This is a beautifully written book from the perspective of a dog, Buck, who is stolen from a comfortable home environment, and made to work on sleds in the cold north of Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush. Buck passes through a series of different owners, who treat him with a range of care and neglect - each resulting in Buck learning harsh lessons of the wild world in which he finds himself.
The story plots Buck’s slow and inexorable transition towards his instinctive wild side. The writing is poetic but also succinct, bringing the environments alive, and giving a real sense of place and emotion. This is a short book, but very powerful, with a strong sense of engagement with Buck, bringing the reader along as each layer of civilisation is stripped away, with an ending that was both satisfying and approriate.
My rating: ★★★★☆
No comments:
Post a Comment