Listen and read

Step into an infinite world of stories

  • Read and listen as much as you want
  • Over 950 000 titles
  • Exclusive titles + Storytel Originals
  • Easy to cancel anytime
Try now
image.devices-Singapore 2x

South Sea Tales: "I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them."

Language
English
Format
Category

Fiction

John Griffith "Jack" London was born John Griffith Chaney on January 12th, 1876 in San Francisco. His father, William Chaney, was living with his mother Flora Wellman when she became pregnant. Chaney insisted she have an abortion. Flora's response was to turn a gun on herself. Although her wounds were not severe the trauma made her temporarily deranged.

In late 1876 his mother married John London and the young child was brought to live with them as they moved around the Bay area, eventually settling in Oakland where Jack completed grade school. Jack also worked hard at several jobs, sometimes 12-18 hours a day, but his dream was university. He was lent money for that and after intense studying enrolled in the summer of 1896 at the University of California in Berkeley.

In 1897, at 21 , Jack searched out newspaper accounts of his mother's suicide attempt and the name of his biological father. He wrote to William Chaney, then living in Chicago. Chaney said he could not be London's father because he was impotent; and casually asserted that London's mother had relations with other men. Jack, devastated by the response, quit Berkeley and went to the Klondike. Though equally because of his continuing dire finances Jack might have taken that as the excuse he needed to leave. In the Klondike Jack began to gather material for his writing but also accumulated many health problems, including scurvy, hip and leg problems many of which he then carried for life.

By the late 1890's Jack was regularly publishing short stories and by the turn of the century full blown novels. By 1904 Jack had married, fathered two children and was now in the process of divorcing. A stint as a reporter on the Russo-Japanese war of 1904 was equal amounts trouble and experience. But that experience was always put to good use in a remarkable output of work. Twelve years later Jack had amassed a wealth of writings many of which remain world classics. He had a reputation as a social activist and a tireless friend of the workers.

And yet on November 22nd 1916 Jack London died in a cottage on his ranch at the age of only 40. Here we present South Sea Tales.

© 2014 London Publishing (Ebook): 9781783942633

Release date

Ebook: 29 August 2014

Others also enjoyed ...

  1. Stories Of Ships & The Sea: “And at the instant he knew, he ceased to know.” Jack London
  2. Moon Face & Other Stories: "I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them." Jack London
  3. Love Of Life & Other Stories: “You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” Jack London
  4. One for Sorrow, Two for Joy Tino De Sa
  5. Neighbours & Other Short Stories (Volume 6): Short story compilations from arguably the greatest short story writer ever. Anton Chekhov
  6. The Europeans Henry James
  7. The Short Stories Of Robert Louis Stevenson: "The cruelest lies are often told in silence." Robert Louis Stevenson
  8. The Short Stories Of Mark Twain: "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow." Mark Twain
  9. The Short Stories Of H Rider Haggard: “As I grow older, I regret to say that a detestable habit of thinking seems to be getting a hold of me.” H Rider Haggard
  10. Hyacinth & Other Short Stories - Volume 3: "Children with Hyacinth's temperament don't know better as they grow older; they merely know more." Hector Munro Saki
  11. The Admirable Carfew: A Short Story Collection Edgar Wallace
  12. Henry James Short Stories Volume 8 Henry James
  13. The Vigil and Other Stories Gita V.Ready
  14. The Reverberator Henry James
  15. The Hole In The Wall And Other Stories: “There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people.” G.K. Chesterton
  16. The Face In The Target And Other Stories: “Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.” G.K. Chesterton
  17. The Worm Mike Jones
  18. The First And Last & Other Short Stories: Short story compilation from a Nobel Prize winner in Literature. John Galsworthy
  19. The Beggar & Other Short Stories (Volume 9): Short story compilations from arguably the greatest short story writer ever. Anton Chekhov
  20. The Mistletoe Bough And Other Short Stories: One of the most successful, respected and revered author of the Victorian Era Anthony Trollope
  21. And the Mom Ran Away With the Moon J. R. Nichols
  22. The Real Dope Ring Lardner
  23. Chameleon Short stories of the Supernatural Christina de Mello
  24. These Precious Hours Michael Corrigan
  25. Rain Drops and Caterpillars Anuradha Prasad
  26. Beautiful Star & Other Stories A.D. Swanston
  27. A Ride Across Palestine & Other Short Stories: One of the most successful, respected and revered author of the Victorian Era Anthony Trollope
  28. Shades in Shadows - A Collection of Short Stories Dr. Usha Sridhar
  29. Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman - Stories Of The Supernatural: Victorian era supernatural collection from one of the eras most prominent supernatural women authors Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman
  30. Judgement Mike Jones
  31. Tones of Silence Krishnapriya Kamalakshan
  32. The Short Stories Of Charlotte Riddell Charlotte Riddell
  33. The Supernatural Stories Of John Buchan: “He disliked emotion, not because he felt lightly, but because he felt deeply.” John Buchan
  34. Rudyard Kipling - The Army Of A Dream & Other Short Stories: A collection of short stories that need to be told Rudyard Kipling
  35. The Short Stories Of MR James: “What is all this love for if we have to go out into the dark?” MR James
  36. The Femme Fatales Of Horror - Volume 3: Scary stories of suspense, mystery, ghosts and more all by women authors Amelia Edwards
  37. Without Expiration: A Personal Anthology William R. Hincy
  38. The Yellow Wallpaper: “Through literature we know the past, govern the present, and influence the future.” Charlotte Perkins Gilman
  39. Time is a Fine White Lie: Postmodern Musings William Steffey
  40. The King In Yellow: “There a painless death awaits him who can no longer bear the sorrows of this life.” Robert W. Chambers
  41. Little Red and Other Stories Éilís Ní Dhuibhne
  42. Twenty Short Stories Avnish Anshu
  43. The Fantastic Worlds of Yuri Vynnychuk Yuri Vynnychuk
  44. The Final Accounting Rabindranath Tagore
  45. Rudyard Kipling - Bank Fraud & Other Short Stories: A collection of short stories that need to be told Rudyard Kipling

Features:

  • Over 950 000 titles

  • Kids Mode (child safe environment)

  • Download books for offline access

  • Cancel anytime

Most popular

Unlimited

For those who want to listen and read without limits.

S$12.98 /month
3 days for free
  • 1 account

  • Unlimited Access

  • Unlimited listening

  • Cancel anytime

Try now

Unlimited Bi-yearly

For those who want to listen and read without limits.

S$69 /6 months
14 days for free
Save 11%
  • 1 account

  • Unlimited Access

  • Unlimited listening

  • Cancel anytime

Try now

Unlimited Yearly

For those who want to listen and read without limits.

S$119 /year
14 days for free
Save 24%
  • 1 account

  • Unlimited Access

  • Unlimited listening

  • Cancel anytime

Try now

Family

For those who want to share stories with family and friends.

From S$14.90/month
  • 2-3 accounts

  • Unlimited Access

  • Unlimited listening

  • Cancel anytime

2 accounts

S$14.90 /month
Try now