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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
"Para mi aquello era el fin del mundo, de mi mundo"
La Peste Escarlata es una novela corta del escritor norteamericano Jack London y publicada en 1912.
Lo leí de una edición digital que incluyen los cuentos La leyenda de Jess Uck, Hombres que creen, Una lejana destilería y Oro abundante. La novela se lee prácticamente de un tirón debido a la sencillez de la prosa.
Mis notas completas en my link text
La Peste Escarlata es una novela corta del escritor norteamericano Jack London y publicada en 1912.
Lo leí de una edición digital que incluyen los cuentos La leyenda de Jess Uck, Hombres que creen, Una lejana destilería y Oro abundante. La novela se lee prácticamente de un tirón debido a la sencillez de la prosa.
Mis notas completas en my link text
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was alright. London has a Darwinian view of history, which leads to false assumptions about the culture and morals of man.
So somehow I had no idea Jack London had written a dystopian story.
I suppose it is more "post-apocalyptic" than "dystopian," strictly, but the line has always been a bit fluid to me.
The "scarlet plague" itself is actually scarier than most of the imagined diseases that destroy mankind, mostly because of how quickly it kills. Watching it destroy civilization was kind of terrifying, and the aftermath of things was not pretty. The speed with which the modern world became completely unimaginable to the next generation made sense, but was awful to watch.
I also kind of hated most of the younger generation, because they were horrible little monsters, but that's neither here nor there.
The whole story does feel very Jack London simply because we are looking at a "man versus nature, nature wins" scenario, but the wider focus (and, let me be honest, the whole "end of the world" bit) drew me in a bit more. It's still hardly what I would call "cheerful" (am I the only one for whom "To Build a Fire" was a turning-point in childhood reading?), but it is fascinating reading and something I actually wish I had been aware of before I pigeon-holed Jack London into the "cold + dogs + depressing" category. He is apparently quite capable of more than that.
I suppose it is more "post-apocalyptic" than "dystopian," strictly, but the line has always been a bit fluid to me.
The "scarlet plague" itself is actually scarier than most of the imagined diseases that destroy mankind, mostly because of how quickly it kills. Watching it destroy civilization was kind of terrifying, and the aftermath of things was not pretty. The speed with which the modern world became completely unimaginable to the next generation made sense, but was awful to watch.
I also kind of hated most of the younger generation, because they were horrible little monsters, but that's neither here nor there.
The whole story does feel very Jack London simply because we are looking at a "man versus nature, nature wins" scenario, but the wider focus (and, let me be honest, the whole "end of the world" bit) drew me in a bit more. It's still hardly what I would call "cheerful" (am I the only one for whom "To Build a Fire" was a turning-point in childhood reading?), but it is fascinating reading and something I actually wish I had been aware of before I pigeon-holed Jack London into the "cold + dogs + depressing" category. He is apparently quite capable of more than that.
The rise of Covid-19 apparently led to an increase in appetite in post-apocalyptic fiction. It is not at all clear why some readers seek comfort or pleasure in reading about fictional catastrophes in the middle of a very real one. In my case, I think that what led me to seek some post-apocalyptic fiction was an attempt to build a fictional barrier between me as a reader and what the world is going through right now. Rather contradictorily, I felt that the ability of contemplating absolutely “worst-case scenarios” through fiction made me better prepared to face the daily barrage of pandemic news.
And so it was that I came across Jack London’s early post-apocalyptic novella The Scarlet Plague. Originally published in 1912, this work is set in 2073, sixty years after a deadly epidemic ravaged the world. James Smith, an erstwhile literature professor and one of the few survivors of the disease, lives in a wild, rural area close to what was once San Francisco. After the collapse of society because of the plague, those who escaped the disease reverted to tribalism. For their subsistence, they rely on hunting and fishing. At the start of the story we meet Smith accompanied by his three grandchildren. He wistfully reminisces about better times, continually bemoaning the fact that the new generations have lost the learning of the past, regressing so far that they are unable to string together sentences in “proper” English. At the children’s insistence, Smith, whom they call “Granser” with a mixture of affection and scorn, recounts the horrors of the epidemic and the early days of the new world order.
I must say that the intial parts of the novella did not particularly impress me. Before he gets going with the core of the story, London needs to give us some background, hence the initial chapters emphasizing the contrast between the old “cultured” man and the young uneducated “savages”. To be honest, however, I found their bickering rather tiresome. Also, as is wont to happen with old “futuristic” novels, the author’s imagining of the “developed world” of 2013 is, with hindsight, quite off the mark, with a description of a future that is more or less like 1912 with extra perks.
It is when we get to the story of the pandemic proper that the novella comes into its own. Here London gives his imagination free rein, and the descriptions of the rapid spread of the disease provoke spine-tingling horror. So does his portrayal of a society in collapse. In the context of a disaster, normal rules of humanity break down and the class inequalities inherent in an unfair and unjust societies merely exacerbate the regression into chaos.
Although I wouldn’t classify it as one of London’s best or most typical works, this novella is worth exploring at least for its historical interest. Unfortunately, it also provides some timely reading.
Read a full illustrated review at: https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-scarlet-plague-by-jack-london.html
And so it was that I came across Jack London’s early post-apocalyptic novella The Scarlet Plague. Originally published in 1912, this work is set in 2073, sixty years after a deadly epidemic ravaged the world. James Smith, an erstwhile literature professor and one of the few survivors of the disease, lives in a wild, rural area close to what was once San Francisco. After the collapse of society because of the plague, those who escaped the disease reverted to tribalism. For their subsistence, they rely on hunting and fishing. At the start of the story we meet Smith accompanied by his three grandchildren. He wistfully reminisces about better times, continually bemoaning the fact that the new generations have lost the learning of the past, regressing so far that they are unable to string together sentences in “proper” English. At the children’s insistence, Smith, whom they call “Granser” with a mixture of affection and scorn, recounts the horrors of the epidemic and the early days of the new world order.
I must say that the intial parts of the novella did not particularly impress me. Before he gets going with the core of the story, London needs to give us some background, hence the initial chapters emphasizing the contrast between the old “cultured” man and the young uneducated “savages”. To be honest, however, I found their bickering rather tiresome. Also, as is wont to happen with old “futuristic” novels, the author’s imagining of the “developed world” of 2013 is, with hindsight, quite off the mark, with a description of a future that is more or less like 1912 with extra perks.
It is when we get to the story of the pandemic proper that the novella comes into its own. Here London gives his imagination free rein, and the descriptions of the rapid spread of the disease provoke spine-tingling horror. So does his portrayal of a society in collapse. In the context of a disaster, normal rules of humanity break down and the class inequalities inherent in an unfair and unjust societies merely exacerbate the regression into chaos.
Although I wouldn’t classify it as one of London’s best or most typical works, this novella is worth exploring at least for its historical interest. Unfortunately, it also provides some timely reading.
Read a full illustrated review at: https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-scarlet-plague-by-jack-london.html
The Scarlet Plague is one of the first books in a now-saturated genre of post-apocalyptic fiction. First published in 1911, this book still has the power to make you think about what would happen if there was a plague that would wipe out the biggest part of humanity.
Jack London has created a very readable novella that is interesting and easily accessible. I quite liked the story, the way an old grandfather (an original survivor of the Scarlet Plague) tells what happened sixty years ago to his grandchildren.
My biggest problem with The Scarlet Plague is that I strongly disagree with Mr London's vision of the world. He believes in a scale of development, with primitive cultures at the bottom and modern Western society at the top. He assumes that after being "set back" down the ladder, mankind will go back to prehistoric forms of culture. Within two generations, even English language will have decayed into guttural groans. In my opinion this would take a LOT longer. I believe that children are formed by the education of their parents, so after two generations with their grandfather still alive, I think they'll speak English just fine. After a while their dialect might evolve into some other language, but it's completely unbelievable for me that American people would turn into "savages" so quickly.
Anthropological issues aside, once the narrative turned to the final weeks of modern life, I was very engaged. The Scarlet Plague is a short read, and was perfect on a train ride home.
Jack London has created a very readable novella that is interesting and easily accessible. I quite liked the story, the way an old grandfather (an original survivor of the Scarlet Plague) tells what happened sixty years ago to his grandchildren.
My biggest problem with The Scarlet Plague is that I strongly disagree with Mr London's vision of the world. He believes in a scale of development, with primitive cultures at the bottom and modern Western society at the top. He assumes that after being "set back" down the ladder, mankind will go back to prehistoric forms of culture. Within two generations, even English language will have decayed into guttural groans. In my opinion this would take a LOT longer. I believe that children are formed by the education of their parents, so after two generations with their grandfather still alive, I think they'll speak English just fine. After a while their dialect might evolve into some other language, but it's completely unbelievable for me that American people would turn into "savages" so quickly.
Anthropological issues aside, once the narrative turned to the final weeks of modern life, I was very engaged. The Scarlet Plague is a short read, and was perfect on a train ride home.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A short novella covering, mostly, a retelling of the big collapse, the scarlet plague.
It's not much, and to some extent it's unfinished: the editor shoudl have sent it back for more workd.
It's ok.
It's not much, and to some extent it's unfinished: the editor shoudl have sent it back for more workd.
It's ok.
Interesting to read an apocalyptic novel written in 1912, about the apocalypse in 2013. However, it managed to be slow moving for such a short novella, and I found it difficult to have any sympathy for our main character as he accounts his time during the plague.
This is probably because he rambles on so mightily about he was a great man of learning who was of good breed etc etc... meanwhile the working class are described as slaves who descended into brutishness, drink and lechery as soon as the shit hit the fan, causing havoc while the university folk valiantly batten down the hatches.
Not for me I'm afraid!
This is probably because he rambles on so mightily about he was a great man of learning who was of good breed etc etc... meanwhile the working class are described as slaves who descended into brutishness, drink and lechery as soon as the shit hit the fan, causing havoc while the university folk valiantly batten down the hatches.
Not for me I'm afraid!
Blog Review found here - http://geekpronblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/review-of-scarlet-plague-by-jack-london.html