilderness than himself.

      After reading both stories, I really wonder if London was a fan of Alaska, or if he found it to be the most base of human (and animal) existence. I can say for certain that if I had ever held Alaska as a "must see", I now do not.

      Too savage for me! But definitely worth reading, both stories.