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Stories of the North
The Klondike - land of cold and gold..of cowards and heroes..of white men, Indians, and Eskimos battling the cruel law of the North: kill or be killed!
Jack London's stories of life in Alaska and the Yukon during the exciting Gold Rush days are classics of American adventure. Here are nine of his best:
-The White Man's Way
-The Story of Keesh
-The Sundog Trail
-Nam-Bok, the Unveracious
-To Build a Fire
-The Unexpected
-The Wife of a King
-The Son of the Wolf
-Love of Life
Jack London's stories of life in Alaska and the Yukon during the exciting Gold Rush days are classics of American adventure. Here are nine of his best:
-The White Man's Way
-The Story of Keesh
-The Sundog Trail
-Nam-Bok, the Unveracious
-To Build a Fire
-The Unexpected
-The Wife of a King
-The Son of the Wolf
-Love of Life
1164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1968
157 people are currently reading
997 people want to read
About the author
Jack London
7,634 books7,684 followersJohn 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".
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".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 31, 2022
A primeira experiência de leitura com Jack London veio com este livro - 'Contos do Extremo Norte' - uma obra que me chegou há anos como oferta depois de uma compra online. Ficou a marinar até este momento, revelando-se uma experiência muito agradável.
Todos estes contos têm em comum uma escrita fluída, o retrato de situações-limite passadas no território do norte (Alasca e Canadá) e um enquadramento que mostra em parte, o que se pensava na época de London (final do séc. XIX/inicio do séc. XX) sobre os conflitos entre brancos e índios e entre homens e mulheres.
Talvez London, que morreu cedo, tenha inventado costumes, hábitos ancestrais e a luta do Homem contra os elementos. Que importa isso quando as histórias que nos traz são tão ricas, não só nesses aspectos como também na profundidade a que mergulha na descrição da natureza humana?
Único "senão": os cenários dos contos são um pouco monotemáticos mas a leitura é compensada pelo gozo que nos proporciona.
Todos estes contos têm em comum uma escrita fluída, o retrato de situações-limite passadas no território do norte (Alasca e Canadá) e um enquadramento que mostra em parte, o que se pensava na época de London (final do séc. XIX/inicio do séc. XX) sobre os conflitos entre brancos e índios e entre homens e mulheres.
Talvez London, que morreu cedo, tenha inventado costumes, hábitos ancestrais e a luta do Homem contra os elementos. Que importa isso quando as histórias que nos traz são tão ricas, não só nesses aspectos como também na profundidade a que mergulha na descrição da natureza humana?
Único "senão": os cenários dos contos são um pouco monotemáticos mas a leitura é compensada pelo gozo que nos proporciona.
October 27, 2020
The Call of the Wild
One could see where Jack London had a sudden inspiration to go on a tangent in order to steer the reader onto the full profile of transformed Buck from the harshness of Alaskan milieu, his reminiscences of an idyllic lifestyle in the sunkissed California, and the details of bickering among the inept drivers who would bring much misery to the dog. With a lot of ups and downs for the 4-legged protagonist these segments, which have been astutely integrated with the story, provide moments of respite, objectivity, and depth when the situation calls for it. London's flowing prose is worth praising as well. For a story with many subplots, including some that borders on magical realism, the entire work reads like one uninterrupted, captivating metamorphosis of a canine.
4.5
One could see where Jack London had a sudden inspiration to go on a tangent in order to steer the reader onto the full profile of transformed Buck from the harshness of Alaskan milieu, his reminiscences of an idyllic lifestyle in the sunkissed California, and the details of bickering among the inept drivers who would bring much misery to the dog. With a lot of ups and downs for the 4-legged protagonist these segments, which have been astutely integrated with the story, provide moments of respite, objectivity, and depth when the situation calls for it. London's flowing prose is worth praising as well. For a story with many subplots, including some that borders on magical realism, the entire work reads like one uninterrupted, captivating metamorphosis of a canine.
4.5
August 14, 2019
This book had been on my shelf since I was about 14 years old.... way too long. Although having read it now, I don’t believe my 14-year-old self would have appreciated it!
Jack London is a good writer and through his stories shares unique experiences of the past. His novels (White Fang, The Sea Wolf, Cruise of the Dazzler, and The Call of the Wild) were fantastic. I wasn’t as much of a fan of his short stories - many of which I got lost with.
Overall, happy I read this enormous book at the age I did :)
Jack London is a good writer and through his stories shares unique experiences of the past. His novels (White Fang, The Sea Wolf, Cruise of the Dazzler, and The Call of the Wild) were fantastic. I wasn’t as much of a fan of his short stories - many of which I got lost with.
Overall, happy I read this enormous book at the age I did :)
May 29, 2020
This is a collection of short stories that i hadn't read before and doing a bit of googling I found out that they were actually published as serials to Monthly magazines. One can easily recognize his short and sharp style and i think they're a great introduction To Jack London's work, easy to read and very immersive (all based in Yukon). I was thrilled to read "new" work, new only to me but having read White Fang and The Call of the Wild as a young adult I rediscovered with this his prose and universe. Unlike other writers of his time I felt he was more inclined to find a way to explore and embrace Nature and the very hard climate rather than conquer it or impose his humanity on it, which I hadn't realized the first time I read his work as I was captivated by the romanticized adventures.
March 21, 2017
Jack London's stories were my absolute favorite growing up. He is considered one of the GREAT classic writers and I have to agree. His stories are all about survival in the wild; about how nature can be brutal; about how uncaring life can be whether on land or sea.
The best stories of his are THE CALL OF THE WILD, WHITE FANG, SEA WOLF and MARTIN EDEN (Martin Eden is not in this particular book). Watching the movie WHITE FANG is not his story at all. It's been watered down and doesn't even portray the characters or environment AT ALL. REPEAT: DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE AND THINK YOU KNOW THE STORY.
Anyways, I have read his stories many times over the years. I bought this particular book because it is a collection and because I never read his short stories. Some of them were ok, some had dumb endings. I recommend at least reading the three mentioned above because they really were good stories. I do have to say though that the stories can be brutal for some people to read. They can be depressing at times and the dogs portrayed in the stories are whipped and often abused. So, if you are faint of heart in reading about this sort of thing, don't read this literature.
I rated this book a 4 instead of 5 because it was difficult to read for me. Difficult in that the book was quite heavy and cumbersome to carry around. I recommend getting these stories individually instead of in a big book if you want to carry about a novel in your purse or backpack.
The best stories of his are THE CALL OF THE WILD, WHITE FANG, SEA WOLF and MARTIN EDEN (Martin Eden is not in this particular book). Watching the movie WHITE FANG is not his story at all. It's been watered down and doesn't even portray the characters or environment AT ALL. REPEAT: DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE AND THINK YOU KNOW THE STORY.
Anyways, I have read his stories many times over the years. I bought this particular book because it is a collection and because I never read his short stories. Some of them were ok, some had dumb endings. I recommend at least reading the three mentioned above because they really were good stories. I do have to say though that the stories can be brutal for some people to read. They can be depressing at times and the dogs portrayed in the stories are whipped and often abused. So, if you are faint of heart in reading about this sort of thing, don't read this literature.
I rated this book a 4 instead of 5 because it was difficult to read for me. Difficult in that the book was quite heavy and cumbersome to carry around. I recommend getting these stories individually instead of in a big book if you want to carry about a novel in your purse or backpack.
February 15, 2022
The nine short stories here range from grand to bland. Most are accessible and generally enjoyable, but the weakest("The Wife of a King" and "The Son of the Wolf") are repetitious and end up feeling like mostly just some forgettable men fighting over one long-suffering woman. The best stories of the group are "The White Man's Way", "The Sundog Trail", "To Build a Fire", and "The Unexpected". The middling stories, mostly about native people of the Arctic, have decent storylines but not much charm or excitement.
There are some worthwhile stories in this anthology; I especially liked "The Sundog Trail" with the framing device it uses to tell the story. But since most of the stories didn't do much for me, I will probably not be hanging onto this particular book.
There are some worthwhile stories in this anthology; I especially liked "The Sundog Trail" with the framing device it uses to tell the story. But since most of the stories didn't do much for me, I will probably not be hanging onto this particular book.
April 10, 2015
Just some quick notes on two of the novels contained here:
First, Call of the Wild is incredible. If you're not a dog person, don't worry, it's not really about a dog anyway, but about us and everything we have lost under the comforts of civilization. Read it as an allegory of the human condition, as it was intended to be read, and it may speak to your unconscious in ways few books ever have.
White Fang, inevitably, is not as good as Call of the Wild, but it's a good companion piece, if you want to be thorough. If you've never read any Jack London, read Call of the Wild first (or instead.) The story of the dog who becomes a wolf is much more archetypal and powerful than the story of a wolf who becomes a cute doggy. Worth reading, but not anywhere near as memorable or essential as London's other famous dog book.
First, Call of the Wild is incredible. If you're not a dog person, don't worry, it's not really about a dog anyway, but about us and everything we have lost under the comforts of civilization. Read it as an allegory of the human condition, as it was intended to be read, and it may speak to your unconscious in ways few books ever have.
White Fang, inevitably, is not as good as Call of the Wild, but it's a good companion piece, if you want to be thorough. If you've never read any Jack London, read Call of the Wild first (or instead.) The story of the dog who becomes a wolf is much more archetypal and powerful than the story of a wolf who becomes a cute doggy. Worth reading, but not anywhere near as memorable or essential as London's other famous dog book.
April 14, 2020
Fun to use google maps to try to find places mentioned in his stories while you are reading. London uses real place names throughout all his North Country stories. I guess I must have read almost everything well-known by London now with all these short stories , but Call of The Wild is still his best by far. He deals a lot with the different outlook of life between the native culture and "white mans" Christian influenced ways; how this changes with experience between cultures and the harsh white unforgiving silence of The North.
October 4, 2014
Contains his most famous novels, "The Call of the Wild", "White Fang" and "The Sea-Wolf", great short stories such as "The law of life", "The wisdom of the trail", "The god of his fathers" and "Grit of women" - and then some stories that were not so impressive - that's why I gave it only four stars.
December 18, 2018
A compilation of three novels and over a dozen short stories taken right from the various periodicals of his day. Many are in double columns in smaller print making older eyes straining to see the type. The writing style of all the works are rough and tumble Jack London pull no punches adventure. Written in the early 20th century, don't look for politically correct referrals and mentality. I believe an accurate glimpse into the Yukon gold rush era for better or worse. I very much admire his catalog of works. A nice departure from some more modern novels. I know what to expect from him and he delivers, time and time again.
May 29, 2020
For a book of short stories, this one took me a while to get through! Sea Wolf was probably the longest story in the book and has little to do with the north...actually neither did Cruise of the Dazzler but that's ok I guess. I thought the best short story in the collection was 'All Gold Canon', which I recognized from the Cohen Brothers Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Not sure why 'To Build a Fire' wasn't included in this collection...it's related to the north and has been a favorite of mine from the first time I read it.
Some of these stories are better than others making it a hard book to read from start to finish. I got the book used so all in all I'm happy with it.
Some of these stories are better than others making it a hard book to read from start to finish. I got the book used so all in all I'm happy with it.
May 21, 2021
This is a collection of short stories by the author of White Fang and The Call of the Wild. Like all of London's stories, these focus around the Klondike Gold Rush in Alaska and the brutal survival conditions there. The only one I had read before picking up this collection was "To Built a Fire," which is London's best known short story. Many of the stories center around themes of the cruelty of man and nature and the hardships of living through bitter winters up north. I really enjoyed all the story stories, despite none of them shying away from horrific twists.
August 26, 2025
Note: this applies only to the short stories. I've reviewed the four novels in this collection individually.
They're okay. Interesting as a dated example of the adventure yarns of their time, and definitely unusual because of their subject matter, but I didn't particularly enjoy most of them, largely because of the archaic language London used. And, to be honest, they're not particularly exciting stories: they're just pulp. Rugged manly man does rugged manly stuff in a rugged manly world.
They're okay. Interesting as a dated example of the adventure yarns of their time, and definitely unusual because of their subject matter, but I didn't particularly enjoy most of them, largely because of the archaic language London used. And, to be honest, they're not particularly exciting stories: they're just pulp. Rugged manly man does rugged manly stuff in a rugged manly world.
July 20, 2018
These were nine pretty good short stories, some better than others. Behind the writing was a humanistic survival of the fittest philosophy, but some of the stories held deeper truths than just that. Such as "The Unexpected", which was about the demand for justice.
Very well crafted adventures, acting as an introduction into northern life.
Very well crafted adventures, acting as an introduction into northern life.
April 2, 2021
Harrowing. London just such a wonderful way of describing very intense moments in nature. His affinity to successfully describe the “conquest “ of the great Northwest in the 1800s is breathtaking. He takes on the personalities of the natives in a delightful way. A real master.
September 2, 2021
علاقهی او به گرگ و گرگسانان و سگها و سرما و حیوانمحوریِ داستانهایش تکراری و اذیتکننده میشوند. سبک او نیز، شبیه به سبک داستانهای ژولورن است؛ منتها ناتورالیستی و تلوتلوخوران میان رئال و فانتزی.
December 22, 2024
Man, there's no messing around in these stories. They are all go all of the time. Some of them are like watching a train wreck in slow motion because you know they will end horribly but you can't stop reading. I love Jack Londons writing.
Read
June 26, 2019I have the german edition: Geschichten aus dem hohen Norden
June 14, 2020
It's well-written, but I'd not realized before how much casual misogyny and racism is all through his writing, due to the time it was written. Unlikely I'll read it again
November 25, 2020
A fun read for old stories.
November 16, 2021
I loved it but it was way too long. It took me almost a year to read it.
December 31, 2021
A solid read for youth or children, suspenseful but also an interesting read.
Read
February 16, 2022The Sea-Wolf
May 28, 2022
Przyjemna lektura. Warto przeczytać.
April 21, 2023
Every story is different but all is well written. In particular The Call of the Wild uses some of the most beautiful language I've ever read describing nature. Highly recommend his writing
Read
June 9, 2023The White Man's Way
The Story of Keesh
The Sundog Trail
Nam-Bok, the Unveracious
To Build a Fire
The Unexpected
The Wife of a King
The Son of the Wolf
Love of Life
The Story of Keesh
The Sundog Trail
Nam-Bok, the Unveracious
To Build a Fire
The Unexpected
The Wife of a King
The Son of the Wolf
Love of Life
February 29, 2024
Overrated, incoherent garbage. Not to mention how at any chance he gets he talks about the superiority of the white race.
December 6, 2024
Set against the Yukon territory of the 1800s, these stories are stark and tough. Some involve hints of romance, but most show man's struggle to survive in harsh circumstances, facing other men or nature itself.
July 29, 2014
This is the second collection of Jack London stories I have read and I have to say I prefer the smaller, World Classics collection better. I had already read Call of the Wild and White Fang, with White Fang being the superior of those two, and I really wasn't impressed with the Sea Wolf or Cruise of the Dazzler. Grit of Women, Wife of a King, and The White Silence were my favorites from this collection. I would advise anyone who has interest in London's stories outside Call of the Wild and White Fang to pick up the Oxford World's Classics collection as it has several stories that were not represented here. Batard, Moon Face, Brown Wolf, That Spot, and To Build a Fire were excellent and I think a much better representation of London's storytelling prowess than what was included in this edition. With that being said, I always enjoy his writing and even though this book was not as good as the previous one, it was a worthwhile read.
January 4, 2015
The mere inclusion of the epic "To Build a Fire" (still the best short story I've ever read) would earn this book four stars, but there are several other great stories here, including "Love of Life" and "The Unexpected." When London depicts the desolation of the tundra and the desperate solitude of the lone traveler, the stories are magnificent. For me the only downside is when London attempts to depict native tribal life, and in particular the artificial dialogue he uses; it's very hard for me to imagine the natives, whose only contact with the white man has been traders and missionaries, speaking the "thys" and "thous" of the King's English.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews