Rochester finally has more snow--winter wonderland, fluffy snow--and the first book that comes to mind is Jack London's haunting, "Call of the Wild". The book begins in California, but soon takes a course up to London's most favored setting for his novels and short stories: the Yukon. The harsh winter conditions and extreme amounts of snow during the Klondike Gold Rush called for a team of wolf-like dogs to pull sleds to transport men from village to village and out to the middle of nowhere so they could pan for gold. "The Call of the Wild" tells the tale of one such dog named Buck.
Buck lives a perfectly pleasant life as the beloved pet of a wealthy judge in Santa Clara, California. But when the greedy gardener steals Buck in the dead of night and sells him to pay off a debt, the once-loved pet finds himself ill-treated and quickly sold as a sled dog in Alaska. After a lethal run-in with the dog team leader, Spitz, Buck finds himself the new lead; the team is then sold to a mailman where the work is hard and the load heavy. When the dogs simply cannot pull the mail sled any longer, Buck is again sold to a threesome of nitwits who know nothing about dog sleds, the Yukon, or survival. As this fearsome trio travel along with their ill-used sled team, they meet John Thornton, who warns them of the poor condition of their dogs. They ignore him, Buck ignores them, and Thornton frees Buck. And for once, after many long months, Buck is treated well once more.
Thornton, one of many gold panners, and Buck become fast friends during the time the wasted dog is nursed back to health. As they travel together, Buck proves his strength by winning a sled-pulling bet and once rescues Thornton from a fall into a frozen river. But despite their powerful ties of friendship, the call of the wild becomes strong for Buck and he cannot resist exploring the wilderness around them and befriending a pack of wolves. Then, after returning from a night out, Buck comes back to camp to find Thornton and his friends murder by a pack of Indians. Buck avenges their deaths and then once again follows the wild's call, leaving his old life, and joining the wolves indefinitely.
London has a dark, forboding feel to his writing and unhappiness and gloom seem to seep through the pages. But his diction is enticing and his story is bold--a tale too telling to miss. London brings vividly to life the explorative, gold rush period up in the Yukon when people hurried there to find wealth and achieve their dreams. This classic novel of historic significance should be on everyone's must read list, particularly when the snow invites such an imaginative backdrop. Look for London's novel in libraries and book stores and happy reading!
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