“The proper function of man,” he said, “is to live, not to exist.” A fascination with surviving and thriving runs through The Call of the Wild and the bulk of all London’s writing. By writing the experience of man’s best friend, the author managed to include many of the complex moral and social questions he grappled with. Telling the tale of a heroic dog named Buck, the novel is a landmark in America’s long love affair with nature writing. The story propelled London to celebrity status as a pioneer of American magazine fiction. The Call of the Wild indeed captivated the country with its fascinating portrayal of the perilous Klondike gold rush. When he died on November 22, 1916, at only 40 years old, he had lived more than most. But because his legacy has been so closely bound up with childhood reading, London’s adventurous and sometimes sordid life is much less familiar.
The author’s most enduring novel, 1903’s The Call of the Wild, remains a staple for grade school reading across the U.S. If the name Jack London rings any bells at all, it likely brings to mind vague images of huskies and sleighs.
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