To Build a Fire and Other Stories

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.

This ed...more
Paperback, 480 pages
Published May 15th 1999 by Tor Classics (first published 1908)
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Community Reviews

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Anna
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.
Adam
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
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
David Nichols
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
Russell
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
Marvin
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
Christy
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
Raphael
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.
Caitlin
My absolute favorite story in this collection is The Mexican. Read it.
Ricky Orr
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
Chuck

These stories were weirder than I recalled.
Геллее Авбакар
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
Rauf
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
Humberto Hernandez
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
Angelica Fuchs
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
Karen
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.
James Blatter
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
Ms. Risch
"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!!!
carolyn
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.
Katie
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!!
Amblingbooks.com
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.
John
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
blereader
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?
Lyn
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.
Lorrie
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.
Scott
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.
Mark LaMountain
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.
Peter Sadowski
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!
Cassie
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
Doyle Sinclair
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.
Sara
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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To Build a Fire and Other Stories (Paperback)
To Build a Fire and Other Stories (Paperback)
To Build a Fire and Other Stories (Bantam Classics Series)
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To Build a Fire and Other Stories (Paperback)

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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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“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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