“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.”
Jack London
“The Open Road” by Hollow Coves:
“I’d rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live
a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet.”
“The Turtles of Tasman”
Jack London
“Anywhere” by Passenger (courtesy of The PopDiva93):
The Call of the Wild
JACK LONDON
1876 – 1916
Courtesy of Jack London State Historic Park:
Journalist and author John Griffith Chaney, better known as Jack London, was born on January 12, 1876, in San Francisco, California. Jack, as he called himself from a young age, was the son of Flora Wellman, an unwed mother, and William Chaney, an attorney, journalist, and pioneering leader in the new field of American astrology.
His father was never part of his life, and his mother later married John London, a Civil War veteran, who moved his family around the Bay Area before settling in Oakland.
Courtesy of Jack London State Historic Park:
Oyster pirates
Jack London grew up in a working-class environment. He carved out his own hardscrabble life as a teenager. He rode trains, pirated oysters, shovelled coal, worked on a sealing ship on the Pacific and found employment in a cannery. In his free time, he would go to a library and read.
London found fame and some fortune at the age of 27 with his novel The Call of the Wild. The success did little to soften London’s hard-driving lifestyle, A prolific writer, he published more than 50 books over the years. The one well-known is the tale of a wild dog that became domesticated, White Fang.
He also worked on other projects such as covering the Russo-Japanese war in 1904, introducing in Hearst newspapers American readers to Hawaii, and the sport of surfing, and frequently lecturing on the problems associated with capitalism.
Courtesy of Jack London State Historic Park:
In his later years, London married Bess Maddern, with whom he had two daughters, Joan and Bess. The marriage was doomed from the start as they married to have two children and not for love. After a few years, they divorced, and London married Charmian Kittredge, with whom he would be for the rest of his life. They lived happily on his ranch in California.
Courtesy of Jack London State Historic Park:
For much of the last decade of his life, London faced a number of health issues, due to his life-long problem with alcohol. This included kidney disease, which was the cause of his death on November 22, 1916.
Courtesy of Jason Weinrich:
The Call of the Wild
Like Buck, the big dog that is this book’s protagonist, the reader of The Call of the Wild is swiftly and irrevocably swept from the “sunkissed world” of its opening pages into a realm of elemental and unsparing experience. A favourite of his owner, Buck has known a placid, and even pampered life in California’s Santa Clara Valley – until the day he is dog-napped and finds himself “jerked from the heart of civilisation and flung into the heart of things primordial.”
Courtesy of 20th Century Studios:
Sold first to a man supplying sled dogs to those caught up in the Klondike gold rush of the late 1890s, and then to a pair of Canadian government couriers, Buck soon learns that, in order to survive in the hard Northland, he must submit to “the law of the club and fang.” Instincts long-dormant begin to reawaken in him, and London thrillingly depicts the process of Buck’s “decivilisation” as he acclimates himself to his alluring, impulsive new life.
Even as he develops a bond of loyalty and love with his master, John Thornton, Buck is remade by the wild into a fierce and merciless creature, eventually abandoning the world of men altogether. Answering nature’s irresistible call, he joins his wolfish brethren and is last seen running with them through the wilderness, sounding “a song of the younger world, which is the song of the pack.”
Courtesy of SceneClips HD:
That, in brief, is the story of The Call of the Wild, a book that – despite the way, its subject and style contrasted with the gentility of contemporary popular fiction – was an immediate sensation, earning Jack London’s place in the public eye as the most celebrated author of his day. A hundred years later, readers are still falling under its spell.
There have been several film and television adaptations of The Call of the Wild, most notable starring Clark Gable in 1935.
As I once wrote, wolves howling is only their heartfelt call to the motherland, the Universe, from where we all have come.
An extract from The Call of the Wild:
“One night he sprang from sleep with a start, eager-eyed, nostrils quivering and scenting, his mane bristling in recurrent waves. From the forest came the call (or one note of it, – a long-drawn howl, like, yet unlike, any noise made by husky dog. And he knew it, in the old familiar way, as a sound heard before. He sprang through the sleeping camp and in swift silence dashed through the woods.
As he drew closer to the cry he went more slowly, with caution in every movement, till he came to an open place among the trees, and looking out saw, erect on haunches, with nose pointed to the sky, a long, lean, timber wolf.
He had made no noise, yet it ceased from its howling and tried to sense his presence. Buck stalked into the open, half crouching, body gathered compactly together, tail straight and stiff, feet falling with unwonted care. Every movement advertised commingled threatening and overture of friendliness. It was the menacing truce that marks the meeting of wild beast that prey!”
“Deep River” (Traditional, Arr. Coleridge-Taylor, Kanneh-Mason), performed by The Kanneh-Mason Trio:
Courtesy of Ben Goldstein:
naturetails 
Joanna, you really did both the author and this work true justice. Great job.
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Thank you, dear Pat, for your wonderful comments, which are greatly appreciated!
Joanna x
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What an informative sharing, especially for book lovers! Good job, Joanna!
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Thank you, Indira, for your beautiful comments, which are greatly appreciated!
Joanna
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I read Call of the Wild as a young boy, which had an impact on my life. Now in my 80’s your posting is bringing back so many wonderful memories. Thank you, Joanna.
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Thank you, Kenne, for your wonderful comments, which made me very happy!
Joanna
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My pleasure, Joanna.
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Not as much, dear Pat, as is my pleasure reading your words!
Joanna x
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What an absolutely delightful post, Joanna, with so much interesting information and references to Jack London’s wonderful words, interspersed with gorgeous images, videos and music.
Once again, I can’t express how captivated I am by your great articles.
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Thank you, dear Luisa, for the wonderful comments, which made my day!
Joanna x
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When I was growing up all the boys read Jack London! I haven’t read him in years so maybe it is time to revisit. Thanks for this share!
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Thank you, Phil, so much for your wonderful comments, which are very much appreciated! You are right, Phil, time to revisit the book!
Joanna
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He left quite a legacy. It’s very sad he died so young. Your post is a great testament to him which I enjoyed very much. When I played the video of the wolves howling, the cats perked up! It is quite a sound. They are magnificent creatures. Thank you Joanna!
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Thank you so much, Carolyn, for your wonderfully amusing comments, which are much appreciated!
Joanna
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You are so very welcome my dear Joanna.
It’s always a pleasure for me to read your posts and you deserve all my praise🤗🌺
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Thank you, dear Luisa, for your kindness!
Joanna x
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🙏💕🙏
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XXX!
Joanna
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He led a colorful and eventful life, but passed away much too young. His most famous book will always find new readers, I think. Thanks for writing this interesting article.
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Thank you, Neil, for your thoughtful comments, which are much appreciated!
Joanna
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Another excellent author who created genius work and then dies too young. I recall reading this novel in school and being totally lured in by the way he told the story. Thanks for all the background info, Joanna. Have a great evening. Allan
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Thank you, Joanna! A very fascinating post! ‘The Call of the Wild’ will be added to my TBR pile!! Thanks once again, Sharon
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Thank you, Sharon, for your wonderful comments, which are greatly appreciated!
Joanna
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You are very welcome, Joanna! Great post! Have a lovely weekend!
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Thank you so much, Sharon, you are very kind!
Joanna
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Thank you, Joanna, for yet another insightful and engaging post—this time focusing on the life and works of Jack London. He was truly a prolific author, having published more than fifty books. What I find most compelling about him is his remarkable journey from a modest and difficult background to becoming an international literary celebrity.
Born to an unwed mother and raised without the support of his biological father, London faced significant personal challenges. It’s also unfortunate that his first marriage ended in failure, despite having two daughters from that union.
He struggled with alcoholism and passed away at a relatively young age. As I often say that perhaps the most gifted souls are called away early—maybe because even God seeks their company.
His classic work The Call of the Wild remains a timeless piece. The story of Buck, torn from a life of comfort and thrust into the harsh world of sled dogs, is both heart-wrenching and uplifting. I found it fascinating that the narrative unfolds from the dog’s perspective, and a powerful reminder not to mistreat animals, dogs or otherwise.
I thoroughly enjoyed this post, Joanna, as always. Thank you once again for sharing such an informative, captivating and thought-provoking piece.
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Thank you so much, Kaushal, for your wonderfully analytical comments! You are right, that many gifted people die well before their age should be, such as Ramanujan, Mozart, Chopin, London, to just mention a few. I feel that I should write about outstanding writers as many readers don’t know about them or their work. Thank you again, Kaushal, and your kind words are deeply appreciated!
Joanna
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Dear Joanna, it’s truly a pleasure to go through your well researched articles with lovely images and videos. You’re welcome, always!
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Thank you, dear Kaushal!
Joanna
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Thanks for such a great post about a writer who is as interesting as his books!
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Thank you, Diana, for your kind comments, which are greatly appreciated!
Joanna
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Jack London really lived what he wrote. And I would say Buck’s journey feels less like fiction and more like a mirror for the part of us that still longs for something wilder, truer.
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Thank you, Ritish, for the beautiful comments! Your wise words are greatly appreciated!
Joanna
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Thanks for sharing Jack Londons story and incredible thirst for learning and approaching life head on. His love of nature, people, right action and exploration is inspiring. It’s no wonder he approached life head on and left his mark on others as an incredible writer and humanitarian with his life cut so short with the insidious destruction of alcoholism. The filming was incredible. I’m going to have to go to the park. Thanks truly! 💓
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Thank you so much, Joanna, for another of yours such an insightful and engrossing post- on the life of Jack London. He was a great writer who published more than fifty books. His remarkable journey to rise from a modest background to becoming a literary celebrity was exemplary. Jack London faced significant personal challenges in life. It’s also unfortunate that his first marriage ended in failure, despite having two daughters out of that marriage.He struggled with alcoholism and passed away at a relatively young age. His classic work “The Call of the Wild” remains a timeless piece. The story of Buck, a life of change from comfort to painful job as sledge dogs is quite miserable. We must not illtreat any animal. I thoroughly relished this post, Joanna, punctuated with great videos as ever. Thank you again for sharing such an absorbing and captivating post,Joanna !Namaste !
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Thank you, Dhirendra, for your wonderfully perceptive comment, which are deeply appreciated!
Joanna
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🙏🙏🙏
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Thank you, Dhirendra. Namaste!
Joanna
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Thank you for your excellent article, Joanna! I’ve never read any of his books. I must change that.
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Thank you, Filipa, for your wonderful comments, which are greatly appreciated!
Joanna
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This is fantastic, thanks for sharing.
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Thank you for your kind comment, which is greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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