Смок Беллю / Смок і Малюк

by Jack London

Герої творів Джека Лондона (1876—1916) — це завжди мужні, витривалі й невтомні шукачі щастя. Зі сторінок книги перед нами постає молодий, енергійний Крістофер Беллю, котрий, на думку його дядечка, марнує життя серед богеми Сан-Франциско. Але в його жилах тече кров діда — незламного підкорювача Дикого Заходу. З неймовірними труднощами здолавши Чилкутський перевал, вчорашній городянин стає новою людиною — тепер він Смок Беллю. У першу ж зиму на Клондайку він на рівних зі старожилами бере участь у поході за золотом на струмок Індіанки та змагається на собачих упряжках з найкращими погоничами. Але найголовніше — у цьому суворому краю він знаходить найдорожче за всі поклади золота на землі — вірну дружбу і щире кохання.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Adventure, Short Stories, Historical Fiction, American, Westerns

303 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

John Griffith Chaney, better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to become an international celebrity and earn a large fortune from writing. He was also an innovator in the genre that would later become known as science fiction.

London was part of the radical literary group "The Crowd" in San Francisco and a passionate advocate of animal rights, workers’ rights and socialism. London wrote several works dealing with these topics, such as his dystopian novel The Iron Heel, his non-fiction exposé The People of the Abyss, War of the Classes, and Before Adam.

His most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set in Alaska and the Yukon 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 about the South Pacific in stories such as "The Pearls of Parlay" and "The Heathen".

Reviews

[Luís · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a joy this London is! Because there had concentrated the most luminous of the thousand facets of this extraordinary man with whom I am more wildly enamoring with each new reading.
Smoke Bellew is an early feel-good book with the joyful energy that emanates from it; it is an excellent famous novel with a lively pen, made up of a succession of thrilling adventures full of humor and danger.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more than just a book.
It's an experience. The place descriptions are wonderful and are worded so well. While there are some sad chapters, the most of them are upbeat. It was enhanced by the plot twist at the end if the book.

[Jaymee Woolhiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader beware - those who open this tale will find their days outside the novel filled with dreams of the Yukon, sled racing, and gold. I promise, you will never look at an egg the same again.

Christopher "Kit" Bellew is a yuppy, lazy, jocular youth who inherited his wealth through a father of hard work and discipline. Pining away his days bored and restless in the city he is given the opportunity to help his cousins and uncle trek their way into the Alaskan Gold Rush. Each man requires a literal ton of food to last him the harsh winter of the north and each man is required to haul it in himself (or with the aid of natives who put the white men to shame.) Without such supplies no man was allowed to cross the barrier checkpoint from civilized life to the wild. Yet, Kit finds a way and in the process earns himself the nickname "Smoke" - a name which will stick with him forever. Once through the icy lakes, rapids, and unforgiving territory, Smoke becomes a big man in a big country whom everyone loves, envies, and strives to compete with. You won't want to miss this incredible ride through the Yukon.

I didn't fall in love with adventure stories until my twenties when I felt an undying need to explore the world around me yet was surviving on the budget of a twenty-something. Required to stay put in my living room, authors like London, Beach, and Grey became Godsends and frontier hawkers. The kind to inspire the impossible and breed confidence in any intimidated explorer. While my immediate desires were appeased by reading about long nights under the stars in the desert canyons of Arizona or the frost biting wilds of the Yukon, these novels served to whet my appetite for adventure, danger, and fresh air!

Smoke Bellew is a prime example of such a tease. London hugs the reader in tightly, never letting go until the very last page with the charmed life of Smoke who seems to have a topsy turvy relationship with Lady Luck. With perfect precision we, as readers, toil through the slush of mountains under the weight of 2000 pounds of food and supplies. We labor with every step Smoke takes in the beginning chapters to such a degree that once over that hill and into the true start of the adventure we believe we are Smoke; his exploits become our own and his success ours alone. Together we are transformed from a dandy tenderfoot to the hardened veteran only the Gold Rush could properly create. No other author or novel has taken me so wholly from the sidelines and into character such as this. And never has there been a character I've felt more invested in.

Ladies, do not fear being left behind as Smoke finds out fast and early that the women of the Yukon are no easy target for charm and wit, but, rather, can stand quite proudly, successfully, and wealthy without the aid of man.

Enjoy your romp through the crystalline escarpments of Alaska. Try to not be too disappointed when you realize you were born too late to head for the hills in search of gold. Our generation will have its marvels just the same.

[Veronika Can · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atšiauri arktinė žiema, kurti tyla, gūdžios bekraštės sniego lygumos, snieguotos kalnų viršūnės, šiaurės pašvaistės šydas - visa tai Aliaska. Labai patiko gamtos, vietų aprašymai. Skaičiau senesnįjį, antrąjį knygos leidimą 1985m. (pirmasis buvo 1957m.) Pačioje knygoje man jau ir lapai byrėjo, bet klijavau ir verčiau toliau 😊📖

Pradžia mane iš kart įtraukė, pirmuose skyriuose net kikenau kokie šmaikštūs dialogai tarp dviejų draugų, o knygos gale ir sukrečia, ir net ašarą gali nubraukti.. Su geriausiu draugu niekas nebaisu, turi stiprų užnugarį, palaikymą, gali drąsiai leistis į kelionę ir nuotykius. Šunų kinkiniai, aukso karštligė, drąsa, pasiaukojimas, besąlygiška meilė..

Labai mane sužavėjo Jack London. Knygų lentynoje manęs jau laukia sekanti jo knyga - 'Baltoji iltis' 🐺

Nebijokite skaityti senų knygų! 🤍

🖋 Kai tik mano širdis jaučia, aš nebijau ja tikėti.

[Shurochka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Я когда-то начинала читать "Морского волка" Лондона, и словила, извините за мой французский, кринж - настолько, на мой вкус, был непритязателен сюжет и плоски герои (загадочный капитан корабля с мрачным взглядом и избытком тестостерона и нежная, хрупкая девушка неземной красоты), поэтому отложила этого автора подальше на полку и благополучно решила, что он не для меня, как бы мне в детстве не нравился фильм про Белого Клыка.
А вот Смок Беллью очень даже читабелен, хотя тематика совсем не моя, и новеллы в принципе довольно однотипны как локацией, так и итогом (наш герой молодец и все сделает лучше всех, несмотря на препятствия). Мне было интересно - не вау, но можно даже перечитать через пару лет, когда в голове останется только основная канва.

[Rima · Rating 2 out of 5]

Šią ir kitas mano apžvalgas galima rasti štai čia: http://knygoholike.blogspot.lt/2016/0...

Ar keistai nuskambės, jei pasakysiu, kad nuotykinė literatūra man nuobodi?.. Štai kad ir Jacko Londono "Smokas Belju". Keista, ar ne? Juk nuotykinė literatūra ir yra skirta nuoboduliui prablaškyti. O man nuobodu.

Kaip ir Holivudo trileriai - tik šaudo ir gaudo. Taip ir čia - aiški schema, žinai, kad bus kažkokių nuotykių, įvykių, tragedijų. O man labiau patinka kapstytis po žmonių smegenis ir jausmus.

Dėl tos pačios priežasties man nuobodūs ir meilės romanai bei detektyvai. Vėlgi - dėl tos pačios aiškios ir nuspėjamos schemos. Juk viskas ir taip aišku, kaip baigsis, ar ne?

Taigi, ir šis Aliaskos kraštą ir žmones aprašantis romanas manęs nesuviliojo. Nebuvo man įdomūs tie Smoko Belju nuotykiai ar Aliaskos gyventojų kasdienybė. Viskas čia vyksta "šaudo ir gaudo" schema, tik Aliaskos stiliumi.

"Perlėkęs užtvarą ir išvažiavęs ant lygaus ledo, Smokas nušvilpė visu smarkumu, garsiai šaukdamas:

- Bili, Bili!

Bilis išgirdo ir atsiliepė. Daugybės laužų, sukurtų ant ledo, šviesoje Smokas pamatė roges, kurios išsinėrė iš šono ir šoko vytis. Šunys buvo pailsėję ir greit prisivijo. Kai besivejančios rogės susilygino su juo, Smokas šoko į jas, Bilis peršoko į jo roges ir nuvažiavo šalin.

- Kur Didysis Olafas? - suriko Smokas.

- Pirmas važiuoja! - atsakė Bilis.

Laužai greit liko užpakalyje, ir Smokas vėl skriejo per neįžvelgiamą tamsą."

Dar kai kas man nepatinka Jacko Londono kūryboje. Skaičiau porą jo knygų ir pastebėjau tą patį. Mane erzina superprotingi, superšaunūs jo pagrindiniai veikėjai. Tobuli, supermeniški, visažiniai, viską sugebantys, neklystantys. Ir netikroviški. Ir nuobodūs...

[Avrelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't re-read Jack London for a long time, and when I did, last year, I had a surprise: one of my favorite pieces, and the one that is extremely popular and well-loved in Russia, Smoke Bellew is virtually unknown here. It is a later work, published in 1911-12, and Jack London himself called it a hack work, written for money. And yet, it is, I believe, great. I mean, I've read later London's novels that were over-blown, over-melodramatic and rather impossible. Smoke Bellew is none of those things. In fact, it combines the best of both worlds. It is a collection of short stories tied into unity by the same characters (both main and secondary), same time ( Klondike Gold Rush) and same place (Yukon territory). It escapes the the soggy plotting and other problems with novels that Jack London had – most critics agree that Jack London was much better with his short stories than his novels- and yet still allows for character development impossible in a short format.

At some point or other I read a lot of Jack London – short stories, novels, but it was a long time ago, so I was wondering how well it will hold. And it generally was just as excellent as I remember. The language was fine, though I had to figure out several slang phrases (remember, I read it first in translation). The main character, Smoke Bellew, is still good, the descriptions are still amazing and awe-inspiring and bring to life everything London is writing about.

In the first story, The Taste of Meat we meet with our hero, 27-years old Bohemian Kit Bellew, languishing in San Francisco, working (without pay) in a newspaper and hating it all. He is well-educated, cultured, and hardworking, but his uncle appears and berates him for being less a man. Kit doesn't feel like less a man, but he is tired of his life and wants to get out, so when his uncle jokingly suggests to go with him and his sons to Klondike, Kit happily agrees. Then he gets a journey full of physical hardship and joyful self-discovery; he meets his partner, Shorty, and a young woman Joy Gastell. He doesn't turn back when the initial goal was achieved, and went on, to the new interesting life in the Great North. He goes to Dawson city and starts the life most people live there – hunting, looking for gold, hunting travelling around. But also soon enough he gets to be the talk of Dawson thanks to his adventures.

Sometimes one may think Smoke (Kit re-named himself so) is a perfect person. He is intelligent and clever, he is kind and brave, he has a sense of humour and a poetic streak, he is honest and inventive, he is hard-working, he is a good friend... He is all that, but he also is a man of his time, and reading it now, a hundred years after it was written it feels like his main negative quality. One he couldn't overcome, of course. We can see it most clearly in his attitudes to the Indians and women: he is benevolent to them, but both the latter and the former are equally alien to him.

I have a very quaint feeling about women in London's stories – he creates strong, interesting, alive female characters, and then he doesn't know what to do with them. Both the author and his heroes, which left me more than often infuriated by the end of the story. Smoke Bellew stories have a few ladies in them, but they all are very memorable. It keeps true – there were much more men than women during Gold Rush in Yukon, and Jack London gives us the wide scope of women who were there – some were born there or came as children with their parents, like Joy Gastell, and were experienced old timers when the Gold Rush began. Some came with their husbands, or by themselves to mine gold, some worked as entertainers or in the service industry, as we say now – doing laundry and cooking for much better money than anywhere else. Some, of course, just lived there all the time. All worked. Not every one was nice and kind. None were a fragile delicate flowers that societal mores dictated they should have been.

And here lies, I think, the problem. London was describing women, based on the women he saw there, but he also tried to adhere to the feminine ideal of his epoch. Behold the resulting mess. It isn't noticeable where the character is episodic, like the woman-miner in “A man on the Other Bank” who is excluded from voting whether to hang Smoke or not (he is suspected in murder), and subsequently lets Smoke go, saying “If I am not good enough to hang him, I am not good enough to keep him”.

Then there is Joy Gastell, who is a recurring character in the book and Smoke's love interest. She live in the North with her father since she was a little girl, but was educated somewhere else in the meantime. At the time of the story she is in her early twenties, an experienced Northerner who does everything men around her do, often better – we see it in glimpses, but it is clear enough. And it is enough to admire her together with Smoke. Which is why I hated that in order to get them closer together, London sent Smoke off to... another woman. The very last story in the collection is “The wonder of a woman”, and London, according to (here) tried to make one of his best. It is a really good story, indeed, but most likely you are cringing just reading its title, as I do, every time. Smoke and Shorty are captured by an Indian tribe that is lead by a white man. We were never told anything about this man – what is he, why does he hate the outside world so much, how did he become the Indian chief. We can see that he is cruel, but fair, that he orders to capture whoever gets in his radius of attention, but not clear why (to protect his privacy? To find a husband for his daughter? Out of meanness? ) and yes, he has a grown-up daughter, Labisquee, also white. He mother died long time ago, and she doesn't know anything about her. But she knows about love and romance – from the stories that another captured white man, who was telling her stories about Paolo and Franceska. So inevitably she falls in love with Smoke, and he learns about goodness and wonder of all women through her. At this point I got annoyed and my annoyance only grew with the story development. Mind you, Labisquee is awesome, she is not all goodness and sweetness by any standards. She also sees herself very much apart from the Indians around her, no matter that she shares her life with them, she hardly knows anyone else, and her father is actually the chief. So she is interesting complicated character, and I can't help feeling that she was served unfairly by being stuck in this story, instead of having a story of her own. And giving Joy Gastell more interactions with Smoke. And no nonsense about wonders of a woman.

Still, it is a very good story, and it makes me happy, all the shortcomings notwithstanding.

Now, to more cheerful aspect – reading this time I was paying attention to geographical moments. Remember, it all happened in Canada! I traced the may Smoke made from Dyea, to Dawson on the map of Canada that we still have on the wall, I poured over Google Maps of the regions. There is street view of Dawson, and lot of pictures of the mountains and vales, and forest, and rivers of Yukon available there. I finally realized why people were carrying all this weight with them – Dawson didn't have enough food supplies and a year-worth supply of food (grub) was the requirement of Canadian authorities – one couldn't be admitted to Canada without their own food. There is nothing, of course, in the book about crossing the border and dealing with customs and such, but I cheered at every mention of mounted police, Ottawa, or some other Canadian mark. There was no outright mention of it being Canada, still. Just Great North haunted by brave and glorious mounted police...

If you want to read it and cannot find paper edition anywhere, it is available on Project Guttenberg here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5737

be careful to use this link, there is another that leads to only six stories, there are altogether twelve of them.

[Aurimas Gudas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knyga labiau skirta vaikinams. Istorija apie tai kaip nevykėlis tampa vykėliu. Apie draugystę. Labiausiai įstrigo istorija apie kiaušinius. Apie vištų kiaušinius.

[Marianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scritto davvero bene, in maniera fluida e scorrevole nonostante l'inglese ovviamente non modernissimo, ma devo dire che una buona metà del libro non mi ha interessata granché, forse perché un po' monotona. Non che fosse male, semplicemente non mi diceva nulla e i personaggi non mi prendevano a pelle - solo dopo un paio di capitoli ho cominciato ad apprezzare Shorty e il suo slang da semi-illetterato.
La seconda metà invece mi ha coinvolta un po' di più. Ci sono capitoli divertenti e molto piacevoli da leggere, ma per contro ci sono alcune parti che a me sono risultate razziste (si nota una leggera tendenza a tipizzare e barbarizzare il "diverso", più di una volta l'uomo bianco viene tratteggiato come migliore per umanità o capacità intellettive) o misogine: le donne non fanno bella figura in questo romanzo, apparendo o ingannevoli e capricciose, o leggere ed infantili.
Facendo un bilancio insomma non è stato un libro che mi è dispiaciuto, pur non essendo nulla di sorprendente l'ho letto senza blocchi e senza annoiarmi, anche se alla resa dei conti il suo problema maggiore è che mi ha lasciata quasi indifferente.
Sicuramente leggerò altro di Jack London, perché al di là del contenuto di questo specifico libro si capisce che è un autore per me da approfondire: ha delle descrizioni spettacolari, una grande capacità immaginativa e uno stile limpido che è per me da voto massimo.

[Ian Wilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story brings you the transformation of an innocent kid working for a newspaper company, into a meat eating, full bearded man. Christopher (Smoke) Bellew, a newspaperman, embarks on a journey into the rough Alaskan wilderness, only planning to help out his relatives and be present for a few weeks. But this challenge brings in a new prospective of life, instead of writing about these times, live them. He chooses to stay in the Klondike himself and continue on this new found way of life. Life, death, and love are three major themes of the novel, three of which Smoke has never experienced for himself. Jack London brings to life not only the unbearable surroundings, but the life one must live. You feel inside the story, as if you know Smoke and his companions. Once I picked this book up, I could hardly put it down. It is interesting in every aspect, and even as some nifty little pictures. If you have a chance to read this story, by all means do. You will be entertained throughout the novel and will not be disappointed.

[Mbuye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all of Jack London, this is a tale of endurance, courage and brotherhood. While it is not exactly a coming-of-age story, certainly Smoke Bellew develops from a rich idle bohemian dilettante into a sturdy and hardy youth in the wilds of Alaska in the course of these twelve short stories set against the background of the Alaska gold rush.

In London's inimitable style, the stories range from the hardening of Smoke (the name he gives himself) from a city dude to walking in the northernmost regions until he is literally ready to drop every five minutes; to helping old-time diggers who understand the country against stampeding newcomers who destroy the countryside in seconds; a dog-race; a "system" in the casinos that is so successful that the owners of the casinos band together to buy Smoke off. A dire case of scurvy affecting a whole camp. There are more serious incidents: a group of starving Indians ready to eat themselves after their dogs. As Smoke tries to help them, a difficulty arises…But as usual, the last is the best.

Absolutely unforgettable and a reading experience to treasure and enjoy over and over again.

[Vita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kokia žavinga knyga, labai patiko ! Seniai kada skaičiau tokį pozityvų darbą.

Kiekvienas knygos skyrius neša savą istoriją aukso karštligės ištiktoje Šiaurės Amerikoje. Pakliuvo į šį karštligės sūkurį ir pagrindinis veikėjas - Smokas-, tik taip ja iki galo ir nesusirgo. Tai iš esmės ir leido šiam gyventi tokį gyvenimą, nesukaustytą žmoniškų priklausomybių (tuo pačiu ir silpnybių).

Pagrindiniame plane viso kūrinio metu nešama labai aiški žinutė - „Žmogus nenugalėtas, kol jo nenugalės.”
Išties motyvacinė knygutė, apie tą tikrąją ištvermę… Nu ir tą tikrąją draugystę. Ji knygoje taip pat atlieka stiprią rolę. :)
Labai priminė kitą Londono knygą -„Jūrų vilką”-, tad jei patiko pastaroji, ši taip pat nenuvils.

Patikusios mintys:

• „Kai įgula vaidijasi, laivas stovi,<…>.”

•„ Būna tokių nuovargio akimirkų, kai žmonės užmiršta viską, ko juos išmokė civilizacija,<…>.”

•„ Kiekvienas daiktas kainuoja tiek, kiek už jį galima gauti,<…>."

Rekomenduoju, gero skaitymo!

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining listening 🎧
Another will written Klondike novel adventure thriller by Jack London. This is a number of short stories each a different story line with the Smoke and Shorty as they travel about the klondike. I would highly recommend this novel to readers looking for an adventure story. Enjoy the adventure of all kind of different types of novels and books. 2002

[Tracie Simonton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is timeless! especially if you have spent much time in Alaska. It was easy for me to relate with the characters.......l

[Marko · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very underrated and forgotten book, this was Jack London's best writing. Almost nobody has heard of it.

[Genadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real book about what is man made of. Only Jack London's characters are capable to make you want to trade your life for theirs. I will always love this book.

[Blackfriar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Появилось желание побывать на Юконе за северным полярным кругом на золотых приисках ))

[David Špunda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing stories from my beloved Alaska. The second part not so exciting, though.

[Adi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe not the typical Jack London story, but I still liked it. Bellew's adventures were diverse, fun, very often unexpected. The main character is nice, although perhaps not too memorable. But I cannot complain - the author took me on another wonderful journey through Alaska, and I enjoyed it :)

[Guyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A snowy wrapped adventure

Modern adventure stories seem to rely on
gun violence and sexual intrigue. This classic un-spools one type of adventure after another. Self reliance is key, but the importance of friendship is equally valuable. Great book.

[ran_sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the book's writing style is excellent, it still suffers from prejudices from the early 20th century. In general, it reads well.

[Yrinsyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cracker of a story! My review

[Lee_Chapai · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review will be for both "Smoke Bellew" and "Smoke and Shorty" because I read them in one book and have the same opinion for both of them.

Despite a lot of good reviews and my anticipation to read this book I must, unfortunately, say that I was very disappointed. I did read this book with Russian translation, since it was gifted to me in that form, so I don't know how many details were lost in the translation but I still think I know enough to judge this book.

The first thing I want to talk about is something that I liked and hated the most in this book. I'm talking about the characters. And I cannot stress enough how much I disliked the main character. Smoke is THE Mary Sue of that world. I do understand that the protagonist should be somewhat special for the story but that man learns how to control the boat in a few minutes and manages to get it through very rough waters even when professionals fail to do that. He basically beats the best runners after very little time living in those conditions. He finds the only friend he has in the middle of nowhere and escapes thanks to him. He gets in the small pool of water after falling from the ice bridge... And it's not even everything. It just gets very boring after a couple of stories.
The other characters I found quite charming, especially Shorty, the man has both good and bad qualities, and does feel like a real human who lives in Yukon. But to be the "real man" you need to be lucky and have magic powers for learning, I guess.

Another thing I heavily disliked was useless violence. Now, I DO know that the wild lands there are not full of puppies and cotton candy and the life is very rough there. And I think that there are stories that managed to showcase it. For example, Wonder of Woman where I see the violence and why it occurs, and how people there have to deal with it to survive. But in The Hanging of Cultus George they just decided to hang the man because he didn't agree to help the starving people for free. And yes, that story has a very clear idea of "people are evil but when they want to be good, be afraid because they are unstoppable" but KILL a man? When you have quite a lot of men to help anyway? And they started to give away a lot of gold and they could just get him some and not waste time on trying to murder him? Especially since they've been treating him very poorly and now they want to kill him fot stiking to their own ideals? Is that what should be remembered for this noble motive? I really don't think that was the best way to showcase that.

There were also stories I felt like nothing very new was put out in terms of ideas. Some stories just had nothing to do with the setting of Klondike, which was strange because the atmosphere of that place is supposed to be the main focus, I feel like. For example, the story of A Flutter in Eggs could happen basically anywhere with any hard-to-get thing.

That said, I can imagine people who would enjoy reading this book quite a lot and its reviews show it. If you just want stories of tough men in tough lands, it's for you. If you want something to think about, I would not recommend it.

Now, I don't know if anyone is ever going to read this review or not, but if you're here because you did, thank you. If you see any mistaked I made, please correct me. English is not my first language so my wording can be a bit rusty at times but I'm doing my best to change it. Have a nice day! :)

[Sinan Yuce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack London'un aşırı realist öykülerinden bir seçki. Amerikan tarihinin işçilere karşı ne kadar da acımasız olduğunu bu öyküler sayesinde tüm dünya öğrenmiş oluyor.

[Grevick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the "meta" idea of this book. On the beginning we see Christopher Bellew, who agreed to write a series of short stories for the newspaper in San Francisco. This job is boring, exhausting, and also unpaid. So our hero decides to "run away" to the North. And since Smoke Bellew is, in fact, a set of short stories, it appears that instead of writing, Chris/Smoke decided to live them.

That part I liked. It was also educational to read about customs and conditions of Klondike back than. Some of the stories were quite engaging. But it was not enough to really like the whole book.

Maybe I am just not a right audience for it. Repeating motive of the book was how good it is to "eat bear meat" - idiom for living like a "true" man, on the North, looking for adrenaline, chasing gold and moose, running on dog sledge, fighting and scheming etc etc. It's not all that one-sided; sometimes Smoke shows his wits, his generous heart, he also has love interest in a book. But still, it hasn't got me.

[Nikola Peikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Бельо Пушилката" - една невероятно написана книга от Джек Лондон! Много увлекателна история, с развиващи се действия в Аляска.
Историите за Бельо и приятелят му, Малчо, биха разсмели читателя, на каквато и възраст да е!
Историята започва, разказвайки как главният герой (наричан тогава Кит Бельо) работи в редакцията на вестник. До къде се стига? До слава, богатство на Север.
Просто невероятно! Прочетете книгата, няма да се разочаровате! Първоначално аз подходих с леко неодобрение към нея, но прочетох първите няколко страници и забравих за уговорката ми с приятели, за "Facebook"...
Книгата ще се чете вечно, независеща от времето е!
Като заключение, за да усиля думите си, казвак:
Велика книга! Краят й е много силен! Не бях го осмислил до момента, в който не срещнах човек, за който съм готов да умра! Прочетете я!

[Bobby Newman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that reminds me of what you would get if you asked someone to "write a story like Jack London would." It has the Yukon location from many books, it has the strong Charmian woman character, it has the "sheltered city boy becomes a hardened and self-sufficient man" (the Sea Wolf, Mutiny of the Elsinore, etc.). On the whole, though, while there are many good moments and it is by no means a bad book (actually a series of short stories tied together), it just isn't as good as most other Jack London works in terms of really gripping the attention or exploring deeper themes. Extra points for the "Shorty' sidekick who seemed a prototype of the "Gabby Hayes" type character.

[Indrė · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a quite entertaining book to read. I was inspired to read about Alaska and gold fever after watching TV show "Į Šiaurę", where my two favourite Lithuanian travellers visited Canada and Alaska. So it was really fascinating when I was familiar with all those places when I was reading a book (White Horse, Dawson, Yukon etc.). This books doesn't make you think much, but it was not boring either. Kit Bellew is a really handy person with a lot of crazy ideas.

[Oreon · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://whatsread.pp.ua/work/3749
Прочитав із задоволенням за кілька днів, перебуваючи взимку на лікарняному. Так цікаво читати з теплої хати, будучи знеможеним від якоїсь простуди, про мужніх людей, які долають підмерзаючим болотом, потім замерзлим перевалом десятки миль щодня ще й тягнучи на собі клунків на 50-60 кг., сплять під ковдрами і шкурами на ялиновій підстилці на снігу біля багаття захистившись від вітру куском брезенту; штовхають по коліна у воді човна на бистрину на початку зими на Алясці, гребуть до порогів, рубаючи і оббиваючи намерзлий лід із весел... І все це буз сучасного взуття, що дихає і не промокає, термобілизни, легких наметів та кількашарових спальників. Наскільки всьому цьому можна довіряти? Лондон сам був там, щоправда надлюдини із нього не вийшло і він змушений був повернутися після першої ж зимівлі без золота і перехворівши цингою. З іншого боку дійсно золота лихоманка була, тисячі людей кинулися на пошуки примарного золота і дійсно тягли на собі вантажі, долали той перевал, сплавлялися порогами і дійсно десятками гинули і замерзали.., якось так.

Здається я вже читав колись ці історії, можливо ще школярем декілька десятків років тому. До речі, читається цілком собі як завершений роман, а не як набір окремих історій з життя героїв. Пізнати смак ведмежатини це образне поняття, що стосується мужньої бувалої людини. Семе цим, пізнанням цього нового смаку й займаються Смок і його новий друг на прізвисько Малюк перших кілька оповідань. Смок безжурно кидає міське життя і без припасів, досвіду і грошей наймається в помічники до кількох багатіїв, щоб човном доправити їх до місця зимівлі. У них і знайомиться з Малюком. Герої не чужді допомогти ближньому навіть із ризиком для власного життя, це, звичайно, теж потім стає їм у пригоді. Напрочуд гарна водночас і моторошна картина відкривається, коли друзі потай у ночі мають піти на Струмок Індіанки, де нібито виявили золото і треба швидко, поки ніхто не прознав, піти і застовпити собі ділянку. Як виявилося стежкою "потай" йдуть уже сотні людей позаду і попереду наших героїв. Того дня, чи то пак ночі, десятки людей втратили кінцівки, а дехто замерз на смерть.

Оповідання «Людина на тому березі» я не зовсім зрозумів, як і не зрозумів чому таки не вдалося друзям застовпити свій наділ на Індіанці. Можливо тут проблема із перекладачем (І. Базилянська). Хоча переклад ніби гарний і я зміг вловити лише один явний прокол: кілька раз іде мова про дві пари лиж - одні вузькі, для твердого снігу, інші - широкі, плетені - для рихлого снігу. Ну невже ні перекладач ні редактор, коли самі не зрозуміли, не могли погуглити, щоб взнати, що "плетені", то, ймовірно, снігоступи! От можливо і у цих епізодах було накручено щось подібне, але так, що вже й не здогадаєшся😉. «Перегони» - одне з кращих оповідань. Мені дуже подобалось, як ненав'язливо Джой Гастелл уміла виявляти свою прихильність 🙂.

Цікаво, як на тих же перегонах запекло змагаються золотошукачі між собою, не гребуючи майже нічим. Але коли Смок та Малюк наштовхнулись на індіанців, що вмирали з голоду, всі дружно відгукнулися їм допомогти. Чи можна цьому вірити? Коли харчі для білих в селищі у три дорога і хтось голодує, а хтось поряд розкошує, а тут така раптова щедрість? І серед білих тут не виявилося жодного покидька, а єдиний цивілізований індіанець і той виявився покидьком. Автор навіть описав причину: добрі білі настільки добрі, що не наливали (видно чули як швидко спиваються індіанці) йому, а він не оцінив. Цікаво, а якби замість індіанця випало за це саме вішати білого, все так прудко би пішло? Смок із товаришем самі також кинули всі свої плани, щоб виходжувати хворих на цингу мормонів. Видно, що автор мормонів також не надто жалує, також показано, що може статися, якщо в общині досить багато людей, припасів, але не вистачає досвідченого поводиря, хоча б когось досвідченого щодо таких екстремальних умов Аляски.

Оповідання «Яєчний переполох» та «Селище Тру-ля-ля» здалися подібними до оповідань збірки О. Генрі «Шляхетний шахрай», лише в антуражі суворої півночі. Виявляється Смок не лише мастак з рулетки, а й шахрайнути не промах, якщо "шляхетно". Ну і родзинка всієї збірки - останнє оповідання «Таємниця жіночого серця». Смок несподівано для себе виявив, що здатен кохати більше ніж одну жінку, але щоб у його майже 30 років він рішився освідчитись, одній із коханих довелося принести себе в жертву заради нього. Так, фінал пронизливий, але суперечливий. Мені здається Смок не заслужив такої жертви не дивлячись на всі його гарні риси і хороші вчинки. І до чого тут власне таємниця жіночого серця? «Wonder of Woman» то скоріше Чудо чи подвиг жінки, але аж ніяк не таємниця серця чи душі. Знову перекладач недопрацював, поспішав, мабуть. 9/10

[Stephen Whiteside · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say, this struck me as rather a strange book, but once I got into its groove, I actually enjoyed it very much. It almost reads like a superhero comic book without the pictures. I expect Smoke Bellew is essentially an idealised version of the author, Jack London, himself, and represents how London would like to be if he had superhuman strength and courage. It lacks the emotional depth and honesty to be a proper book for adults, but is certainly not a book for children.

One of the main attractions of the book is how much it teaches you, indirectly, about the Klondike gold rush, which has always fascinated me. The only other writer I am aware of who tackles it to any degree is the poet, Robert Service. Living in Australia, I have long been fascinated by the similarities and differences between Australia and Canada. The Yukon and the Australian Outback have much in common. They are both hostile, extreme environments, with little water or cultivable land and sparse populations. The main difference, of course, is that the Yukon is very cold, while the Australian Outback is very hot. Australia has also had its gold rushes. Australia also has its own snow country, but it is nowhere near as extensive, or as cold, as Canada's.

Smoke Bellew is something of a Paul Bunyan. Whereas Bunyan is competing against modern technology, Bellew is showing that a 'newbie' (or 'cheechako') can match it with an old timer. There seems to be nothing Bellew cannot achieve if he applies himself wholeheartedly to the task in hand.

Much of the description of the various ice, snow and water conditions went over my head, but I understood enough to get the general gist most of the time. London is certainly inventive, and manages to dream up a good number of diverse challenges for Bellew to tackle.

London appears to have a real problem describing male/female relationships. This was especially so in 'The Sea Wolf', and 'Smoke Bellew' is no exception. Yes, there is a love interest in the book, but the relationship is strictly platonic. The reader is left to imagine that the two may have eventually become closer, but London certainly isn't going to tell you about it!

All in all, though the book has a very old fashioned feel to it, it is a great fun read, and the unusual nature of the subject matter adds further appeal. For people who love historical books set in the snow, like me, it is definitely worth reading.