Episode 51: The Call of the Wild

We are talking about Jack London’s The Call of the Wild (1903), a book about a dog named Buck, his manly adventures on the frontier, and his tragic love affair with a guy named John Thornton whose hand he likes to chew on. Because he is a dog. Fortunately, that didn’t stop Jack London from narrating this tale entirely from Buck's point of view! We talk about how violent, erotic, and racist this novel is and then engage in some sport of our own to determine who will be crowned the Big Dog of the podcast.

We read the Oxford Edition, edited by Earle Labor. If you can’t get enough of London, check out The Book of Jack London (1921), by Charmian Kittredge London. It includes not one but two chapters titled “Tramping,” so you know it’s good.

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @betterreadpod, and email us nice things at [email protected]. Find Tristan on Twitter @tjschweiger, Katie @katiekrywo, and Megan @tuslersaurus.