On our banned books list, I put off Jack London’s The Call of the Wild for some time, as I remember it well from when I was a child.

Still, it was time.

First, a *truly* brief summary – to explain why I’m such a weenie about this book 😉

If you aren’t familiar with The Call of the Wild, it is the tale of a dog, Buck, being stolen and sold from his content domesticated life to live as a sled dog in Alaska – where many dogs are required to search for gold in the Klondike (to satisfy human greed), during which time Buck first encounters cruelty at the hands of humans and also among the animals.

Buck makes an animal best friend, Curly – and loses her to animal violence.

He will later kill the dog that killed Curly – and become the pack leader as a result.

Later, after very nearly being killed by cruel humans, Buck will be rescued by a man he loves, John Thornton – but will ultimately lose John to human violence.

Finally, after exacting revenge on those who harmed his master, he joins a pack of wolves, thus answering the “call of the wild.”

End of our brief summary.

The thing about Jack London’s writing that makes it really stellar is that it is incredibly descriptive, with vivid imagery that brings the reader right into the scene. . . of the terrible violence at times.

As he was writing with such brutal honesty about how – truly – cruel both nature and humanity can be and often are, it was an incredibly difficult ride along with Buck the Dog (as I knew it would be).

Still, this is a classic I would agree no one should miss. London’s writing is incredible. Just hold on to your. . . self. . . when you jump in. 😉

Lastly, it was banned for London’s socialist views and its “radicalism” in Yugoslavia and Italy. It was also burned in Nazi Germany for London’s political leanings.

Up next this week, I plan to share another post related to my own book as well as a regular book report with some recent good reads.

Wishing you all a great week and happy reading.

Be well, everybody. Take care of yourselves and each other.

Grace and Blessings.

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Awakening – Kate Chopin

Lady Chatterley’s Lover – D.H. Lawrence

Animal Farm – George Orwell

1984 – George Orwell

Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston

A Separate Peace – John Knowles

Lolita – Vladmir Nabokov

A Farewell to Arms – Ernest Hemingway

The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

As I Lay Dying – William Faulkner

LOTR – The Fellowship of The Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien

LOTR – The Two Towers – J.R.R. Tolkien

LOTR – The Return of the King – J.R.R. Tolkien

Cat’s Cradle – Kurt Vonnegut

In Cold Blood – Truman Capote

Song of Soloman – Toni Morrison

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

Lord of the Flies – William Golding

A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess

For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway

The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey

Beloved – Toni Morrison

The Color Purple – Alice Walker

The Call of the Wild – Jack London