The Critical Response to Jack London
Edited by SUSAN M. NUERNBERG
Critical Responses in Arts and Letters, Number 19 Cameron Northouse, Series Adviser
GREENWOOD PRESS Westport, Connecticut • London Contents
Series Foreword by Cameron Northouse xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Chronology xvii
Introduction Jack London's Literary Reputation Susan M. Nuernberg xxiii
1. To Build a Fire Letter to "Mr. Revision Editor" at Youth's Companion Jack London 1 The Theme of Jack London's "To Build a Fire" Clell Peterson 3 Jack London's Twice-Told Tale Earle Labor and King Hendricks 9 Dramatic Mode and Tragic Structure in "To Build a Fire" James M. Mellard 17 "To Build a Fire": Physical Fiction and Metaphysical Critics Charles E. May 22 Why the Man Dies in "To Build a Fire" George R. Adams 27
2. A Daughter of the Snows Early Reviews Books of the Week and Literary Chat B. G. Lathrop 37 x Contents
An Unconventional Heroine 39 Telling What He Has Seen Charles A. Moody 40 An Elemental Maid 40 Fiction: A Daughter of the Snows 41 New Books: A Daughter of the Snows Julian Hawthorne 43 Jack London: Blond Beasts and Supermen Charles Child Walcutt 48 Beneficial Atavism in Frank Norris and Jack London James R. Giles S3 London's Concept of New Womanhood Susan M. Nuernberg 56
3. The Call of the Wild Early Reviews Literary Notes: Jack London at His Best 61 Novels: The Call of the Wild 62 Reviews: The Call of the Wild J. Stewart Doubleday 64 Reviews: The Call of the Wild Kate Blackiston Stille 65 Jack London's Book The Call of the Wild: It is More Than a Rattling Good Dog Story—It Is an Allegory of Human Struggles and Aspirations Johannes Reimers 68 Books New and Old 71 To the Editor of The Independent Jack London 71 Jack London's One Great Contribution to American Literature 73 Books: The Call of the Wild Tony Tanner 77 Jack London's Buck Primo Levi [Translated from the Italian by Raymond Rosenthal] 81 Answering the Call of the Wild Daniel Dyer 84
4. The Sea-Wolf Early Reviews The Sea-Wolf 99 Literary Notes: Jack London's Remarkable Book 101 New Novels: The Sea-Wolf 103 Contents xi
Recent Fiction: The Sea-Wolf 104 Recent Fiction: The Sea-Wolf William Morton Payne 105 Literature: A Nietzsche Novel 106 Yes, you sent me The Sea-Wolf Ambrose Bierce 107 Jack London's Code of Primitivism Robert H. Woodward 109 Jack London in the Tradition of American Sea Fiction Bert Bender 113
5. The Iron Heel Early Reviews Review of The Iron Heel 129 Current Literature: The Iron Heel Joseph Wanhope 131 Current Fiction: The Iron Heel 133 New and Notable Novels: The Iron Heel Sidney G. P. Coryn 133 In the Realm of Bookland: A New Novel by Jack London 134 Small Contributions Ambrose Bierce 135 Review of The Iron Heel 136 Critique of The Iron Heel Leon Trotsky 137 Jack London's Dream at the Turn of the Century Do Due Due [Translated from the Vietnamese by N. T. Ngoc-Phuong] 139 Looking Forward/Looking Backward: Romance and Utopia in The Iron Heel Christopher Gair 150
6. The Valley of the Moon Early Reviews Jack London's Latest Novel: In The Valley of the Moon He Writes of Love and Sociology E. F. Edgett 167 Jack London Writes Genial "Back to the Land" Book- Latest Fiction Crop 170 Jack London: His Valley of the Moon a Pioneer Story Helen Bullis 171 Fiction: The Valley of the Moon 174 Our Booking-Office Mr. Punch's Staff of Learned Clerks 174 xii Contents
Recent Reflections of a Novel-Reader 175 Introduction to The Valley of the Moon Russ Kingman 177 Jack London's New Woman in a New World: Saxon Brown Roberts' Journey into the Valley of the Moon Jeanne Campbell Reesman 181 The Valley of the Moon: A Reassessment Laurent Dauphin 194
7. General Criticism Jack London's Quest: "The Red One" James Kirsch 201 From the Abyss to the Summit Roger Chateauneu [Translated from the French by Susan M. Nuernberg] 217 Jack London and the Working Class Stephen Conlon 225 Sea Dog and Sea Wolf at Play in the Valley of the Moon Finn Haakon Frolich [Compiled and Edited by Margaret Guilford-Kardell] 239 The Humor of Jack London Jacqueline Tavernier-Courbin 251
Selected Bibliography Suggestions for Further Reading 261 Jack London: A Bibliography of Material in English for 1981-1992 Hensley C. Woodbridge 268
Index 283