The Call of the Wild

The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1903)

Buck, a domesticated dog stolen from a California estate and sold into the Yukon gold rush as a sled dog, gradually sheds civilization and answers the primal call of the wild. A brutal, beautiful novella about survival and the animal nature within us all.

Historical Significance:
Jack London wrote The Call of the Wild in just 30 days in 1903, drawing on his own experience in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98. Published first in the Saturday Evening Post, it was an immediate sensation. London sold the book rights for just $2,000 — he later called it the worst business decision of his life, as the novel became one of the bestselling American books of the 20th century. At age 27, London became the highest-paid author in America. The novel is credited with helping establish the Yukon as a mythic landscape in American imagination.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1903. Free to read and share.