dandj's Full Review: Kathleen Olmstead and Jack London - White Fang: Re...
Classics once played a larger part in a child's literary development than they do now. In a world where oftentimes silly stories are mass produced, once-loved tales of the past can get lost. In an effort to remedy this situation, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. has a line of books, suitable for ages 8-12, called Classic Starts.. These very affordable volumes ($4.95 sug. retail) have beautifully illustrated hard covers and contain abridged versions of many classic stories. From what I can tell, these editions are changed both to make reading them easier and to whitewash some aspects that may upset sensitive children.
I have not yet read the original version of White Fang as told by Jack London, so I looked around at some reviews to familiarize myself with it as compared to this version by Kathleen Olmstead. What I found is a perfect example of the changes made for those sensitive readers. One reviewer mentioned the incredibly memorable opening scene where two men are dragging a coffin containing their third companion through the snow. They are met by a pack of wolves…not only do all of their sled dogs eventually succumb to the starving pack, but also one of the remaining two men. There is no mention of a third man, a coffin, or a human dying in the opening chapters of the Classic StartsWhite Fang.
What we do have is the story of the only surviving cub of a once-domesticated half-dog, half-wolf. White Fang's mother (Kiche) had belonged to an Indian prior to the famine that drove her to rejoin the wild. For some time, the two remain independent from humans, but are one day found by the brother of Kiche's former owner. The brother having died, this man now claims Kiche and White Fang as his own.
Taking a cue from his mother, White Fang tries not to be wary of the humans. Circumstances, however, will lead him to distrust and despise them. At first, White Fang will be trained by the whip to be a sled dog. While he likes the work, he is less than fond of the beatings he receives from his master. After a while, he's sold to an even harsher man who keeps him in a cage and forces him to become a dog fighter.
White Fang's life is not an easy or happy one. He has systematically lost everything he knows and loves, receiving only cruelty instead. When a human comes along that wishes to show him love and respect, it's no surprise he's not automatically willing to be taken in. Will this new man be able to repair the damage that's been done to White Fang and retrain him, or have all salvageable traces of the dog blood running through his veins been completely destroyed?
While Kathleen Olmstead's retelling of the original Jack London classic is definitely made approachable for the intended audience, the fact that it's abridged can rightfully create some controversy. This is a story of a wild animal forced to endure torture at the hands of humans. Should aspects be downplayed for sensitive readers/listeners, or is that taking away from the very essence of Jack London's book? I suppose, ultimately, that's up to the purchasing parent to decide. Maybe they will want to introduce their child to White Fang on an easier-to-swallow level then let them decide if their interest was piqued enough to read the original version later.
Quite honestly, I haven't yet decided which version my children will be listening to in the near future. We love to read books, a chapter at a time, at bedtime. I think this is an excellent story, and I will be looking for the original very soon. I'm certain my eleven-year-old son will have no problem with it. My seven-year-old daughter, though, is a very sensitive child when it comes to animals being hurt. That's something I will have to take into consideration when I read Jack London's book for myself.
I've a feeling Olmstead did a good job of covering the basics of White Fang's life . . . the difficulty being born during a famine, mistreatment by humans, and the patience one must have when attempting to gain his trust. I do believe, though, that there is perhaps more of his story that we're not getting in this volume. From the reviews I read preparing for this, I think that--just as with the Classic Starts "Anne of Green Gables," the original ending was cut off to give a more "Disney-esque" ending. A sort of "we're going to leave things here and let you imagine the rest" type of thing. I cannot be certain quite yet, but I'll know soon.
To be fair, I must say that, based on its own merits, this White Fang is still a very good book. Obviously, I wouldn't have known it was abridged if I hadn't been told, and it succeeds on the levels it's meant to cover. Does it introduce a classic to a younger audience? Yes. Is it presented in a way that makes reading it approachable and fun rather than overwhelming? Again, yes. It's 25 chapters cover 144 pages. This is certainly a doable size, and it doesn't contain a pretentious vocabulary.
Black-and-white illustrations by Dan Andreasen are sprinkled sparingly throughout the pages. They are not high in detail and don’t do much more than add a little visual break here and there, but they are a nice touch.
Most importantly, there are a series of questions following the final chapter that will, hopefully, spark some interesting discussion without feeling too much like a pop quiz. It is stated that there are no wrong answers. They are included simply to inspire new outlooks on the story.
Now that I've presented the facts as I see them, the decision is yours whether you will be interested in this particular book . . . or this series. In case you'd like to look for more, though . . .
Note: This review has been submitted as a part of the FightIlliteracy Write-Off hosted by two amazing epinions members - hadassahchana and dramastef. Please join the fight.
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