Creepy Classic: Jack London’s The Call of the Wild

This month’s Creepy Classic is Jack London’s The Call of the Wild.  Although not entirely creepy like the usual classics I post, this story is still filled with eerie intrigue.  The story centers around a domesticated dog named Buck, a Saint Bernard-Shepherd, who was kidnapped, sold and then sent to Alaska to be a sled dog.  Reading the story as it unfolds through a dog's eyes was mesmerizing.  It was gut-wrenching to read how Buck discovers the evil that lurks in some men.  He learned firsthand about abuse and how the man in the “red sweater” wielded the club that demanded obedience.

Buck’s character had more depth than most heroes I read about today. Sad but true.  I loved how London described how he took his beatings, bided his time and waited for the right time.  Buck was constantly tested by people, canines, and the dangerous elements of Alaskan terrain. And nearly every time…he persevered.  I loved that about him.

This book was a captivating read, and what made it even more of a classic was how the author cleverly peppered the tale with dialogue from exceptional characters like François and Perrault and especially John Thornton.  My heart broke so many times reading about Buck’s trials that when he finally found salvation through John and then of course, the wild, I found the tale inexplicably brilliant.

I’m a huge dog lover and also used to have a Saint Bernard so it’s not a stretch for me to adore this book.  It has all the elements of a classic. London wrote a book from a dog’s view and delivered an authentic, lovable tale that was easily a 4.5 for me.  If you haven’t read this, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Looking for an original classic? Try a Creepy Classic and how about...London’s The Call of the Wild.

Mina B.