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| The Call of the Wild (Aladdin Classics) | 
| Author: Jack London
Creator: Gary Paulsen
Publisher: Aladdin
Category: Book
List Price: $4.99
Buy New: $1.87
You Save: $3.12 (63%)
New (31) Collectible (5) from $1.87
Avg. Customer Rating:  49 reviews
Sales Rank: 3432
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.6
ISBN: 0689856741
EAN: 9780689856747
ASIN: 0689856741
Publication Date: February 1, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: 100% Brand New! - Ships Today! Identical to Amazon's book in every way. Flawless! Not a cheap Remainder or Book Club Copy! *We recommend Expedited Shipping option for much faster mail delivery
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| Customer Reviews:
 A great read with powerful messages for all ages June 10, 2008
Perhaps Jack London's most famous (and shortest) novel, THE CALL OF THE WILD is an undeniably powerful book. Its reputation as a children's book is unfortunate, as this one has something to offer readers of all ages. It is more than the simple-seeming story of a dog taken from civilization and thrust into a harsh and brutal environment, where he is forced to thrive or die, kill or be killed. It is also a story of making the best of the worst, persevering against overwhelming obstacles, living up to ones potential, and reclaiming lost heritage. The emergence of Buck's instinctual fire for life and the almost ghostly visitations from his ancestors is really a joy to read. London's ability to draw you into his stories is also much in evidence here. Even though Buck is a dog, London is able to make him into one of the most intimately knowable and lovable characters in fiction, a remarkable feat when considering the brevity of the novel. Additionally, the sometimes extreme brutality of Buck's surroundings, and the graphic nature in which London describes it, certainly indicates that children were not the intended audience for this piece.
Buck's journey in the North and his transformation into the powerful adept of the Fang and the Club makes up a tale that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to readers of any age or experience. London's message is more than the straight forward story that it usually gets credit for. If you haven't yet read it, or haven't since your childhood, pick this one up for a few hours of enjoyable reading.
The Call of the Wild is a Savage Glimpse of Nature Tooth and Nail through the eyes of a husky dog May 20, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Jack London (1876-1916)was a man of the outdoors who wrote best about nature tooth and claw. In his great novel "The Call of the Wild" he tells one of the greatest dog stories ever written.
Buck is a dog living on the California ranch of Judge Miller. He is kidnapped and shipped to the gold fields of Alaska in the 1890's. Buck was placed in a cage and beaten with savagery by a man in a red shirt in Seattle. Buck was sold to two French fur traders; fought and won a horrific battle to the death with their lead sled dog Spitz and sold to a Scottish half breed. Buck almost dies as he and the team have to travel near the Arctic Circle and Canada for over 3000 miles. The dogs are ill kept being cold, hungry and abused. Later Buck is sold to two brothers and a woman who do not know how to survive in the wild. They too abuse Buck.
Buck is rescued when he stumbles into the cabin of the kindly John Thornton who restores him to health. Thornton is killed by Indians so Buck returns to the wild where he roams freely. Buck is a strong, independent dog who learns that only the strong survive in a cruel environment.
Jack London penned the novel in 1903. He believed that in the world only those who are tough can survive against enemies. London's world is a harsh, cruel place. The story of Buck and later White Fang in another novel remind us of how difficult life can be in a merciless and hellish setting. The book also reminds us of the need to be kind to animals.
 Call of the Wild April 29, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I first read this book in junior high, and when I read it again the brutality of this book made me realize how cruel life can be. I had forgotten much of it and I was somewhat surprised how cruel this book was. Jack London uses human emotions and characteristics as he writes of Buck, the loyal, strong dog that goes from a passive life in Cailfornia to the barreness of the Alaska gold rush.
London's human characters are merely role players, cameos if you will, while the animals undergo a reverse evolutionary process from tranquil to ferocious beasts of the wild. In the end, the civilized dog, Buck, takes his rightful place at the head of a pack of wild wolves. Whether this is believable or not remains to the reader to decide, but London writes artfully and conviningly about his subject.
London lived part of what he wrote about, so the fact of the gold rush towns and personalities are true, but his dogs achieve a superior role that may or may not be really possible. Nevertheless, this truly is a gripping story and, while it is aimed at a male audience, any reader who enjoys this type of book will be rewarded with a good story.
Fantastic book! April 9, 2008
In the book, The Call Of the Wild, by Jack London, an abused dog named Buck is stolen by an evil groundskeeper named Manuel. After many struggles and challenges he is sent north to Canada were he peruses the role as a sled dog. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good dog story.
This book was one of the best books I have ever read and held it reputation throughout the whole thing. The main Theme of the book was to inform people that if you ever have problems or challenges in your life, stay strong and overcome them. This book also helped alert people that dogs are being abused everywhere and that they are living things just like us.
Buck goes through many owners, one selling him to the next and so on so forth. The new owner hurts and pushing him more then the one before. When Buck gets to his final owner, John Thornton loves Buck just as much as buck loves him. This really shows because when Buck hears the call of the wild he feels the temptation to run off and chase it, but he resists the erg simply for the love of a man. One of Bucks former owners had a very fun accent witch made the book way more fun and interesting.
In conclusion this was a great and interesting book with believable characters and a terrific story line. I would surely recommend this book to any reader of any age looking for a satisfactory book.
 Help Buck find his part the wild. April 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Call of the Wild Review
Alex
Call of the Wild is a nail biting book of thrills. It is by Jack London and was published in the late 1800s. The Call of the Wild is when a family dog named Buck is stolen from his cozy fire and sold as a sled dog. Buck must overcome harsh conditions and vicious enemies, to find his part in the wild. This book is perfect for dog lovers who need to find out the life of sled dogs. But it is easy to doze off because of the tiny print. CAUTION: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF TEN!
This story takes place during the gold rush in Alaska. The family servant steals Buck, and sells him for money for his gambling needs. Buck is trained as a sled dog to find gold. As Buck stops for a break, the sled team is stolen. Many dogs die, for the stealers don't know how to handle sled dogs. Buck is one of the few soul survivors. Finally Buck is saved by John Thornton right before he is killed. This book has good information on the Alaskan Gold Rush.
The author's addition of Spits gave the story a little more suspense. He was the bad guy in dog sense. He killed other dogs for pleasure. It shows what Buck will have to do to become the best dog in the pack. The writer's purpose was to show a life with many debates and issues and what that person has to do become a legend.
I hope my review helped you with your chose of Call of the Wild. Thanks for reading my review.
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Wildlife, nature and the Environment
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