The Turtles of Tasman [Paperback]

Jack London (Author), 1stWorld Library (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 20, 2007 | ISBN-10: 1421833778 | ISBN-13: 978-1421833774

Law, order, and restraint had carved Frederick Travers' face. It was the strong, firm face of one used to power and who had used power with wisdom and discretion. Clean living had made the healthy skin, and the lines graved in it were honest lines. Hard and devoted work had left its wholesome handiwork, that was all. Every feature of the man told the same story, from the clear blue of the eyes to the full head of hair, light brown, touched with grey, and smoothly parted and drawn straight across above the strong-domed forehead. He was a seriously groomed man, and the light summer business suit no more than befitted his alert years, while it did not shout aloud that its possessor was likewise the possessor of numerous millions of dollars and property.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Jack London is at his best - that peculiar best which is inimitable... Nothing is more important to note, however, than the soundness of the psychology of all these stories. They are made out of the deep fiber of humanity. By command over such material does Jack London hold his place in our literature. By command over the knack of clearly flowing, acid-biting English that often takes rich color." -- Boston Transcript

"Few collections of short stories from the pen of this author show a greater versatility of thought and literary style than The Turtles of Tasman." -- Boston Daily Advertiser --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Jack London (1876-1916), an American novelist and short-story writer whose works deal romantically with elemental struggles for survival. At his peak, he was the highest paid and the most popular of all living writers. Because of early financial difficulties, he was largely self-educated past grammar school. London draws heavily on his life experiences in his writing. He spent time in the Klondike during the Gold Rush and at various times was an oyster pirate, a seaman, a sealer, and a hobo. His first work was published in 1898. From there he went on to write such American classics as Call of the Wild, Sea Wolf, and White Fang. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: 1st World Library - Literary Society (February 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421833778
• ISBN-13: 978-1421833774
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Read "Finis", March 3, 2011

By 

Karl Janssen (Olathe, KS United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Turtles of Tasman (Paperback)

This is one of Jack London's lesser known short story collections. Despite the exotic title, none of the stories take place in Tasmania or the South Seas. Five of the stories take place in northern California, two in the Klondike, and one in an undisclosed location during the paleolithic era. London is primarily famous as an author of wilderness adventure tales and of stories imbued with socialist political ideas. While there are a couple examples of the former, the latter genre is curiously absent from this volume. No politics at all. As an overall body of work, this collection is weak by London's standards, but a few gems shine out from among the rest.

In the opening story, "By the Turtles of Tasman", Frederic Travers, a responsible man of high standing, gets a visit from his dying brother Tom, a globetrotting vagabond. It's a study in contrast between the two men, who each embody opposing aspects of London's character: the successful workaholic vs. the wandering adventurer. The writing is very mature and insightful, indicative of some of the more accomplished work of London's later career.

Another noteworthy story is "Told in the Drooling Ward", a first-person narrative as told by a feeble-minded inmate of a mental institution. London does an admirable job with the narrator's voice and treats the character with sensitivity and respect.

A story I had never heard of that really blew me away was "Finis". A starving man, stranded along the Yukon River in winter, waits to prey upon an unsuspecting traveler in order to save himself. It is as bleak and visceral as London's famous story "To Build a Fire". Suspenseful and skillfully told, it's an excellent story that deserves to be better known.

The other five stories in the collection are "The Eternity of Forms", "The Prodigal Father", "The Hobo and the Fairy", "The First Poet", and "The End of the Story". These range in quality from the disappointing to the forgettable. Like many of London's collections, you have to sift through a few pans of dirt to find the gold nuggets.