Darlene's Book Nook: #Audiobook #Review: 5 out of 5 stars for White Fang by Jack London #JackLondon @BlackstoneAudio

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 5 out of 5 stars for White Fang by Jack London #JackLondon @BlackstoneAudio

TITLE: White Fang

AUTHOR: Jack London

NARRATOR: John Lee
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

PUBLICATION DATE: October 24, 2007 (first published 1906)

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 7 hrs and 53 mins

GENRE: Classic, Historical Fiction

ASIN: B000Y1JKQK

White Fang is part dog and part wolf, and the lone survivor of his family. In his lonely world, he soon learns to follow the harsh law of the North--kill or be killed. But nothing in White Fang's life can prepare him for the cruel owner who turns him into a vicious killer. Will White Fang ever know the kindness of a gentle master?

MY REVIEW:

Wow, this book!! I'm can't believe that it's taken me so long to read this classic, and I'm very surprised that I never read it in school. It's fantastic!!

The majority of the story is set in the Yukon Territory during the time of the Klondike Gold Rush. The main figure in the story is White Fang, whose momma is Kiche (half dog and half wolf) and One Eye (full wolf). White Fang is the only survivor to Kiche's litter. She returns with her pup to her master, who lives in a native village. Gray Beaver is a cruel man, who beats the pup whom he names White Fang into submission and obedience. Because of how he is raised, White Fang becomes vicious but ever loyal to Gray Beaver (oh, how that irks me!). White Fang is constantly attacked by other wolves in the village, especially one named Lip-lip. Later in the fall, the camp packs up and moves onward in search of more food. White Fang hides in the bushes, and the tribe moves on without him. Ironically, White Fang is so bereft at being left behind that he follows their scent and catches back up with them. He actually returns to his cruel master, which I found so incredibly sad.

Another man, Beauty Smith, has his eye on White Fang and wants him for himself. He introduces whiskey to Gray Beaver, and soon he becomes addicted to the alcohol and is willing to trade White Fang for more booze.

Things go from bad to worse for poor White Fang, who doesn't recognize Beauty Smith as his new master. He keeps running away from Beauty Smith and returning to Gray Beaver, and Beauty Smith keeps beating White Fang more and more violently until he finally gives up and stops trying to run away. Then, Beauty Smith puts White Fang into fights with other wolves, dogs, and even a lynx. These death-matches would have finished him off, if not for the kindness of a man named Weedon Scott, who intervened in one of the matches and tells Beauty Smith that he will buy White Fang from him. He offers him a decent sum of money, and his demand is not negotiable. He rescues White Fang, and he tries to gain his trust and tame him. Eventually, White Fang lets Weedon Scott pet him which is something that he's never experienced. Gray Beaver and Beauty Smith used their hands to harm and hurt White Fang. He's never known kindness and gentleness, and White Fang grows to love Weedon Scott.

When Weedon Scott goes on a trip, he leaves White Fang in the care of his friend and dog musher, Matt. However, White Fang only wants what he refers to as his love-master. He stops eating and starts moping. If Scott didn't return, White Fang would have surely died. This brings about another dilemma, because Scott's time in the Yukon is finished. He is going to return to California, and he intended to leave White Fang behind but the wolf would not hear of it. He actually escaped from the locked cabin by jumping through the window and runs to the steamboat to find his master, and then Scott realizes that he cannot leave White Fang behind. He takes him home, and Scott's family is worried about how this wolf is going to adapt to city life. The ending is a happy one, which White Fang so richly deserved!

Narrator John Lee is amazing! I love the timbre of his voice, and I could not stop listening!! This classic is a wonderful story in and of itself, but Lee took it to the next level like any great narrator will do and made it unputdownable! I just loved this audiobook, and I rarely re-read books but this one will be one of the select few that is going to be a long-time favourite that I will read again and again. Here is a sample of the narration:

MY RATING: