Thankfully this combination book allows for the freedom to read both if one desires, and cheaply. I would only recommend White Fang to those interested in more from London and have already read the former first. I would recommend The Call Of The Wild to anyone interested in classical literature or animal-centric books. The former is a solid 4 star piece, the later 3 stars, but half stars aren't a thing here. The later is somewhat less impressive as White Fang is quite repetitive which can be dull and bothersome, especially when accompanying such as masterpiece as The Call Of The Wild. White Fang as noted is the inverse following a wolf-dogs journey into becoming mans best friend. The Call Of The Wild is a touted classic for a reason and explores the journey of a domestic dog (from it's prospective) into, well, the wild. It's a good value if you want to read both classics, although the former is a stronger piece than the later. This contains both The Call Of The Wild and its FOIL, White Fang. A good choice for an Alaska top 10 list, and an important reflection on the boundaries between, and the conditions conducive to, both civilization and the law of the wild. London's writing and keen powers of observation set this book apart. That reinforcement of Alaska's hard and harsh realities was the second lesson of this book. The uncivilized treatment of Buck is a reflection on the time he lived and the place - Alaska, then as now, comes off as a thin margined, raw and real place of testing, where the rules are harsh and toughness is required. Two things stood out to me the treatment of animals seen as normative in this story reflects the world of the early 20th century, when all power was primarily horse power, and animals were thought of (and treated like) machines.
As I type this, it sounds a bit cheesy, but I actually found this a good book to think with. This where he ends the story, an Ur dog in an Ur pack somewhere between the reality of the Alaskan wilderness and the primordial world of the first hominids. In the process of becoming a survivor in a true dog eat dog world, he exchanges civility for his inner wolf, and but for the love he finally shares with one human, he would ling since have answered the call of the wild and "returned" to his wolf pack. I read this because it made a list of "Top Ten Books About Alaska." A turn of the 20th century story about a civilized California dog named Buck, who is stolen from civilization and transported to Alaska to be used as a sled dog during the Klondike Gold Rush.
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