The Sea-Wolf (Oxford World's Classics) - Softcover

London, Jack

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192838253 ISBN 13: 9780192838254

Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks, 2000

Synopsis

Published in 1904, and drawing on London's own experience on board a sealing ship, The Sea-Wolf describes the struggle between the civilized and the pagan, between the values of the ruthless sea-captain, Wolf Larsen, and the moral, literary Humphrey Van Weyden. One of his most popular novels, it also reveals London's preoccupation with the Nietzschean idea of the superman, and his interest in the brute underlying social behaviour.

About this title

Review

"An extraordinarily useful edition. The supplementary and contextual materials are not only of scholarly significance themselves but also provide invaluable aids for the first-time reader of Jack London's novels."--David Holloway, Portland State University "A fine, attractive, useful edition."--George F. Day, University of Northern Iowa "A fine edition. I was especially impressed with the appendices and the notes section. Very helpful."--John Guzlowski, Eastern Illinois University "Excellent edition--the comments by Sutherland illuminate the philosophical and personal underpinings of a deceptively complex work by a deceptively complex writer. Also the Explanatory Notes are quite good."--Jack Summers, Central Piedmont Community College "Thank you."--James R. Hepworth, Lewis-Clark State College "An extraordinarily useful edition. The supplementary and contextual materials are not only of scholarly significance themselves but also provide invaluable aids for the first-time reader of Jack London's novels."--David Holloway, Portland State University "A fine, attractive, useful edition."--George F. Day, University of Northern Iowa "A fine edition. I was especially impressed with the appendices and the notes section. Very helpful."--John Guzlowski, Eastern Illinois University "Excellent edition--the comments by Sutherland illuminate the philosophical and personal underpinings of a deceptively complex work by a deceptively complex writer. Also the Explanatory Notes are quite good."--Jack Summers, Central Piedmont Community College "Thank you."--James R. Hepworth, Lewis-Clark State College "An extraordinarily useful edition. The supplementary and contextual materials are not only of scholarly significance themselves but also provide invaluable aids for the first-time reader of Jack London's novels."--David Holloway, Portland State University "A fine, attractive, useful edition."--George F. Day, University of Northern Iowa "A fine edition. I was especially impressed with the appendices and the notes section. Very helpful."--John Guzlowski, Eastern Illinois University "Excellent edition--the comments by Sutherland illuminate the philosophical and personal underpinings of a deceptively complex work by a deceptively complex writer. Also the Explanatory Notes are quite good."--Jack Summers, Central Piedmont Community College "Thank you."--James R. Hepworth, Lewis-Clark State College "An extraordinarily useful edition. The supplementary and contextual materials are not only of scholarly significance themselves but also provide invaluable aids for the first-time reader of Jack London's novels."--David Holloway, Portland State University "A fine, attractive, useful edition."--George F. Day, University of Northern Iowa "A fine edition. I was especially impressed with the appendices and the notes section. Very helpful."--John Guzlowski, Eastern Illinois University "Excellent edition--the comments by Sutherland illuminate the philosophical and personal underpinings of a deceptively complex work by a deceptively complex writer. Also the Explanatory Notes are quite good."--Jack Summers, Central Piedmont Community College "Thank you."--James R. Hepworth, Lewis-Clark State College

From the Back Cover

Hailed by critics as one of the greatest sea stories ever written, this rousing adventure offers a fascinating combination of gritty realism and sublime lyricism in its portrayal of an elemental conflict. Jack London began his career at sea, and his shipboard experiences imbue The Sea-Wolf with flavorful authenticity.
In the story, the gentleman narrator, Humphrey Van Weyden, is pitted against an amoral sea captain, Wolf Larsen, in a clash of idealism with materialism. The novel begins when Van Weyden is swept overboard into San Francisco Bay, and plucked from the sea by Larsen's seal-hunting vessel, the Ghost. Pressed into service as a cabin boy by the ruthless captain, Van Weyden becomes an unwilling participant in a brutal shipboard drama. Larsen's increasingly violent abuse of the crew fuels a mounting tension that ultimately boils into mutiny, shipwreck, and a desperate confrontation.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0192838253
• ISBN 13: 9780192838254
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432
• Editor: Sutherland John