2021 March -- To Build a Fire and Other Stories

[Samantha, Creole Literary Belle]

By popular member request, our March short story read is a collection of short stories by Jack London called To Build a Fire and Other Stories. The linked edition is published by Tor Classics and consists of 480 pages. (Please do not feel pressured to read the entire collection. You may read only the title story or selected stories as you desire and still are welcome to participate in the discussion.) According to Goodreads, this edition includes an introduction, biographical note, and afterword by David Lubar. In these collected stories of man against the wilderness, London lays claim to the title of greatest outdoor adventure writer of all time.

Contents:

- To build a fire
- Love of life
- Chinago
- Told in the drooling ward
- The Mexican
- War
- South of the slot
- Water baby
- All Gold Canyon
- Koolau the leper
- Apostate
- Mauki
- An Odyssey of the north
- A piece of steak
- Strength of the strong
- Red one
- Wit or Porportuk
- God of his fathers
- In a far country
- To the man on trail
- White silence
- League of the old men
- Wisdom of the trail
- Batard

[Kathy]

I'll read at least the short story, "To Build a Fire."

[Lesle, Appalachian Bibliophile]

Kathy wrote: "I'll read at least the short story, "To Build a Fire.""

I am in for this read as well!

[Annette]

I’ll start with the title story and what time allows.

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

I requested a collection of his stories from the library, so I will at least read To Build a Fire.

[Georgina]

I’ll join for the title story as well and see if I can fit the others in.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads]

I read To Build a Fire (just the one story) and loved it. I don't always like London as I need my main characters to be human. This was so moving and the descriptions so real!

[Samantha, Creole Literary Belle]

I’m glad you enjoyed the title story, Kelly!

[Kathy]

My Kindle edition of To Build a Fire had both the 1902 and the 1908 versions of the story. Certain parts are quite different in the two versions! I enjoyed the story. (view spoiler)[The 1908 version had me in great suspense. (hide spoiler)]

[Jazzy]

I re-read this too.

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

I read To Build a Fire. London is very good at creating a realistic sense of what is happening.

[Samantha, Creole Literary Belle]

Sounds like London is very good with descriptive language. If not this month, I do need to check out his stories. Everyone here seems to like his writing. I surprisingly never was assigned any of his books in school.

[John Dishwasher]

I read To Build a Fire. London had me in the palm of his hand with that one. Quite a storyteller.