The Call of the Wild

Summary

The Call of the Wild, a novel by American author Jack London published in 1903, is set in the Yukon during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, a period when strong sled dogs were in high demand.

The novel's central character is a dog named Buck, a domesticated dog living at a ranch in California as the story opens. Stolen from his home and sold into the brutal existence of an Alaskan sled dog, he reverts to atavistic traits. Buck is forced to adjust to, and survive, cruel treatments and fight to dominate other dogs in a harsh climate. Eventually he sheds the veneer of civilization, relying on primordial instincts. When one man shows him kindness, he strives to serve the man. Can he rise to the challenges he faces and once again become the master of his realm?

Jack London lived for most of a year in the Yukon collecting material for the book. The story was serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in the summer of 1903; a month later it was released in book form. The novel's great popularity and success made a reputation for the author. Much of its appeal derives from the simplicity with which London presents the themes in an almost mythical form. As early as 1908 the story was adapted to film and it has since seen several more cinematic adaptations.