White Fang (Jack London) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

27. White Fang by Jack London
      Prompt: book set in the wilderness

Synopsis:
White Fang is part dog and part wolf, and the lone survivor of his family. In his lonely world, he soon learns to follow the harsh law of the North--kill or be killed. But nothing in White Fang's life can prepare him for the cruel owner who turns him into a vicious killer. Will White Fang ever know the kindness of a gentle master?

My Review:
This is the story of White Fang, a wolf-dog, who has to survive in the wilderness. It begins from the time he was just a small pup and continues as he grows up into adulthood. I believe he was under a year old when he became the only survivor of his family. While he did learn some survival tips from his mother, White Fang had to learn most of what he knew on his own, essentially known as survival of the fittest. At times, he was by himself and at other times, he was under the watch and care of self-proclaimed owners. A couple were kind and cared about his well-being, while most were harsh and taught him to kill, as in brutal dogfighting. This is a story that asks can a wolf-dog be tamed and domesticated in a world of surviving the harsh realities of life? The answer lies in the wonderfully crafted ending.

I wasn't really expecting to like this book. The theme and plot is something I usually wouldn't read. I liked the perspective of a wild animal and how they survive in the outside world, whether that be the wilderness for wolves and bears or the ocean for whales and dolphins or anywhere else for whatever wild animal there are. There are parts that are heart-wrenching and pulled you into the story. I feel that animals are just like humans, in that sometimes they just want to be loved, which describes White Fang. Since he was part wolf, he had an instinct to attack and kill, but since he was also part dog, his other instinct was to be gentle and playful and just be loved by someone, like I just mentioned.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

The Iron Heel (Jack London) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

56. The Iron Heel by Jack London
      Theme/Topic: dystopian novel

Synopsis:

A dystopian novel about the terrible oppressions of an American oligarchy at the beginning of the Twentieth Century, and the struggles of a socialist revolutionary movement.

My Review:

Jack London wrote a dystopian book mainly to showcase his socialist views. It lacked character growth and development. Most of it was the characters arguing with each other about their opinions on government and the country's development. It was basically one character who felt different than most people and let his opinion known and instigating those arguments with everybody else. There was no real plotlines except for them strongly expressing what they thought about the events the country was going through and the decisions the government made back then. Since this is supposed to be dystopia, it isn't based on actual events (except for the San Francisco earthquake). It was very slow-moving and compared to other works by Jack London, it wasn't good quality writing like he usually wrote.

Oligarchy: the government of a few; a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤