Travel to Polar Regions

The Sea Wolf

Format: Mass Market Paperback
Author: Jack London
ReleaseDate: 01 April, 1984
Publisher: Bantam Classics
Rating:

Unique Classic
It's ironic that because of his dog-centric books that he is often written off as a children's author. Jack London was one of the greatest authors America has ever known. I once made the mistake of taking a collection of his short stories on a vacation. Great stories, but among the most depressing, violent, cruel concepts ever put to paper. A poor fit with frozen drinks and palm trees.

The Sea Wolf is one of my favorite books largely on the basis of the villian, Wolf Larsen. He stands unique among villians in that he is huge, powerful, intelligent, ambitious, aggressive, with no muzzle of a conscience. He is omnipotent. Absolute power corupting absolutely. He is not a dumb brute that our intellectual hero outwits or outworks. Were it not for the peripheral factors of his even more destructive brother, or his failing health, he would have remained the master of his domain. I would expect that this Alpha male nature of Larsen that led London to name him Wolf.
One of the biggest casting crimes ever committed by Hollywood was the casting of E. G. Robinson as Wolf and then remaking it with Bronson many years later (apparently based on having watched the original movie without really understanding the book). .

Wolf Larsen's Lead Poisoning?

. For those modern readers who find the second half of the book unsatisfactory, I ask you to ponder the following: Was Jack London inspired by the real-life characters of Sir John Franklin and Lady Jane (Griffin) Franklin and the events of the 1840's relating to the doomed expedition of the Canadian Northwest Passage? Were Wolf Larsen's headaches, psychological state, numbness, tingling and weakness symptoms of lead poisoning from the solder that sealed the Ghost's tinned food supply? Was Jack London trying to show Victorians how to survive in life-and-death situations instead of making the same mistakes as Franklin's well-read, materialistic crew who refused to give up their silver plates and crystal decanters after they were shipwrecked? Was London trying to show that even physical weakness, inexperience and lack of skill can all be overcome by cool-headed decision making, and an ability to adapt to novel and challenging situations?

Wikipedia was used as a source contributing to the ideas expressed in this review.

My favorite Jack London book
Just buy this book it's amazing. Don't read any other reveiws it will ruin it for you.

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