White Fang and Call of the Wild – Jack London
Back in May, I was feeling sad so I walked along the Southbank to London Bridge to go home, via the Southbank book market. As well as a copy of Love in a Cold Climate (which I no longer have), I bought a copy of White Fang and Call of the Wild. I used to have the Children’s Classics edition of White Fang as a child, one of a big set which, sadly, disappeared.
It was one of my favourite books, and re-reading it recently was very soothing, though also much more harrowing than I remembered – either some of it went over my head, or I was more accepting of it because I had nothing to compare it to. These books, along with Black Beauty, taught me a lot about cruelty and fair treatment of working animals. White Fang also – along with, a little later, Northern Lights – instilled a fascination with the far north, with the frightening nothingness, the intense darkness, the extreme cold, even though I had never been anywhere like that.
However, I was sad to notice the racism in the books – which was subtle enough that, as a child, I did not notice it at all, to the extent that I was shocked to see references to “half-breeds” and how white men were superior to Native Americans. I read this article about Jack London, about his revolutionary socialism and his violent racism, including the quote “I am first of all a white man, and only then a socialist.”. I then went on to read this, and learnt about his difficult start in life, including being kicked out of a school for doing too well, as well as his influence on other writers. But while he was undoubtedly a very interesting man, his racism is deeply upsetting and chilling, and I find it difficult to love the books quite so much as I did before.
Other categories that White Fang/The Call of the Wild fits into: a book that became a movie, a book with non-human characters, a book set in a different country, a book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit, a book from your childhood, a book with a colour in the title
I am just about finished this challenge (better speed it up since this year is almost over!); haven’t found one yet for 2016. Do you have any suggestions?
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I was planning to finish the 2015 one, but a quick google showed me that there’s a new Popsugar challenge (http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-Challenge-2016-39126431) and it looks great, so maybe I’ll do that!
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Thank you so much for the suggestion. I’m totally going to check that out!
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Are you going to blog about it, do you think?
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I am sure I will. Are you going to do the challenge and blog it also? I love sharing book ideas!
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Yes, I expect so – I find it helps me get some structure and read outside of my comfort zone, which is always good.
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I remember White Fang from the school library, but never read it or any other Jack London. That Independent article is really interesting; how odd what people get remembered for.
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So interesting, and weird.
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