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To Build a Fire and Other Stories

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 1,913 ratings · 86 reviews

Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title—offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.

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Paperback, 480 pages

Published May 15th 1999 by Tor Classics (first published 1908)

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A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor

Complete Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe

Collections of Short Stories

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To Build a Fire and Other Stories by Jack London

Out in the Cold

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Jun 22, 2007 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adolescent

I really had a Jack London phase in middle school. I remember writing a short story based on the same style and even featuring the same morals. Good times.

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Aug 05, 2009 Adam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Gold Prospectors, Those with a passion for cold, Armchair adventurers, Short-story fans

Shelves: fiction, adventure, short-stories

As far as I can recall this marks my first experience with the well known Jack London. 'To Build a Fire' is another book I picked up out of a buddies new apartment in Seoul as he refuses to deal with words in print form. While I at first regretted my decision, I decided to stick with it and was appropriately rewarded! Allow me to explain. . .

First of all, it's been a while since I dug into short stories or, more specifically, classic short stories. I remember signing up for a class in college ca...more As far as I can recall this marks my first experience with the well known Jack London. 'To Build a Fire' is another book I picked up out of a buddies new apartment in Seoul as he refuses to deal with words in print form. While I at first regretted my decision, I decided to stick with it and was appropriately rewarded! Allow me to explain. . .

First of all, it's been a while since I dug into short stories or, more specifically, classic short stories. I remember signing up for a class in college called "Intro to the Short Story" because, hey, what could get easier than that! Boy was I wrong! The point I didn't consider is that for a short story to be interesting, the wording will likely be of utmost importance. This in turn requires to reader to pay much closer attention than one might to say a boring textbook or drawn out novel. Well, skimming my way through the later is certainly my forte. Reading and absorbing every word, well, not exactly!

So, after starting a few of the shorts in this collection, I actually found myself putting it down after only a few pages simply because I couldn't get in to the story. Finally, I dug in my heels, settled into a (not so) comfy exta-long subway ride, and started reading, for content, not for reading's sake!

When I did, well, I liked what I found! The careful choice of language that London uses not only proves to be riveting but also gave me a good couple dozen new ones to look up (which I've yet to do or I'd try 'em out here). What I enjoyed most about these shorts is something that I actually remember us talking about in my Intro class. That is, a short story is meant to convey a single, culminating emotion. That being so, they are best, if not only meant to be, read in one sitting. Once I had this figured out, I was rolling!

I braved my way through the early Klondike tales which eventually became somewhat repetitive, not necessarily in plot or emotion but simply context and characters. Having visited Alaska only from the comfort of Norwegian Cruise Line, I can read only so much about the far-north before becoming slightly disinterested. When I finally broke free of the snow capped tales, I was amazed at how well London could present a wide array characters and settings! To be honest, I thought I'd be stuck at 40 below for the whole book!

The boxing stories had me captivated to the point when I was feeling the blows and actually watching the fights unfold in front of my eyes. I mention this only because as the first one began, I asked myself who would be foolish enough to try and write about a sport that really wasn't even that interesting to watch! Boy was I wrong!

Some of the stories in this collection were great, others good and yet others I need not ever read again. Overall though I was extremely pleased with this book and have found not a new favorite but certainly a new author worth looking into! I'll certainly keep my eyes out for more of London's tales as I hit the backpacking trail soon. . .(less)

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Mar 06, 2013 David Nichols rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While he is probably best-known for his novels (especially CALL OF THE WILD and WHITE FANG), London made much, if not most, of his literary revenue from his short stories. Most of his shorter fiction, as this collection demonstrates, was mediocre, weighed down by unengaging plots, racist language, and one- or two-dimensional characters. There are several very fine pieces here, however, including the title story; "Love of Life," which was apparently the last story Lenin had read to him (he enjoye...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was my choice for independent reading during a couple of months in my junior year of high school. The first set of short stories are set within the Yukon territory and really explore the concepts of man vs. nature and man with nature.

The remainder of the stories explore more of the every-man and one's daily challenges. My favorite out of the bunch is "A Piece of Steak", which is about an aging boxer who is set to box against a younger fighter.

All of these stories in one or more ways deal wi...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Marvin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jack London’s stories have a tendency to lean toward the depressing side of life, especially the ones based on The Klondike. They illustrate Man dealing with the extremes of nature. Hence, nature becomes the equalizing factor among man and animal, reducing humans to their most animalistic and basic form. Neither weather nor animals show mercy for human weakness, and the survival of humans depends mainly on the degree to which they use that ability which is unique to humans; superior intelligence...more Jack London’s stories have a tendency to lean toward the depressing side of life, especially the ones based on The Klondike. They illustrate Man dealing with the extremes of nature. Hence, nature becomes the equalizing factor among man and animal, reducing humans to their most animalistic and basic form. Neither weather nor animals show mercy for human weakness, and the survival of humans depends mainly on the degree to which they use that ability which is unique to humans; superior intelligence.

My favourite stories on The Klondike are Bâtard, Love of Life, and To Build a Fire. I first read Bâtard a while ago in another collection of Jack London; containing The Call of the Wild and Wild Fang, and it still remains one of my favourite London stories. Even though it’s tragic, the tragedy is tempered by the ridiculousness of the characters that is sometimes funny and the dog’s preternatural cunning and intelligence in out-witting his master. Love of Life exemplifies how humans faced with a desperate situation are able to muster fortitude and persevere far beyond their capacity and almost to the point of madness, demonstrating the incredible power of self-preservation. To Build a Fire is one of the most depression stories in the collection and illustrates nature’s answer to human folly. It’s the ultimate tale of man alone (sort of) against the torment of nature. It tells how a man, with repeated failures at attempts to secure his survival, becomes increasingly agitated and helpless which further drives him to his wit’s end and hastens his descent into eternal sleep.

There are a number of uplifting stories (by Jack London standards) of people who, despite having the physical attributes to ascribe weakness, have shown incredible resilience against oppression and hardship; ultimately achieving some measure of success. My favourite among these are The Apostate, Maui, Koolau the Leper, and The Mexican.

Also contained in To Build a Fire and Other Stories are stories which are riveting because of their unusual or uncommon nature. The Wit of Porportuk is about a suitor and his object of affection who manages to outwit her suitor but, in an interesting display of guilefulness, is herself outwitted in return. The God of his Fathers illustrates the folly of a Priest who, after his failed attempts at proselytizing, leaves it to an apostate to defend him against the onslaught of angry natives, the apostate ending up being stronger in his convictions in the face of death. A Piece of Steak is a narrative of the tragic fall from glory of a once great prize fighter and how he is driven to desperation by want of the most basic needs.

Jack London’s writing style is unique because not only does he tell us stories of man out against bleak nature, he also tells us, in-depth, how natives live -– a style that is similar to that of Kipling, one of his heroes, although he thankfully doesn’t share Kipling’s lack of a central conflict.

Part of this book can be a rather difficult chore. It takes a while to adjust to London’s writing technique –- or maybe to get to the good stories, I’m not sure . But whichever it is, by the half-way point, you’ll be glad you persevered.
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Mar 19, 2012 Christy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012

I never knew Kipling and Stevenson were his literary heroes, but it stands to reason. His writing has the same strengths and defects as theirs does: great raconteur-ism, vivid scenes, relentless, graphic gore, a tendency to turgid prose, and thumpingly condescending portraits of the non-white "others" who people his exotic landscapes (portraits that actually seem meant, in London's case, to pay them tribute). There's still something worth looking for in fiction to be found here--maybe a sense, e...more

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Jun 20, 2007 Raphael rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone!

Jack London's short stories are astonishing. I read them last year, and my jaw was agape the entire time. I highly recommend them.

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Jul 21, 2007 Caitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My absolute favorite story in this collection is The Mexican. Read it.

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Jan 08, 2013 Ricky Orr rated it 3 of 5 stars

This collection of 24 short stories was for the most part pretty good. I particularly liked:

'To Build a Fire' - about a man travelling on a very, very cold day on the Yukon trail;

'Told in the Drooling Ward' - as narrated by a life-long mentally-challenged patient in a mental institution;

'A Piece of Steak' - a story about a boxer that is past his prime;

'The White Silence' - an account of a tragic event occuring on the trail between long-time companions;

and 'Batard' - story of a devil-dog, Batard...more

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Aug 04, 2007 Chuck rated it 3 of 5 stars

These stories were weirder than I recalled.

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Dec 06, 2012 Геллее Авбакар rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american-literature

Disclosure:
I got this Edition of Jack London stories free from a friend of mine, I get in English, I have an Electronic version of the Book and soon I am planing to have it in Kindle too.

My Plot:
The story was about an American who was traveling to the Yukon Territory in Canada, he was looking forward to meet some friend there, In fact the Hero's aim from this journey was to look for the Gold, so he took his Husky and Start the Journey in a very cold winter day, He was crossing the River but unf...more Disclosure:
I got this Edition of Jack London stories free from a friend of mine, I get in English, I have an Electronic version of the Book and soon I am planing to have it in Kindle too.

My Plot:
The story was about an American who was traveling to the Yukon Territory in Canada, he was looking forward to meet some friend there, In fact the Hero's aim from this journey was to look for the Gold, so he took his Husky and Start the Journey in a very cold winter day, He was crossing the River but unfortunately he gets wet all over and the Temperature was below - 59. so he chooses to build a fire and gets away from the danger of Freezing, but due to the attempts he made the fire was gone due to a blow of snowy wind, but the will was hot in him so he decide to build another fire but with another desperate will, he was aware that he is going to lose some toe from the Frostbite, but the fire went off again, The main Character decide to kill the dog and warm his toe from the temperature of his body, but he could not get out the knife and could not get the Dog closer too, so he went on a blackout, the Dog comes closer to his master to smell his death body, and went running to the direction where the camps lie, to look for help of his master.

Positive and Negative Aspects:
The story was all nice, I admit that completely, It was the first story to be told without naming the Characters or showing their identities, but speaking of Positives, I would say that this is the first story to put Nature as a Third Character. The whole story was a conflict against the instinct and the logic, and the most winning chance was for the nature. Inside the Story Nature and Instinct were represented in the snow and the Husky, most of the events were against the Main Character who fought in despair. It was a battle against the most needed elements in life, which are fire, water, and air. so the writer was professional in combining these elements through his story. Speaking of Negatives, I would say that nothing annoy me from reading this story, It was written in an Understandable English, and Most of the Elements are quite simple.

My Personal Reaction:
Reading this story made me think of the change that the Dearest American made to the world of Literature, It was a very nice Movement of Change in the story telling Techniques. Jack London made a big difference between American Literature and English Literature. I really enjoy the change that has been the American literature especially in "To Build a Fire". Personally I would admit that this is the first step that made me fall in love with the Literature of this Country.

Recommendations:
I would recommend this story to the new audience of Literature, to all the fans of American Literature and to those who are seeking the change in the world of Literature, Automatically The reader of this story will change the parameters of his favorite type of stories.(less)

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Aug 30, 2009 Rauf rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: fiction, book-of-short-stories, fromthepit, 2009-list, shiny, the-man-jack

First of all I blame Hollywood for making awful, boring films based on White Fang and Call of the Wild. They're the reason I don't pick up anything from Jack London until last week. I had zero interest in reading any of his works. But one night I saw a 1969 film on TV called The Assassination Bureau. I love that film -- everyone should go and see it -- and as it turns out it was based on London's unfinished novel.
Naturally, I jumped in front of the computer and googled the Assassination Bureau b...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Humberto Hernandez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

La constante en la literatura de Jack London es aquella de la ley de la vida, la vida misma de Jack London reflejada en pequeños relatos y pequeños puñetazos a manera de una prosa boxística bastante ágil, el buen Jack permea todo relato de ficción con lo que no podemos imaginar como otra cosa que sus propias experiencias. El escritor conocía bastante bien su oficio, por lo que si bien en algunos relatos no hay mayor trasfondo que el argumento mismo, su prosa está muy bien pulida, Jack London box...more

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May 05, 2013 Angelica Fuchs rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Honestly, this was probably the only book that I enjoyed reading in my realism and naturalism class. Is it a little silly and inaccurate? Or course. This is a book containing a number of short stories you have to take with a grain of salt to enjoy. Compared to the other books we read though, such as The Marrow of Tradition or McTeague, I found Jack London's books to be very fun to read. There is suspense and action. It is good to keep in mind that most of these stories were written for a younger...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While London's book doesn't make for the cheeriest of readings (I believe you could end every one with "...and then he died."), he is indeed a master at spinning a captivating tale. The title story was probably my least favorite and among the most depressing of the collection, but for those who harbor a palate for the macabre, the book will surely delight.

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Mar 25, 2011 James Blatter rated it 5 of 5 stars

I believe there is no more emotional and effecting story written in human history than "To Build A Fire" if this story does not bring you to tears, does not remain with you for the rest of your life than you have no idea what it meansd to be a human and have love and companionship with animals or other humans

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Dec 03, 2011 Ms. Risch rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: never-want-to-read-again

"Hey, I'm going to go take a hike around the Yukon territory in -40 degree temperatures! It'll be fun! What's that you say? Dangerous? Oh, well, I know the area, and I can always build a fire to keep warm!"

*Sigh* You know it's bad when the dog has more common sense than the main character!!!

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Jul 27, 2010 carolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've read the title story and a few others and will come back for the rest later but I really enjoyed To Build a Fire. I really enjoyed that the man is alone, save that suspicious dog that will always survive. I like that his own arrogance gets the best of him. I like stories of man vs wild.

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Aug 01, 2012 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, classic

I read all the Jack London stories when we were in Alaska in 2000. They are so beautifully written - so spare and elegant! Can anyone write like that any more?

To Build a Fire is one of those rare stories - once you read it, you never forget it. I can't say enough for Jack London!!

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Jul 25, 2012 Amblingbooks.com marked it as to-read

Shelves: audiobooks, classics, young, adult, short, stories

A collection of eight of Jack London's best short stories, including his famous 'To Build a Fire.'

Listen to To Build a Fire and Other Stories on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.

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Oct 31, 2007 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

An excellent collection of short stories!

The plot for To Build A Fire can be summarized with: There’s a man in the wilderness and he’s trying to build a fire. In fact, the title itself summarizes the story. But this is a story you have to experience—a summary just doesn’t do it justice. When I first began reading it in high school, I thought, “Okay, so a guy is trying to build a fire…so what else happens? Is there a mystery to it…is there romance…?” There’s no romance…there’s no real mystery. Bu...more

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Jan 23, 2012 blereader rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jack London just can't go wrong; I have not read anything by him that I have not absolutely loved. This book is a nice collection of some awesome stories with interesting facts, such as at what temperature does spit freeze?

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Aug 12, 2011 Lyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

To Build a Fire is story enough by itself, towering over the other stories. Brutal and simple, the perfect Jack London story like David Allen Coe wrote the perfect country and western song. All the important elements are there.

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May 22, 2010 Lorrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-lit

I've read these stories a number of times and enjoyed them. listened to a tape of to build a fire with my family on a trip through Las Vegas, we were still feeling like we might get frostbite.

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Dec 07, 2011 Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars

Masterful evocation of some of the last frontiers, the northwest and the pacific. The land, the sea, the wind, and the cold come alive as their own characters in opposition to human will.

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Apr 01, 2009 Mark LaMountain marked it as to-read

I perused this in a bookstore and liked what I read. There was a manly-man on a dogsled; does it get any better?

Fo rizzle though, the little taste I got was pretty good.

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Apr 13, 2009 Peter Sadowski rated it 4 of 5 stars

You really feel the cold bite you when you read this story. I haven't read all of this one, but I read to build a fire. it was amazing, and Jack London is an amazing writer!

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Jun 07, 2008 Cassie rated it 3 of 5 stars

No matter how brilliant a writer Jack London is, there are only so many times I can read a story where a young man succeeds against all obstacles, only to die in a heroic/tragic/interesting manner. The Klondike section of the book is phenomenal, but the "Other Stories" is hit or miss. Well worth reading, but I would still recommend this one in small doses at a time. Trying to read through the whole thing at once will end up with all of those wonderful stories blurring together, where you can't r...more

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Nov 27, 2009 Doyle Sinclair rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hands down one of the best short stories ever written.

For any writer, this is a must-read. So powerfully written you'll shiver when you read it.

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Feb 20, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not as good as call of the wild and White Fang - but London was a global explorer and these stories show the amazing range of places he visited.

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About Jack London

Jack London was 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 th...more

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The Call of the Wild, White Fang and Other Stories (World's Classics)

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“You have grudged the very fire in your house because the wood cost overmuch!" he cried. "You have grudged life. To live cost overmuch, and you have refused to pay the price. Your life has been like a cabin where the fire is out and there are no blankets on the floor." He signaled to a slave to fill his glass, which he held aloft. "But I have lived. And I have been warm with life as you have never been warm. It is true, you shall live long. But the longest nights are the cold nights when a man shivers and lies awake. My nights have been short, but I have slept warm” — 9 people liked it

“So said Hair-Face, and they killed him, because, they said, he was a wild man and wanted to go back and live in a tree. It was very strange. Whenever a man arose and wanted to go forward all those that stood still said he went backward and should be killed. And the poor people helped stone him, and were fools. We were all fools, except those who were fat and did no work. The fools were called wise, and the wise were stoned. Men who worked did not get enough to eat, and the men who did not work ate too much.” — 3 people liked it

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