Adventure · Animals
White Fang
Born wild in the frozen North, a wolf-dog learns the harsh laws of men and the possibility of love.
Five levels, about 80 languages
- A2ElementaryShort sentences and everyday words.
- B1IntermediateYou follow clear stories about familiar things.
- B2Upper intermediateLonger sentences, richer vocabulary.
- C1AdvancedClose to the original, lightly condensed.
- C2ProficientThe complete novel.
One purchase is one book, in one language, at one level: $4.99. Another level of a book you own is $1.99. Editions nobody has asked for yet are written on request: chapter 1 in a few minutes, the rest while you read. How the levels work.
About the book
Born in the wild
The novel opens with two men and a dog sled crossing a frozen wilderness, followed night after night by a starving wolf pack, one of the best openings London ever wrote. Out of that world comes White Fang, a cub who is part wolf and part dog. He learns the law of the wild first: eat or be eaten. Then he comes among people and learns that they have laws too, some cruel and some kind. Jack London published the novel in 1906 as a companion to The Call of the Wild, which follows a dog in the opposite direction.
Why it works for learners
Much of the book is told from inside an animal’s mind, which keeps experiences simple and strong: hunger, fear, pain, curiosity, trust. London explains everything White Fang notices and why it matters to him, so you’re never confused about what is happening. The vocabulary is the North: snow, ice, cold, wolf, den, river, camp, sled, fire. White Fang meets a series of masters, each with a clear character, which gives the book an easy shape to follow. Be ready for scenes of cruelty, especially in the second half.
Which level to start at
B1 suits most learners, and A2 works for readers who already enjoyed The Call of the Wild. The early chapters in the wild are especially strong at lower levels, because they barely depend on dialogue. At C1 and C2 you’ll get London’s full descriptions of the northern landscape, with any unfamiliar word a tap away.
Read next
- The Call of the Wild, its mirror image
- Tarzan of the Apes, a human child raised by animals
- The Jungle Book, Mowgli and the law of the jungle