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The Sea-Wolf (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels) Paperback – January 1, 1999

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 969 ratings

The Sea-Wolf is a 1904 psychological adventure novel by Jack London about a literary critic Humphrey van Weyden. The story starts with him aboard a San Francisco ferry, called Martinez, which collides with another ship in the fog and sinks. He is set adrift in the Bay, eventually being picked up by Wolf Larsen. Larsen is the captain of a seal-hunting schooner, the Ghost. Brutal and cynical, yet also highly intelligent and intellectual, he rules over his ship and terrorizes the crew with the aid of his exceptionally great physical strength.
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From the Publisher

Two men in a rowboat with a sailing vessel in the background

The Sea-Wolf by Jack London Dover Thrift Editions Classic Novels
Novelist, journalist, and social activist Jack London (1876–1916) rose from abject poverty to international fame.

“My mistake was in ever opening the books.”

“You stand on dead men's legs. You've never had any of your own. You couldn't walk alone between two sunrises and hustle the meat for your belly”

Jack London began his career at sea, and his shipboard experiences imbue The Sea-Wolf with flavorful authenticity.

Hailed by critics as one of the greatest sea stories ever written, rousing adventure offers a fascinating combination of gritty realism and sublime lyricism in its portrayal of an elemental conflict.

Humphrey Van Weyden becomes an unwilling participant in a tense shipboard drama. A deranged and abusive sea captain perpetrates a shipboard atmosphere of increasing violence that ultimately boils into mutiny, shipwreck, and a desperate confrontation.

Dovers Thrift Edition Library of classic literature - a long standing mission of exceptional value

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dover Pubns (January 1, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0486411087
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0486411088
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.59 x 5.24 x 8.27 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 969 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
969 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They describe the story as captivating, compelling, and engrossing. The writing is described as descriptive, superb, and beautifully expressed. Readers appreciate the interesting, distinct, and complex characters. The book provides an insightful look into Wolf Larson's psychology and humanity.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

71 customers mention "Readability"66 positive5 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They describe it as a great classic with interesting twists. While some find the language archaic, they had no issues reading it. The book is well-organized and has superb materials.

"...at his best - excellent background on all phases of seamanship, Masterpiece made by carefully threading an intimate relationship among the brutal..." Read more

""The Sea-Wolf," is an old Jack London classic. A great book for English Lit. and has surely been the focus of stacks of term papers...." Read more

"...A great book, and a demanding read." Read more

"...some of the language was a trifle archaic, I had no problems reading this wonderful antique...." Read more

59 customers mention "Story quality"54 positive5 negative

Customers find the story captivating and compelling. They describe it as an engrossing adventure with an interesting start. The book is described as a complex drama with an intriguing love story at the end. Readers find the story thought-provoking and detailed.

"...personal discovery and growth along with a love story are seamlessly wrapped together and proved to me that "The Sea-Wolf," is a classic worthy..." Read more

"Jack London's The Sea Wolf is a complex drama that would never be written today. It is clearly constrained by the Victorian morality of the time...." Read more

"...A friend recommended The Sea-Wolf, and I'm glad he did. London's well-told tale is a great adventure story, yet it is much more...." Read more

"Read for book club; entertaining and intriguing to a degree, but not that enjoyable. Wolf Larsen is a fantastic character." Read more

44 customers mention "Writing quality"31 positive13 negative

Customers enjoy the descriptive writing style of Jack London. They find the tale gripping and well-told, with vivid descriptions of nature and psychology. The writing is colorful and gripping, providing an explicit view of sailors' lives and sailing terminology.

"Jack London is at his best - excellent background on all phases of seamanship, Masterpiece made by carefully threading an intimate relationship..." Read more

"...A sailing adventure, a struggle for survival, the waxing and waning of dominance, personal discovery and growth along with a love story are..." Read more

"...The writing was superb and though some of the language was a trifle archaic, I had no problems reading this wonderful antique...." Read more

"...London's writing is so good, I believe as an adult I will get something more out of The Call of the Wild and White Fang than I did as a child; I..." Read more

23 customers mention "Character development"23 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters interesting, complex, and distinct. Some reviewers mention that the Darwinist characters have become human. The book explores humanity and the complexity of the psyche.

"...London's Wolf Larsen creation was a chilling and fascinating man whose malice knew no bounds, and whose knowledge of intellectual subjects was book-..." Read more

"..." is stellar too as London creates great images and keeps the deep characters limited and vivid...." Read more

"...Wolf Larsen is a fantastic character." Read more

"Wow! What a ride. I loved this adventure, the interesting characters, the brutal action, the transformation of Hump, the evil of Wolf Larson...." Read more

18 customers mention "Insight"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and thought-provoking. They describe it as a compelling look into the psychology of Wolf Larson and an in-depth look at humanity and the complexity of life. The author uses a gripping style to communicate lasting truths.

"...Throughout the pages, London imparts much existentialist philosophy without it ever seeming forced, or extraneous to the storyline...." Read more

"...Regardless of this glaring flaw , an engaging meditation on idealism vs materialism by one of America's most idealistic voices...." Read more

"...It uncovers the nature of the human race and the struggle of good against evil. A brilliant book that I am glad I have re-read after many years." Read more

"As a sailor myself, I really enjoyed and appreciated the difficulties of the captain and crew. Crossing the Pacific is a challenge today...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2013
    "The Sea-Wolf," is an old Jack London classic. A great book for English Lit. and has surely been the focus of stacks of term papers. But, if that drives you away from reading this tale, you will miss a great read!
    I took this book on after burning through "Call of the Wild, " and "White Fang," on my new Kindle. My first experience with Jack London and both wonderful reads. These two books gave me a lot of insight into the themes that show up in " The Sea-Wolf." So, I can recommend both of the classics as great reads which will supplement understanding "The Sea-Wolf. "
    I discovered some of my all time favorite paragraphs in "Call of the Wild," and "White Fang." When Jack London is hot, he can really bang out some thought provoking and powerful images. For me, perhaps more so in the first two reads than in "The Sea-Wolf." Still, "The Sea-Wolf ," is a great adventure and a page burner on it's own. London can, and does, pour it on with his brilliant ship handling and seamanship scenes. Character development in "The Sea-Wolf " is stellar too as London creates great images and keeps the deep characters limited and vivid.
    A sailing adventure, a struggle for survival, the waxing and waning of dominance, personal discovery and growth along with a love story are seamlessly wrapped together and proved to me that "The Sea-Wolf," is a classic worthy of a revisit or an introduction to Jack London's great writing.

    Paul S Lewis
    19 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2024
    Jack London is at his best - excellent background on all phases of seamanship, Masterpiece made by carefully threading an intimate relationship among the brutal sea.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2013
    I had not read any Jack London since reading The Call of the Wild and White Fang when I was a boy. A friend recommended The Sea-Wolf, and I'm glad he did. London's well-told tale is a great adventure story, yet it is much more. Throughout the pages, London imparts much existentialist philosophy without it ever seeming forced, or extraneous to the storyline. His trick in doing that lies in his complex characters, notably Wolf Larsen, the likes of which I've never before encountered! London's writing is so good, I believe as an adult I will get something more out of The Call of the Wild and White Fang than I did as a child; I have just added them to my reading list.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2016
    Jack London's The Sea Wolf is a complex drama that would never be written today. It is clearly constrained by the Victorian morality of the time. That said, it is thoroughly engaging, even if one is not familiar with the nautical terminology. Not to give away the plot, it is a necessarily allegorical tale of good and evil, superbly told. London was clearly influenced by Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast" as well as Shakespeare's "The Tempest." Caliban is in full force here, as is Ariel (female version). But it is the clash of humanistic philosophies that is most interesting, aside from the blazing sea adventure, unlikely as it is. London, of course was a seaman for much of his astonishing life, so it is unfathomable that he did not recognize the impossibility of the chain of events. It is ever more to his credit as a story-teller, that the reader never "gives up The Ghost" (pun intended). This is a classic story, one that should be on the reading list of every undergraduate Literature class. Unlikely as it is, these days.
    28 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2002
    When I first dipped into THE SEA WOLF, I was struck by its similarity to CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS. Humphrey van Weydon's ferry-steamer, The Martinez, is rammed by another ship in San Francisco Bay in a heavy fog. Van Weydon is rescued by Wolf Larsen, captain of the seal-hunter, The Ghost. Larsen refuses to take Van Weydon ashore, laughing at his offer of money. Once again, I am reminded of another famous book, MOBY DICK, and Larsen is Captain Ahab. Ruthless and single-minded, Larsen decides to make Van Weydon his cabin boy on this four month trip to provide seal pelts for fashionable American women. Van Weydon resists until Larsen catches hold of his arm and squeezes. A man of letters who freely admits never working a day in his life, Van Weydon does everything he's told from that point on, including aiding and abetting the Captain as he mistreats his crew.
    Early on we learn some of Larsen's motivation when he and Van Weydon have a literary discussion. We discover that Larsen is a literary bully. He's never spent a day in school, but he reads Shakespeare, Robert Browning and John Milton. London's theme becomes clear and Larsen and van Weydon argue about immortality, van Weydon declaring that man has a soul; Larsen retorting with a Scrooge-like "Bah!" And suddenly we have the first gleanings of an existentialist novel. If there were no God, how should man behave? Larsen, seeing evil everywhere he looks, decides he will do whatever is best for him personally.
    The conflict is not precisely good versus evil. Van Weydon is a weakling, a pampered rich man, a coward. There is also much to admire about Wolf Larsen. He outduels seven men during a mutiny. He's constantly reading, constantly trying to understand. When Van Weydon's story arc begins to ascend--he learns seamanship, rebuilds the ship when its masts are destroyed--we can't help but give Larsen a bit of credit. Larsen never took no for an answer, no task was too difficult.
    Another interesting element in the book is London's fledgling steps toward women's liberation. Van Weydon falls in love with another castaway, Maud Brewster, and together they overcome storms, isolation on a small seal rookery, and sabotage.
    I guess I knew London was a better writer than the man who wrote CALL OF THE WILD (His short story "To Build a Fire" is one of my favorites), but I wasn't expecting a philosophical discourse wrapped around a sea adventure.
    55 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Sean
    5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite Jack, London book
    Reviewed in Canada on July 17, 2023
    An excellent read
  • Graham
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sea wolf
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2023
    An utterly rivetting read that totally immersed me in the story from start to finish.
    Thank you all the people responsible in converting this book electronically.
    Jack London was a marvelous author for whom I will be reading more of his work
  • Ratheesh Nair
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read
    Reviewed in India on May 24, 2021
    A must read for aspiring book lovers. Best of Jack London's.
  • Syed
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cheapest quality paper.
    Reviewed in India on January 15, 2018
    Paper quality is too cheap for this price. Do not buy from bantam classics.
  • Cody
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic philosophical adventure
    Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2015
    I picked this up so I could better help a high school student I was tutoring. Surprisingly philosophically heavy for that age group but an engaging and thought-provoking read. I don't know how I missed this one in all the books I read for my English degree. Less fun perhaps than Lord of the Flies, but explores perspectives on human nature, theology, social structures, education, and experience (to name a few) in a "prison camp"-type setting (in this case, trapped on a ship). Worth the read if you're in a thinking-adventure mood.