looneysoysauce's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Really liked the author’s writing style and the narrator’s reading (Audrey audiobook). I found myself thinking about this book a lot when not actively listening. However the animal cruelty and death made it a very challenging listen and so I just couldn’t rate highly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Death, Racism, and Violence
spacewahine's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Racial slurs
grinchem's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
I enjoyed the read. It was interesting, and the characters were distinct. Buck's character development and voice are unusual and compelling. It has flaws, but overall my experience was positive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexism and Racism
gilnean's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Racial slurs, Murder, Blood, Death, Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Racism, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Grief, Misogyny, and Sexism
melissalemos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Violence
Moderate: Racism and Death
Minor: Racial slurs and Grief
karolinaz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Gore, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Animal death, and Colonisation
clevermird's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Installment #12 on my quest to read the great classics of Western Literary Canon, The Call of the Wild is one of several works by Jack London that deal with the Alaska Gold Rush. I read it back when I was 12 or so, but it's been quite a while since then, and I was eager to see what it brought to the table as an adult.
The book follows Buck, a not-so-ordinary pet dog who is kidnapped and sent to the Yukon as a sled dog. There, he learns how cruel the world (and people) can be, but also unlocks an inner strength and connection to his wolf ancestors that he never could have dreamed of as he passes through various masters and journeys through the wilderness.
This book was okay. The writing style is a little. . . I hesitate to say outdated, because that sounds more negative than I want it to. But it's certainly not a narrative style that is used a lot in modern writing. It's very much "tell don't show", almost as though we're being told a story rather than experiencing it with the characters. It works very well for the story they're telling, but it's a bit of a shock if you aren't expecting it.
I feel like I should have more to say about this one, but it's kind of just "there" for me. The characters are relatively well drawn for how limited the interaction with most of them (apart from Buck) is, the character arc for Buck makes sense, etc. I enjoyed reading it well enough, but I guess it just didn't connect with me.
The book follows Buck, a not-so-ordinary pet dog who is kidnapped and sent to the Yukon as a sled dog. There, he learns how cruel the world (and people) can be, but also unlocks an inner strength and connection to his wolf ancestors that he never could have dreamed of as he passes through various masters and journeys through the wilderness.
This book was okay. The writing style is a little. . . I hesitate to say outdated, because that sounds more negative than I want it to. But it's certainly not a narrative style that is used a lot in modern writing. It's very much "tell don't show", almost as though we're being told a story rather than experiencing it with the characters. It works very well for the story they're telling, but it's a bit of a shock if you aren't expecting it.
I feel like I should have more to say about this one, but it's kind of just "there" for me. The characters are relatively well drawn for how limited the interaction with most of them (apart from Buck) is, the character arc for Buck makes sense, etc. I enjoyed reading it well enough, but I guess it just didn't connect with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Kidnapping, Blood, Death, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism
Minor: Toxic relationship
actualresultsmayvary's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Spoiler
What an odd and pointless book.
It tells four totally unrelated stories which are linked only in their setting and that they vaguely involve dogs or wolves. They are also totally different lengths with one taking up over half the book and another only 18 pages.
The stories themselves are depressing, graphically gory and literally don't have a plot. They are just miserable snapshots mostly of dogs being abused but also of just general grim suffering.
There is also regular racism (as you often see in books from this time period).
It is beyond me to understand what possessed London to write and publish this book and how on earth it became a penguin classic.
The literally only saving grace of this book was that it was so short!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
sarahofstories's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
happy_introvert's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
1.5
So little happens in this book that it's hard to review without giving anything away.
Spoiler
The whole plot consists of dogs being stolen and passed from owner to owner who severely abuse the dogs and use racial epithets as dog names.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, and Racial slurs