In Sea-Wolf a well-known literary critic, Humphrey
Van Weyden, was a passenger on a ferry boat struck and sank by another boat in
the dense fog of San Francisco Bay. He survives but is floating out of the bay
into the Pacific Ocean. He is spotted by a ship of seal hunters and brought onboard.
He appeals to the ship’s captain, the notorious Wolf Larsen to deliver him or
transfer him to other ships heading into the bay. Larsen declines, and instead
presses him into servitude on board from which he cannot escape. Much later in
the book, the ship rescues survivors of another shipwreck, one of whom is Maud
Brewster, an author headed to Japan for health reasons. Turns out Van Weyden
and Brewster, though they have never met, are familiar with each other's work.
The amount of violence detailed in the novel is
incredible, not just the clubbing of seals, but also violence on and between
crew members. It is easy to understand how Call of the Wild and White Fang
eventually became “Disney-like” family classics, and Sea-Wolf did not.
The captain, Wolf Larsen, is a monster of a
character, surpassing any pirate captain I have ever read of. Although definitely a sailor, he is also
self-taught and well-read. His conversations with Van Weyden on morality and
other philosophical topics are informative, though do not erase the fact that
he is an evil monster.
Long story short, Van Weyden with Maud Brewster
eventually will steal a boat and escape. At six hundred miles from Japan, they
light upon a deserted island, adding another lesson on survival to their
characters. The ending includes their love story, and the return of Wolf
Larsen.
Recommendation:
As an adventure story this cannot be beat. But if you are squeamish about
violence you might want to skip this.
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