White Fang (1906)

For some reason, though I had it when I was little, I never read White Fang. I think I was afraid of anthropomorphism. I figured it was going to be kind of cutesy, not really worth my time. Much as I liked Narnia and the like, in fiction based in the real world, I wanted more realism. I obviously never even started reading it. I think the book does a good job of portraying the wolf as a completely different creature from the human -- as well as a human can do without becoming a wolf for a while himself. The slow taming of White Fang seemed more or less realistic to me, and my heart was in my mouth in the last couple of pages. The book does make you care about the characters, particularly White Fang and his final master.

I was especially intrigued by the idea of wolves/dogs seeing humans as their gods. White Fang's view of his gods reminded me of the ancient Greek pantheon -- all those jealous and fighting gods, some more powerful than others...

I'm glad I finally did read this book. ( )

This review was written by my eldest daughter (who is 10, and making her debut as a goodreads reviewer):

The action-packed atmosphere and that sense of adventure make this book my number-one favorite. The book calls for a stormy day and a candle to read by.

White Fang was like a wolf in many ways, but he became more like a dog over the passage of time. When he and his mother were captured by the Native Indians in Alaska, his wolf-like rein was fading. He was bought, sold, and tormented. Only one man saw how intelligent he really was. That one man, Weedon Scott, offered White Fang a new life. White Fang began to love the caring man, and so, after he was brought to the man's mansion, he guarded the family.

(Parental note: If I knew that spending time writing reviews on goodreads would encourage my daughter to do the same, I would have started long ago.) ( )

Book I keep coming back to ( )

A classic by Jack London, White Fang could be considered the companion to London’s Call of the Wild, except in reserve. Whereas Buck from Call of the Wild finds his wild nature—White Fang finds his human love and is able to integrate into domestic life. White Fang is born in the wild to a wolf father and a half wolf mother. When he is made captive by humans, he is outcast from the other dogs because of his wildness. He learns to fight for his life. Finally, he has an opportunity to experience a new life away from the violence and savagery—but will he learn to embrace it is the question. I loved this book despite the violence and the brutality of the life led by White Fang—and the cruelty of the humans he encounters. A 4 out of 5 stars. ( )

London excels at showing the world through the eyes of an animal. That being said- it dragged. As anthropological fiction, it's great, but as a story, it leaves something to be desired. Good themes and good writing, just not much fun.