Classics Considered

The Snark , named after Lewis Carroll's poem "The Hunting of the Snark" Jack London's squall-infused, sickness-filled, Snark-y voyage is a sailing classic and product of its time, for better and worse. Compare his tongue-in-cheek narrative with his very real sufferings, his sympathetic view of Molokai versus his feelings of white superiority, or his socialist convictions with his celebrity lifestyle, and you'll find a fully flawed, yet vivid memoir with plenty of takeaways. I would have liked to hear more about his small crew, which is why Penguin was smart to include some excerpts from Martin and Charmian in the back. Overall, an educational adventure into the South Pacific of the early twentieth century. Jack London and Charmian in Hawaii Jack London at the building of the Snark

On this voyage through classic literature, we join Humphrey van Weyden and follow his struggle to survive on the ominous ship The Ghost . A couple of notes on this episode: At one point I mistakenly imply I rated the book 3 stars.  (I actually gave it a 4.) I apologize for the amount of background noise.  It may have been the chair I was sitting in - I'll try to improve the setup next time around.  Have you read The Sea-Wolf (or other similar sea stories)?  Let me know what you thought of it!