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shailendraahangama17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
smkingsland's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jamesvw's review against another edition
4.0
I've been reading this over the past few months - London is masterful at drawing the reader into the mind of his characters, especially when expressing desperation or the descent into madness as so many of his subjects, more often than not lost in the wilds of Alaska. It is hard not to feel the freezing cold, the pangs of hunger, the desire for warmth and comfort that his subjects crave. However the story that stuck out to me the most is titled "The Mexican", oddly enough a boxing story and takes place during the Mexican revolution. As leftist as London was, this is the only one that feeds upon his politics and the raw anger seethes through the story. I would recommend tracking down that story in particular - though most of the rest are not to be missed either if you enjoy the short story art form.
tommlachance's review against another edition
3.0
The simple stories in this collection are the highlights. To Build A Fire, A Piece of Steak, Love of Life, etc. are all concise, exciting reads. The more complicated ones, the tales with more threads running through them, tended to be a bit clumsy and the writing felt loose, or looser, at the very least. An Odyssey of the North and The Wit of Porportuk stand out in this regard.
Throughout both types of story London really excels at describing the environment and it's effects on people. Basic effects, like cold and heat, as well as more abstract ones like age and hunger. I think the reason his longer stories wither is because he moves away from this type of writing into territory he does not move through so well. When the motivations of his characters go beyond just longing for relief from the cold or heat, from age or from hunger, he stumbles.
Still, this is a collection worth reading.
Throughout both types of story London really excels at describing the environment and it's effects on people. Basic effects, like cold and heat, as well as more abstract ones like age and hunger. I think the reason his longer stories wither is because he moves away from this type of writing into territory he does not move through so well. When the motivations of his characters go beyond just longing for relief from the cold or heat, from age or from hunger, he stumbles.
Still, this is a collection worth reading.
alexanderhagen8's review against another edition
3.0
DNF at 60%
If this is a collection of his best short stories, I have no need to go and read through any of his other short story work. To Build a Fire was the best of what I read, and the rest were just interesting enough to finish. He loved his realistic fiction giving images of an actual life lived, rather than crazy event filled stories.
He definitely employs racist terms and discusses non-white people as lesser than. Even his story with a man (The Heathen) becoming BEST friends with a “heathen” (also a VERY queer story), he is constantly holding the man as a lesser part and uses the Black man as a way to keep the white man alive in the end. Not overtly racist, but racist nonetheless.
A man writing for men, that is how I felt after reading each story.
Not horrible stories by any means, but nothing I’m writing home about.
If this is a collection of his best short stories, I have no need to go and read through any of his other short story work. To Build a Fire was the best of what I read, and the rest were just interesting enough to finish. He loved his realistic fiction giving images of an actual life lived, rather than crazy event filled stories.
He definitely employs racist terms and discusses non-white people as lesser than. Even his story with a man (The Heathen) becoming BEST friends with a “heathen” (also a VERY queer story), he is constantly holding the man as a lesser part and uses the Black man as a way to keep the white man alive in the end. Not overtly racist, but racist nonetheless.
A man writing for men, that is how I felt after reading each story.
Not horrible stories by any means, but nothing I’m writing home about.
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