The Call Of The Wild

The Call of the Wild (1963) – Jack London
Arco Publications | ISBN: None
Condition: Very Good | Sold by Crappy Old Books

Dogs. Loyal, affectionate creatures whose principal ambitions generally involve food, companionship, comfortable furniture and the occasional opportunity to roll in something revolting. Most modern dogs enjoy lives of extraordinary luxury, sleeping in centrally heated houses, eating scientifically formulated meals and demanding immediate attention whenever somebody opens a packet of biscuits. But Jack London had rather different ideas about the canine condition.

Welcome to The Call of the Wild, one of the greatest adventure stories ever written, in which a perfectly respectable domestic dog discovers that civilisation is a rather fragile arrangement, particularly when somebody steals you and ships you off to the frozen wilderness of the Yukon.

Our hero is Buck, a magnificent and powerful dog enjoying a thoroughly comfortable existence on a Californian estate. Life is pleasant, meals arrive regularly, and nobody expects him to drag several hundredweight of equipment across a frozen landscape while being shouted at by men with questionable personal hygiene.

Unfortunately, the Klondike Gold Rush has created an enormous demand for strong sled dogs, and Buck’s comfortable existence comes to an abrupt end when he is stolen, sold and transported north into a world where survival depends upon strength, cunning and the ability to distinguish genuine danger from merely unpleasant company.

There, among the snow, ice and brutal realities of frontier life, Buck discovers that the natural world has remarkably little interest in fairness, good manners or whether anybody remembered to pack his favourite blanket.

Forced to adapt to the harsh discipline of the sled teams, he encounters cruelty, rivalry, hardship and occasional kindness. His experiences awaken ancient instincts buried beneath generations of domestication, gradually transforming him from a pampered household companion into a formidable creature increasingly attuned to the wilderness.

London’s great achievement is to tell this extraordinary story largely through Buck’s experiences, combining gripping adventure with reflections upon evolution, instinct, civilisation and the thin boundary separating humanity’s carefully constructed comforts from the ruthless struggle for existence.

The novel also presents a memorable procession of human characters, some courageous and compassionate, others foolish, greedy or spectacularly incompetent. Indeed, one of the book’s recurring observations is that dogs frequently display considerably more intelligence and good judgement than the people supposedly responsible for them.

Originally published in 1903, The Call of the Wild became an enduring classic of American literature, drawing upon London’s own experiences in the Yukon during the Gold Rush. Its vivid landscapes, powerful storytelling and unsentimental understanding of nature have captivated generations of readers.

This 1963 Arco Publications edition, offered in Very Good condition by Crappy Old Books, is an appealing addition to any collection of classic adventure fiction, Jack London titles or vintage illustrated and literary editions.

A thrilling, moving and occasionally brutal journey into the frozen wilderness, where survival is earned rather than guaranteed and the comforts of civilisation become increasingly distant memories.

And a useful reminder that beneath the affectionate exterior of even the most pampered domestic dog may lurk the ancient spirit of a wolf.

Although persuading the average modern Labrador to abandon the sofa and answer the call of the wild might prove considerably more difficult than Jack London imagined.

Particularly if it’s raining.

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