Showing posts with label London Jack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London Jack. Show all posts
Thursday, December 29, 2118
Friday, February 1, 2019
The Scarlet Plague By Jack London
The story takes place in 2073, sixty years after an uncontrollable epidemic, the Red Death, has depopulated the planet. James Smith is one of the survivors of the era before the scarlet plague hit and is still left alive in the San Francisco area, and he travels with his grandsons Edwin, Hoo-Hoo, and Hare-Lip. His grandsons are young and live as primeval hunter-gatherers in a heavily depopulated world. Their intellect is limited, as are their language abilities. Edwin asks Smith, whom they call "Granser", to tell them of the disease alternately referred to as scarlet plague, scarlet death, or red death.
Smith recounts the story of his life before the plague, when he was an English professor. In 2013, the year after "Morgan the Fifth was appointed President of the United States by the Board of Magnates", the disease came about and spread rapidly. Sufferers would turn scarlet, particularly on the face, and become numb in their lower extremities. Victims usually died within 30 minutes of first seeing symptoms. Despite the public's trust in doctors and scientists, no cure is found, and those who attempted to do so were also killed by the disease. The grandsons question Smith's belief in "germs" causing the illness because they cannot be seen. |
Shortly, Smith's entire party dies out and he is left as the sole survivor. He lives for three years on his own with the company of a pony and two dogs. Eventually, his need for social interaction compels him back to the San Francisco area in search of other people. He finally discovers a sort of new society has been created with a few survivors, who have broken into tribes.
Smith worries that he is the last to remember the times before the plague. He reminisces about the quality of food, social classes, his job, and technology. As he realizes his time grows short, he tries to impart the value of knowledge and wisdom to his grandsons. His efforts are in vain, however, as the children ridicule his recollections of the past, which sound totally unbelievable to them.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
White Fang By Jack London
Hugely popular among younger readers, White Fang by Jack London was a runaway hit when it first debuted in 1906, as a serial story in the Outing magazine. Since then it continues to enjoy immense acclaim and popularity as a coming of age allegory where a nonconformist youngster is transformed into a responsible citizen.
The most appealing aspect of White Fang is that it's told from the point of view of an animal, in this case an Alaskan Husky. Like Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, White Fang also addresses ethical issues, social injustices and cruelty to our four footed friends. Set in the harsh environment of Canada's Yukon territory, White Fang tells the gripping tale of a young half breed pup, born of a wild mother who is herself half dog, half wolf. The bloody battles for survival among the denizens of this frozen land are wonderfully depicted. As a pup, White Fang and his mother, One-Eye, survive vicious attacks by other wolves and a vengeful lynx whose kittens were killed by One-Eye. Once, while roaming close to a Native Indian encampment, One-Eye is recognized by Grey Beaver, a young hunter whose dead brother had tamed her many years ago. Grey Beaver adopts the young pup and names him White Fang. At the encampment, White Fang is a misfit among the dogs and pups reared there. He turns into a vicious, resentful, aggressive and solitary rebel. Lip-lip, the leader of the dog pack relentlessly bullies and torments White Fang. Finally, Grey Beaver trades White Fang to a dog fighter, where his combative nature leads him to a successful but hazardous career. In the midst of a savage fight, White Fang is nearly killed, but a young prospector Weedon Scott intervenes. The rest of this exciting novel traces White Fang's move to sunny California and his interesting adventures there. The story, though it has an animal as the hero, is reputedly based on Jack London's own colorful life and career. As a front runner in establishing the cult of fiction written for commercial magazines, London also led an eventful life as a journalist, social activist and passionate advocate of human rights. He traveled round the world as a hobo on steamships and schooners and even joined the Klondike Gold Rush where he found rich material for his writings. White Fang is a riveting, poignant and very dramatic story that, along with its unforgettable hero, will appeal to readers of all ages. |
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
The Sea Wolf By Jack London
A maritime classic acclaimed for its exciting adventure, The Sea Wolf offers a thrilling tale of life at sea, while exploring the many difficulties that may erupt on board a ship captained by a brutally hedonistic and controlling individual. Additionally, the psychological adventure novel covers several themes including mutiny, existentialism, individualism, brutality, and the intrinsic will to survive.
The novel sets into motion when its protagonist, the soft and cultivated scholar Humphrey van Weyden, is witness to a precarious collision between his ferry and another ship. Consequently, the accident causes the ferry to sink and sets Weyden adrift in the San Francisco Bay, but before long, he is picked up by a seal-hunting vessel headed for Japan. As Weyden finds himself aboard the Ghost, he is promptly greeted by its vile captain, Wolf Larson. An autodidact sailor, Larson is presented as a pitiless and single-minded individual, who rules over his crew with the help of his extraordinary physical strength and the pure terror he emits. Accordingly, he brushes aside Weyden’s request to be taken ashore, and instead forces him into the position of cabin boy, which is accompanied by menial work and contact with the similarly brutal crew. As Weyden spends time on board the vessel, he comes to learn some of the captain’s enigmatic philosophies, which include survival of the fittest, a disregard for the human soul, an individualistic stance, and a life guided by the acquisition of pleasure alone. Left with the choice to either work or die, Weyden must endure terrifying ordeals aboard the ship, which incidentally never seem to diminish. Furthermore, he must grow from his cowardly idealistic ways if he is to even stand a chance at life among the crew, let alone escape from the grasps of the despotic Larson. London’s vivid portrayal of his most memorable character, Wolf Larson, will most definitely entice the reader to learn more about his cynical incentives and his complex set of ideas. Moreover, Larson has the strange ability to rouse sympathy from the audience with his highly defined masculinity and philosophies, which at times may just outshine his decadence. A novel certain to enthrall with it never-ending supply of action, The Sea Wolf is the perfect pick for those longing to set on a more dangerous voyage. |
Thursday, December 6, 2018
The Call of the Wild By Jack London
Call of the Wild is an emotional rollercoaster of a novel set during the late 19th century Klondike Gold Rush. The central character is Buck, an Alaskan sled dog who is forced to adjust to the cruel climate in order to survive. If you have even a remote love of dogs then you will fall head over heels in love with this book. In fact, take away the fact that Buck is a dog and the story is the same, a struggle against greed and to live a life of freedom.
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On the surface, Call to the Wild is a simple adventure story, much like London’s other works such as ‘ White Fang’ but underneath there are layers upon layers of questions and thought provoking statements that make us stand up and think about how humans can have a negative impact on nature. A book to open your mind, make you think and to connect with characters that you never thought you could talk to. Call of the Wild is an emotional rollercoaster of a novel set during the late 19th century Klondike Gold Rush. The central character is Buck, an Alaskan sled dog who is forced to adjust to the cruel climate in order to survive. If you have even a remote love of dogs then you will fall head over heels in love with this book. In fact, take away the fact that Buck is a dog and the story is the same, a struggle against greed and to live a life of freedom.
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