Jack London

Jack London Credo: I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time

A year or so ago now my wife and I went to the North Georgia mountains to stay in a chalet that we try to go to every Fall. We visited a small independent used book store that we like. There I found an awesome book of short stories by Jack London. It was published in 1962 and includes some of his best. I became a huge Jack London fan after I read "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer. Christopher McCandless' story was amazing and the impact of Jack London's writing on his life made me very curious. I read "Call of the Wild" and "White Fang" and became hooked. This book of short stories explores many different terrains like the south Pacific, inner cities and of course the northern wilderness. Jack London is a great artist that is multifaceted and can bring to life a wide range of characters and situations. The most powerful character of all of his stories has to be life. The realities of life is always one of his main characters if not his lead. London has a great way of letting you step into the scene in which he describes. His writing also satisfies that since of adventure a lot of people have in them. That feeling that makes you want to leave all your belongings and start hitchhiking around the country. He also leaves enough room for warnings against foolish thoughts and actions. So he glorifies nature and the realities of life in a way without idolizing it. That is a thin line and some think he tips one way or the next, but overall I believe he toes it pretty well, especially compared to others. Like Hemingway and O'Connor, London has a way of bringing out the magnificence of the average occurrence. Or should I say, like London, Hemingway and O'Connor do? So if you would like your head to be filled with some of the most beautiful sceneries in the world, live and share the struggles of complex individuals, then any Jack London story is worth the read.