Jack London and the Sea

“This superb book is a lasting contribution to Jack London studies, Naturalism, and American literature by a highly recognized expert on London’s literary works and an experienced sailor.”
—Jeanne Campbell Reesman, author of Jack London’s Racial Lives: A Critical Biography
 
“Duneer’s fresh discoveries and interpretations, informed by her deep knowledge of London, of maritime traditions, and of travel narratives and literary treatments of the sea, make this book an original and significant contribution to the fields of American literature, maritime literature, and Jack London studies.”
—Donna Campbell, author of Bitter Tastes: Literary Naturalism and Early Cinema in American Women’s Writing
 
“Jack London and the Sea is an impressive achievement. Drawing upon a thorough understanding of nautical lore, both actual and fictional, Anita Duneer documents the centrality of the sea to London’s work, with illuminating connections to historical, literary, contextual, and manuscript sources. Duneer shows that London’s sea fiction is a significant body of work rivaling the importance and influence of his better-known Klondike fiction. Written in lucid prose and an engaging style, Jack London and the Sea is a rich and provocative study, sure to interest readers of London’s work and South Seas fiction more generally.”
—Keith Newlin, Editor, Studies in American Naturalism
 

“Duneer’s Jack London and the Sea places London in the context of Cooper, Melville, Dana, Kipling, Norris, Conrad, and Stevenson. Her thematic examination of London’s sailing history and interests covers London’s inconsistent treatment of race given his point of view as a white colonial; his progressive depiction—inspired by his wife, Charmian—of strong female characters; and the limited potential of his imperialist critique. Duneer explains her purpose in the introduction: “The sea provides a dynamic setting for London’s navigation of romance, naturalism, and realism to interrogate key social and philosophical dilemmas of modernity.”” Recommended.
—CHOICE

"Jack London and the Sea is an exemplary work of scholarship that models the use of sound methods and resources, as well as an attuned understanding of current critical interests. . . Duneer explains the uneasy coexistence of romanticism and social realism in London’s sea fiction in a manner that honestly attends to the author’s blind spots and to the progressive aspects of his writing."
—American Literary Realism