South Sea Tales

Featuring eight works of short fiction, South Sea Tales by Jack London is an adventurous collection with a nautical theme. With settings on islands or ships, South Sea Tales tell the exciting, but often heartbreaking tales of violence, colonialism, and racism. The House of Mapuhi follows the son of a trading magnate, who travels from island to island buying valuable items for his mother's business. When he learns of a brilliant pearl owned by one of the locals on the island of Hikueru, he becomes obsessed with obtaining it. London mocks Christian martyrdom in The Whale Tooth, a story of a man falling victim to his own impulses and inflated self-importance, consequently leading to cannibalism and murder. Yah! Yah! Yah! explores colonial brutality and race relations in the South Sea with a sympathetic portrayal of the native islanders. Further examining these themes, Mauki follows the son of a chief who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery. Hailed as a fan favorite, The Seed of McCoy depicts a story about sailing the seas with a twist. Finally, with a touching lesson of tolerance, The Heathen portrays two men from different racial backgrounds, Otoo and Charley, as they stay loyal to each other while they fight to survive a brutal shipwreck.

With bold and unique characters, thrilling settings, and thought-provoking themes, South Sea Tales by Jack London is sure to captivate readers. Inspired by London's own adventures in the South Sea, South Sea Tales brings an authentic and memorable setting for stories that possess in-depth and compelling prose. Jack London's well-known style of descriptive, visceral prose shines in this classic collection, creating works with intense adventure and an interesting depiction of the early 20th century.

With a striking new cover design and a modern and readable font, this edition of South Sea Tales by Jack London is catered to a contemporary audience. With these accommodations, modern readers can now enjoy the strong prose of Jack London, examine the culture of 20th century colonialism, and explore the islands of the southern Pacific with ease.

About the author

John Griffith "Jack" London (born John Griffith Chaney, (January 12, 1876 - November 22, 1916)
was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist. A pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction, he was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone.

Some of his most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set in 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 of the South Pacific in such stories as "The Pearls of Parlay" and "The Heathen," and of the San Francisco Bay area in The Sea Wolf.

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

Summary

Featuring eight works of short fiction, South Sea Tales by Jack London is an adventurous collection with a nautical theme. With settings on islands or ships, South Sea Tales tell the exciting, but often heartbreaking tales of violence, colonialism, and racism. The House of Mapuhi follows the son of a trading magnate, who travels from island to island buying valuable items for his mother’s business. When he learns of a brilliant pearl owned by one of the locals on the island of Hikueru, he becomes obsessed with obtaining it. London mocks Christian martyrdom in The Whale Tooth, a story of a man falling victim to his own impulses and inflated self-importance, consequently leading to cannibalism and murder. Yah! Yah! Yah! explores colonial brutality and race relations in the South Sea with a sympathetic portrayal of the native islanders. Further examining these themes, Mauki follows the son of a chief who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery. Hailed as a fan favorite, The Seed of McCoy depicts a story about sailing the seas with a twist. Finally, with a touching lesson of tolerance, The Heathen portrays two men from different racial backgrounds, Otoo and Charley, as they stay loyal to each other while they fight to survive a brutal shipwreck.

With bold and unique characters, thrilling settings, and thought-provoking themes, South Sea Tales by Jack London is sure to captivate readers. Inspired by London’s own adventures in the South Sea, South Sea Tales brings an authentic and memorable setting for stories that possess in-depth and compelling prose. Jack London’s well-known style of descriptive, visceral prose shines in this classic collection, creating works with intense adventure and an interesting depiction of the early 20th century.

With a striking new cover design and a modern and readable font, this edition of South Sea Tales by Jack London is catered to a contemporary audience. With these accommodations, modern readers can now enjoy the strong prose of Jack London, examine the culture of 20th century colonialism, and explore the islands of the southern Pacific with ease.

Product details

• Authors: Jack London
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 09.09.2021
• EAN: 9781513205274
• ISBN: 978-1-5132-0527-4
• No. of pages: 126
• Illustrations: Illustrationen, nicht spezifiziert
• Series: Mint Editions; Mint Editions—Nautical Narratives; Mint Editions (Nautical Narratives)
• Subjects: Fiction > Science fiction, fantasy; FICTION / Short Stories (single author), FICTION / Action & Adventure, FICTION / Sea Stories, Sea stories, Hawaii;ships;sailing;island life;autobiographical fiction