Modern Library 88. The Call of the Wild

I Love a Good Buck
Modern Library # 88
1903, Jack London

I realize choosing the 100 greatest English Language novels of the 20th century must have been nearly impossible. Ranking them; even worse. But I can’t imagine that there are 87 books better than The Call of the Wild in any language from any century. Jack London does not employ any mind-bending allegorical allusions, symbolic metaphors, or important social commentary, but geeze, my man can write. Call is a short adventure story written, more or less, from the point of view of a bad ass dog, Buck. Moved from Southern California to the harsh gold rush in Alaska, Buck hardens and violence and power rules his world. Over time and after being passed through several handlers, he winds up with John Thornton on a sled team. Though he likes Thornton, the wild calls him and he becomes more and more feral. I’ll leave the conclusion out because if you haven’t read this book, you need to. An absolute favorite of mine in my teens, and again in my 40’s.

Hoang Rating: 9 (2004)
Steve Rating: 10 (2004)

CTMQ’s Modern Library Top 100 English Novels