Love of Life and Other Stories
by Jack London
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Although best known as a master of the action-adventure genre, Jack London's interests were wide-ranging, and the topics he addressed in his prodigious body of work varied significantly, as well. In this engaging collection of tales, London spans the gamut between romance, exploration of unknown lands, and much in between..
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"'Look you,' he said; 'you are a painter-man. How would you paint this which I saw, a picture without beginning, the ending of which I do not understand, a piece of life with the northern lights for a candle and Alaska for a frame.'"
I used to think there was something corny about Jack London (all those dog stories!) but he has more range than I give him credit for. Some of these are pure survivalist stories, and that's certainly what he's most famous for, but he's also skilled at writing about the relationships between men and women, whites and natives. London's world is impossibly big and small at the same time: even on the loneliest trail in the endless frozen hellscape of Yukon Country, a man may encounter a former lover; a beloved show more sled-dog may be found thousands of miles away from home on a chance visit to Southern California. Several of the stories are framed as travelers telling stories over a fire as temperatures dip to 50 below, furthering the feeling of a marriage between realism and fable.
recommended: The Sun-Dog Trail, The White Man's Way
3.5 stars. (Kinda get the impression that London is a misogynist, tbh.) show less
I used to think there was something corny about Jack London (all those dog stories!) but he has more range than I give him credit for. Some of these are pure survivalist stories, and that's certainly what he's most famous for, but he's also skilled at writing about the relationships between men and women, whites and natives. London's world is impossibly big and small at the same time: even on the loneliest trail in the endless frozen hellscape of Yukon Country, a man may encounter a former lover; a beloved show more sled-dog may be found thousands of miles away from home on a chance visit to Southern California. Several of the stories are framed as travelers telling stories over a fire as temperatures dip to 50 below, furthering the feeling of a marriage between realism and fable.
recommended: The Sun-Dog Trail, The White Man's Way
3.5 stars. (Kinda get the impression that London is a misogynist, tbh.) show less
These are the first short stories by London I have read, and have to say, better than the novels. They are well structured, rewarding and feel flawless. According to some critics, the short story is London's natural genre.
The title story and one of his best known. It is based on a non-fiction piece by another author. London was accused on plagiarism but he said it was only the inspiration for the story. "A Day's Lodging" uses a trope (TVTropes: Battle Trophy) also found in the 2015 Pulitzer Prize play Between Riverside and Crazy where in both cases the protagonist is wronged, takes money from a couple as a bribe to stay quiet, humiliating the woman, then throws the money away regaining the moral high ground - eerily similar plot device. show more "Brown Dog" is often considered the other great story from this collection along with the title piece, it's pretty good, but a bit Lassie. The Indian stories are interesting as he attempts to show another POV of the world. My favorite stories are the three mentioned and "The Unexpected" for it's depiction of trauma. show less
The title story and one of his best known. It is based on a non-fiction piece by another author. London was accused on plagiarism but he said it was only the inspiration for the story. "A Day's Lodging" uses a trope (TVTropes: Battle Trophy) also found in the 2015 Pulitzer Prize play Between Riverside and Crazy where in both cases the protagonist is wronged, takes money from a couple as a bribe to stay quiet, humiliating the woman, then throws the money away regaining the moral high ground - eerily similar plot device. show more "Brown Dog" is often considered the other great story from this collection along with the title piece, it's pretty good, but a bit Lassie. The Indian stories are interesting as he attempts to show another POV of the world. My favorite stories are the three mentioned and "The Unexpected" for it's depiction of trauma. show less
C’est rude, froid, violent et sans pitié… ça met des frissons dans tout le corps et même au soleil il faut des mitaines pour lire ces nouvelles qui glacent les âmes.
Et c’est beau aussi. Car il faut l’aimer la vie pour s’y accrocher ainsi face aux loups, aux hommes et aux conditions impitoyables de l’Alaska. Et ne jamais lâcher prise. Même devant la mort, se relever et marcher encore !
Et c’est beau aussi. Car il faut l’aimer la vie pour s’y accrocher ainsi face aux loups, aux hommes et aux conditions impitoyables de l’Alaska. Et ne jamais lâcher prise. Même devant la mort, se relever et marcher encore !
Nov 8, 2020 (Edited)French
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The Works of Jack London
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One of the pioneers of 20th century American literature, Jack London specialized in tales of adventure inspired by his own experiences. London was born in San Francisco in 1876. At 14, he quit school and became an "oyster pirate," robbing oyster beds to sell his booty to the bars and restaurants in Oakland. Later, he turned on his pirate show more associates and joined the local Fish Patrol, resulting in some hair-raising waterfront battles. Other youthful activities included sailing on a seal-hunting ship, traveling the United States as a railroad tramp, a jail term for vagrancy and a hazardous winter in the Klondike during the 1897 gold rush. Those experiences converted him to socialism, as he educated himself through prolific reading and began to write fiction. After a struggling apprenticeship, London hit literary paydirt by combining memories of his adventures with Darwinian and Spencerian evolutionary theory, the Nietzchean concept of the "superman" and a Kipling-influenced narrative style. "The Son of the Wolf"(1900) was his first popular success, followed by 'The Call of the Wild" (1903), "The Sea-Wolf" (1904) and "White Fang" (1906). He also wrote nonfiction, including reportage of the Russo-Japanese War and Mexican revolution, as well as "The Cruise of the Snark" (1911), an account of an eventful South Pacific sea voyage with his wife, Charmian, and a rather motley crew. London's body broke down prematurely from his rugged lifestyle and hard drinking, and he died of uremic poisoning - possibly helped along by a morphine overdose - at his California ranch in 1916. Though his massive output is uneven, his best works - particularly "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang" - have endured because of their rich subject matter and vigorous prose. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Original publication date
- 1907
- Disambiguation notice
- This work refers to the book Love of Life and Other Stories (originally 1907, and published in the UK with the title Love of Life). It contains the stories: 'Love of Life', 'Brown Wolf', 'A Day's Lodging', 'The ... (show all)White Man's Way', 'The Story of Keesh', 'The Unexpected', 'The Sun-Dog Trail' and 'Negore, the Coward'. It should not be confused with the book entitled Love of Life and Other Stories (London: Paul Elek, 1946) which contains a different selection of stories and an introduction by George Orwell. Please do not combine with other titles of the same name unless they refer to this particular work.
Text below is a placeholder, until correct separation can take place.
This work refers to the book Love of Life and Other Stories (London: Paul Elek, 1946) which contains an introduction by George Orwell and the following stories: 'Love of Life', 'Chun Ah Chun', 'The Mexican', 'Mapuhi', 'Mauki', 'The Seed of McCoy', 'The Apostate', 'Just Meat', 'The Chinago', 'Make Westing', 'Semper Idem', 'A Nose for a King', 'The "Francis Spaight"', 'A Piece of Steak', and 'The Feathers of the Sun'. Please do not combine with other titles of the same name unless they refer to this particular work.
This work refers to the book Love of Life and Other Stories of Excitements and Romance (New York: Scholastic, 1971). It includes the stories: ‘Love of Life’, ‘The Sheriff of Kona’, ‘The White Man's Way’, ‘The Wife of a King’, ‘The Story of Keesh’, ‘All Gold Canyon’, ‘A Nose for the King’, and ‘Brown Wolf’. Please do not combine with other titles of the same name unless they refer to this particular work.
1406877379 : 91pp : the original text of eight stories.
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