The Literature Book

THE CALL OF THE WILD

(1903), JACK LONDON

The masterpiece of American writer

London (1876–1916), The Call of the

Wild, a popular and unashamedly

emotional tale of survival, is set

during the 1890s Klondike gold

rush in Alaska. The main character

is a dog, half Saint Bernard, half

Collie, purloined from a California

ranch and set to work as a sled dog

in faraway Alaska. He suffers abuse

by his owners and aggression from

a rival dog before finally turning

feral. Shedding civilization and

relearning primitive ways, he

becomes leader of a wolf pack.

NOSTROMO

(1904), JOSEPH CONRAD

Polish-born novelist Conrad (see

p.197), a mariner for 20 years, took

British citizenship in 1886 and wrote

in English. Nostromo, subtitled “A

Tale of the Seaboard,” is an

analysis of politics, revolution, and

and there are health warnings in

place, creating an atmosphere of

dissolution. The book is a Freudian

reflection on both the degenerative

force of illicit homoerotic passion

across the generations, and of the

profound poignancy of aging.

SONS AND LOVERS

(1913), D. H. LAWRENCE

A partly autobiographical exploration

of the working-class family and

romantic relationships, Sons and

Lovers is often seen as Lawrence’s

finest work. Set in the mining region

where Lawrence was brought up,

the book tells the story of a young

budding artist, Paul Morel, who

has romantic involvements with

an unyielding, religiously minded

girlfriend and a married woman—

both of whom are overshadowed by

Paul’s mother, with whom he shares

a close, suffocating bond. Paul’s

father is violent and uneducated,

which adds to family tensions. The

book is an unsentimental portrait

of childhood, adolescence, the clash

between generations, and familial

possessiveness and grief, set

within a closely observed social

setting. The mother’s unfulfilled

life and final fatal illness are

poignantly depicted.

IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME

(1913–1927), MARCEL PROUST

Published in seven volumes over

15 years, In Search of Lost Time, or

Remembrance of Things Past, is

the masterpiece of French writer

FURTHER READING

corruption that plays out in a

fictional republic of South America,

and an important examination of

postcolonial global capitalism.

Fused with these themes is a tale of

adventure that traces the fortunes of

the eponymous hero, a man of

principle. This is a dark work, full of

betrayal and disillusion. Much of

the story—even the climax—is

conveyed by flashbacks.

ETHAN FROME

(1911), EDITH WHARTON

The most popular work of American

author Wharton (1862–1937), Ethan

Frome is narrated by a visitor to a

New England town who is intrigued

by one of its residents, Ethan Frome,

a dour and monosyllabic farmer.

Switching from the first person to

an extended third-person flashback,

the novel tells the tragic tale of the

secret love of Frome for his wife’s

cousin, and the tragic outcome of a

snowy “smash-up” that occurred 24

years earlier. The themes of passion,

thwarted emotions, resentment, and

frustration are magnified against

the harsh rustic environment.

DEATH IN VENICE

(1912), THOMAS MANN

The most famous novella by German

Nobel Laureate Mann (see p.227),

Death in Venice is about a famous

author suffering from writer’s block,

who takes a short vacation in the

Italian city of the title, where he

becomes obsessed by a 14-year-old

boy. Cholera has been detected

240

They were savages, all of

them, who knew no law but

the law of club and fang.

The Call of the Wild

Jack London

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