The Red One

Jack LondonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 212K words
Chapters: 22

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Red One by Jack LondonAuthor: London, Jack, 1876-1916,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 1, 1997

Editor's review

The Red One is a novella by Jack London from his later years, released free in the original English by Project Gutenberg and catalogued under American literature. London is known for adventure stories such as The Call of the Wild and White Fang, and this work continues his interest in the clash between exotic environments, primal forces and human desire. It is short but dense, a useful supplement for understanding his later creative direction. The Gutenberg edition is free to read on a computer, tablet or e-reader, and is especially suited to readers practising close reading of short English fiction: the text is moderate in length, readable in one sitting or in several repeated passes. Note that this is the original English e-book, with no Chinese notes or introduction, so readers need a reasonable vocabulary and the ability to handle long sentences, or they may lose the thread between description and narration. Treat it as a short-reading experiment rather than an entry-level English text.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature fans who want to read lesser-known short fiction by Jack London
Readers with college-level English who want to practise close reading of English short stories
Readers interested in adventure, exotic settings and the theme of human conflict
Teachers and students who need free public-domain English e-books for classroom supplementary reading

Not a good fit for

Beginner readers with weak English who need Chinese notes for support
Readers who only want London's most famous full-length works
Readers expecting a detailed introduction, background notes or a scholarly edition

Reading tips

Read through once for the plot without looking up words, keeping your reading rhythm.
On the second pass, mark recurring key images and character motives, and revisit the relevant passages.
After finishing, write three to five sentences on the story's core conflict to check whether you grasped the main thread.
If using it for English study, choose a passage to translate sentence by sentence, then revise against the original.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or English?

This is the original English e-book released by Project Gutenberg, with the text in English and no Chinese translation or notes. It is a free public-domain resource, suitable for readers with some English reading ability to read the original directly.

Can I read this without having read other works by Jack London?

Yes. It is a standalone novella and does not depend on prior knowledge of other works. However, London's narration often includes strong environmental description and psychological portrayal; first-time readers may want to read a plot summary first before going into the original, to reduce unfamiliarity.

How is the e-edition best read?

Gutenberg e-books can be read on computers, tablets, phones and e-readers, with adjustable font size. It is advisable to use reading software with a dictionary function: mark high-frequency unfamiliar words first and organise them after reading, so as to avoid constantly interrupting your reading rhythm.

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About the author

Jack London Author · American · 1876–1916

Jack London (1876–1916) was an American realist writer born in San Francisco; his original name was John Griffith Chaney. He left school early to make a living, worked as a sailor and a tramp, and once went to Alaska to search for gold. These hard experiences became an important source of his writing. His works cover a wide range of subjects and often focus on the harsh struggle for survival in the northern wilderness, the relationship between humans and animals, and the misery of the lower classes. His style is vigorous and forceful, his plots are tightly constructed, and his writing combines adventure with social criticism. His representative works include The Call of the Wild, The Sea-Wolf, White Fang and Martin Eden. The library holds 91 of his works, including White Fang, Martin Eden, The Iron Heel and The People of the Abyss. He wrote about 50 works in his lifetime and is one of the most widely translated American writers of the twentieth century.