Love of Life, and Other Stories
by Jack London (1876–1916)
- Free to read
- 3 hours to read
- 8 chapters
- Reading level: 5th grade
"Love of Life, and Other Stories" by Jack London is a collection of short stories written during the early 20th century. The opening story, titled "Love of Life," introduces readers to the harsh realities of survival against the odds, as it follows two men, Bill and another unnamed man, who are struggling in the unforgiving wilderness of the Canadian Barrens. The themes of despair, endurance, and the innate will to survive are prominently explored as the characters contend with their physical and emotional hardships. The beginning of "Love of Life" immerses us in the daunting landscape, where the two men are heavily burdened and clearly exhausted. One man, whose sprained ankle hampers him, desperately calls out to his companion Bill, who continues on without looking back. This sets up a poignant tension as he comes to realize his isolation and the overwhelming challenge of survival in an empty and desolate wilderness. We witness his internal battles against fear and despair as he fights to overcome physical pain and the gnawing hunger that threatens his existence, ultimately embodying the predominant theme of survival against both nature and human instinct in Jack London's writing.
- Fiction
- Short stories
- Western stories
- Adventure stories, American
Read the opening
Love of Life
"This out of all will remain—
They have lived and have tossed:
So much of the game will be gain,
Though the gold of the dice has been lost."
They limped painfully down the bank, and once the foremost of the two men staggered among the rough-strewn rocks. They were tired and weak, and their faces had the drawn expression of patience which comes of hardship long endured. They were heavily burdened with blanket packs which were strapped to their shoulders. Head-straps, passing across the forehead, helped support these packs. Each man carried a rifle. They walked in a stooped posture, the shoulders well forward, the head still farther forward, the eyes bent upon the ground.
"I wish we had just about two of them cartridges that's layin' in that cache of ourn," said the second man.
His voice was utterly and drearily expressionless. He spoke without enthusiasm; and the first man, limping into the milky stream that foamed over the rocks, vouchsafed no reply.
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About this edition
This free edition of Love of Life, and Other Stories by Jack London comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #710, released 1996-11-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Short Stories, Adventure, American Literature.
Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).
