He is a man capable of abandoning two sailors in an open boat, yet he is an avid and thoughtful reader of the moral philosophers. He is Wolf Larsen: captain of the seal-hunting Ghost, the unforgettable protagonist of one of the world's great sea novels. Tormented by his own convictions, Larsen is an enigma both fascinating and repellent to his reluctant crewman, Humphrey Van Weyden. Throughout their long and perilous voyage together, the captain's ruthless belief in the survival of the fittest is pitted against Van Weyden's "civilization"—a contest between two opposing views of life that demonstrates Jack London's gift for expressing complex ideas with exciting action. Together with the other stories selected for this volume, The Sea Wolf is a superb example of the genius of a writer who was, in the words of Maxwell Geismar, "the poet of the savage Darwinian struggle."
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"I grew up hearing the praises of Jack London and his writing sung by both of my parents and went to visit his "Wolf House" ruins more than once as I was growing up. His life was the stuff of legend in the Bay Area of California where I grew up. Yet I came to London's writing reluctantly. Something about his rough and tumble background and humble beginnings misled me into thinking that as a writer he was nothing more than a hack. Before reading this novel I had read The Call of the Wild and quite a few of his short stories and a biography of his life. Although The Sea Wolf does have its shortcomings, its strengths more than make up for them. London was a multi-faceted human being who channeled his considerable gifts as a writer into finely spun tales and The Sea Wolf certainly stands as the best among them. Yes London was a prolific writer who was driven to produce much of his work out of financial necessity but the elemental force and deft touch of his writing placed him in the first ranks of American writers."
— Denis (4 out of 5 stars)
“A superb piece of crafsmanship.”
— New York Herald“It is an uncommonly vigorous piece of work, admirably developed—one of the best sea tales in recent literature.”
— Boston Herald“Although American literati don’t read this adventure, it remains a masterpiece of naturalist fiction.”
— The Hungry Mind Review“Mr. Jack London has produced in The Sea Wolf...one of the strongest pieces of literature sent forth by any writer today.”
— Albany Argus, 1904" This book was strenuous to read. My boyfriend, who urged me to read it, states he loves it because it is a "great coming of age story". I think that is true as well, but the story could've been told in 50 pages vs 300, and with MUCH less descriptive writing. Also, the villain is a straight psycho. Another 'classic' down.... "
— Kate, 2/18/2014" Great book. My only complaint is Maud, who is (depending on your point of view) either horribly dated or just plain annoying. Hump had elements of dated annoyingness, but his presence was balanced by Wolf and the rest of the crew. Maud's entrance almost wrecks the book. But all in all, a great read. "
— Jim, 2/18/2014" London's hyperbole makes for a fantastic adventure. "
— Josh, 2/17/2014" Tuned out almost immediately. I got through a chapter, but just barely. "
— Julie, 2/17/2014" Read this because I had a Kirkus book that was a take-off on it. Antiquated, yes, but still delivers a punch. Wolf Larsen still stands out as a personality original, and the adventure is pretty good too. The romance subplot suffers badly from the conventions of the day, but this is still worth the time for anyone looking for adventure. "
— Monica, 2/14/2014" I liked the adventure at the end of the book, but thought it was really slow until then. Itt had good philosophy's though. Interesting to think about. "
— Theo, 2/14/2014" This is a very, very good book. Unlike Jack London's other books, this one has nothing to do with dogs or wolves, but still, a thrilling adventure. "
— Gabrielle, 2/12/2014" Starting in SF Harbor and cris crossing the Pacific, this book is equal parts philosophy, action and suspense. The first three quarters of the book are pitch perfect madness. And then a woman is brought upon the ship ...and the book turns into a flowery romance. UGH. The Hollywood ending feels tacked on and out of place with the rest of the book. Too bad most of it is very good. "
— Jason, 2/10/2014" got this at a yardsale for 25 cents, and it has inspired me in countless ways, love Jack London "
— Kevin, 2/10/2014" Wolf Larsen my kind of guy...(just kidding)...a great tale "
— Peter, 2/8/2014" Really a 3.5. This is the very facinating story of a weenie that becomes a man under the guiding hand of a mean old captain. And throw in a little love story to boot. "
— Quinn, 2/6/2014Jack London (1876–1916) was an American author, journalist, and social activist. Before making a living at his writing, he spent time as an oyster pirate, a sailor, a cannery worker, a gold miner, and a journalist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction writing. He is best known for his novels The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set during the Klondike gold rush, as well as the short stories “To Build a Fire,” “An Odyssey of the North,” and “Love of Life.” He also wrote of the South Pacific in such stories as “The Pearls of Parlay” and “The Heathen.” He was a passionate advocate of unionization, socialism, and the rights of workers and wrote several powerful works dealing with these topics, including The Iron Heel, The People of the Abyss, and The War of the Classes.
Brian Emerson is an actor and technical director with a long career in the Washington, DC, and Baltimore areas.