Classics Club: The Call of the Wild

Wild

  • Author: Jack London

I listened to the audiobook version I received for free through audiobooks.com.

The Call of the Wild is one of the most depressing books I’ve ever read.  Also, I didn’t read the synopsis, and so wasn’t aware that the story was from a dog’s point of view.  While that’s not a bad thing, it was unexpected.  Buck, a St. Bernard and Shepherd mix, is stolen from his home and endures cruelty and abuse throughout the story.  While there is a, mostly, happy ending, listening was painful.

I also think I wasn’t in the best frame of mind to listen to a story like this.  I had already been feeling depressed, and the weather was crappy that day.  Luckily, it’s a relatively short book (2 hours and 52 minutes), which is why I chose it at the time, and I listened to it while I was cleaning and reorganizing my office.

I’ll probably re-read The Call of the Wild at some point to give it another chance; preferably during a time when I’m not feeling like garbage and the sun is shining.  While I usually love to read stories set during a particular season when it’s also that time of year in reality, I think this book is best read during the Summer.  However, if you can’t handle frequent scenes of animal abuse, you should skip this one and maybe try another book about dogs or wolves, as long as it’s not by Jack London (I recommend Jean Craighead George).