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Apr 05, 2018ryner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Abducted from his comfortable home in sunny California to satisfy the manic demand for sled dogs, Buck is carted off to Alaska at the height of Alaskan Gold Rush fervor. Though this new environment is unlike anything he has experienced previously, he's somehow able to call upon his ancient lupine heritage and instinct and adapt surprisingly readily to the life of a working dog in the cold north, passed off from handler to handler, some foolish and cruel and others caring and kind. I first read 'The Call of the Wild' in fourth grade, and I suspect that some of the vocabulary and nuances went over my head at the time, so I'm glad I picked it up again. Though there are some admittedly problematic themes viewing through a modern lens (animal cruelty, for one), at its core it is a thrilling tale of adventure from another more exotic time and place.