I found the movie based on this book a while ago and was surprised when I enjoyed it immensely, so of course when I found this book at Nuggets Used Bookstore, I had to buy it. Bonus: my copy has that amazing “old book” smell! (I love how the movie and book have slightly different endings.)

Read: August 14 – August 23, 2024

Genre: Classic, Coming of Age
Audience: General
Book contains: wild animals, death, abuse, animal abuse, dog fighting, graphic depictions of violence, gore

Purchase a copy from Amazon.ca

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Such an Interesting Tale!

White Fang, three-quarters wolf and one quarter dog, grows in a world unknown to him. His high intelligence puts him planes above wild wolves and domesticated dogs, but what can he do in the face of the gods of the world: mankind?

This is a classic book that I enjoyed reading so much. I’ve always had an affinity for wolves, and this book was sort of a coming-of-age tale for White Fang, a wolf cub who goes from living in the wild to being tamed by mankind and discovering all the facets of mankind’s goodness and evil.

This book begins not with White Fang, but with two men as they encounter White Fang’s mother, who is half wolf and half dog. She is in the wild running with a pack of wolves, and from there, she has a litter of puppies, White Fang being one of them. The rest of the story follows White Fang as a third person narrator as he continues to survive the trials and tribulations of life.

I found the LibriVox audiobook for free on Spotify. There were a few different narrators, some better than others. Once again, I listened at 2x speed.

White Fang is intensely intelligent for a canine, a fact which is commented on by many other characters in the book. The narrator describes his impressions of the world, though since he is a canine, he never has any conscious thoughts or feelings (which I thought was really well done). Most of the characters in White Fang’s world are horrible and dark, but they all play a role in shaping him who he is—and it’s so fascinating to watch!

White Fang’s relationship with the wild is that of survival. He is only in the wild for a few months as a puppy, during which time he learns to trust his mother and to survive beyond his siblings, all of whom die due to famine. From there, he and his mother are taken in by a tribe of natives (who previously owned his mother) and he is given his name. His new master, Grey Beaver, is a cruel man, but he earns White Fang’s respect through his power. Another important character is Beauty Smith, whom White Fang hates with his entire being. Finally, there is kindness and love in the form of Weeden Scott (who is my favourite character in this whole book aside from White Fang himself).

The writing style is simple enough but elegant in its own way. There were some truly lyrical lines that I just had to pause on and enjoy the sound of.

The pacing of this book was excellent. While at times I wondered why some scenes were included, in the long run it all slotted together perfectly. White Fang’s life is full of twists and turns the way coming-of-age stories are, and at no point did one experience seem lesser than another. Each was vital in his development and growth.

This is an excellent book for readers who enjoy the untameable wild and/or coming of age stories (who don’t mind a bit of brutality). Though a sad tale, this book really demonstrates the harsh realities of the world and how it shapes one’s nature.

Related Reviews:

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Allaigna’s Song Book 1: Overture by J.M. Landels