What woman would fall in love with milquetoast Humphrey Van Weyden, I ask you?

One of the greatest turn of the century adventure stories I have read. The antagonist Captain Wolf Larson personifies the most powerful conception of human spirit imaginable. As described in the afterward, "Larsen is perhaps the best-drawn and purest example in American literature of a very important type: the rugged individualist who is a law unto himself." For a glance into the ineffable hopelessness of fugitive human strength and ambition, please read The Sea Wolf.

Minus one star for the 1900s misogyny.

I no longer wish I lived in the 19th Century because I would have missed this novel - first published in 1904. It is instantly one of my all-time favorites. Wolf Larsen to date is my favorite character in literature, only Jason from Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury comes close but Jason still falls short.

I normally don't care for philosophy, however Larsen's likening of life to yeast will stick with me for years to come. Aside from the yeasty life, I saved five other quotes from both Larsen and the main Hump. I laughed out loud at some of the dialogue, especially near the end. "I say, Hump's improving, don't you think so? - I don't know, I have never seen him otherwise. - You should have seen him before then." Separately, I remember only one part of the service, and that is, 'And the body shall be cast into the sea.' Was kept on the edge of my seat throughout. The characters greatly suffer. What more could a reader ask for? Nothing.

Will definitely re-read this one again. I checked this copy out from the library but will have to purchase my own for the private collection. Other Jack London novels will need to be read.