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South Sea Tales

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South Sea Tales

By: Jack London
Narrated by: Lloyd James
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About this listen

 Most readers are familiar with Jack London's stories of the frozen northland, such as White Fang and To Light a Fire, but many critics feel he should be equally acknowledged for his fascinating stories of the South Pacific. Here is another remote corner of the world, a background for his magnificently colorful and entertaining Tales of the South Pacific. London is able to pierce the stereotype of his era concerning the "Noble Savage" and present the people who lived on these exotic islands as individuals who had to deal with the white man's intrusions, the racism, foreign diseases, biased legal systems, and brutality. These stories are based on the themes Jack London considered most important: race, culture, justice, and heroism.©1909 Action & Adventure Anthologies Anthologies & Short Stories Classics Fiction Short Stories

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All stars
Most relevant  
Poor editing. There was not a single seconds break between the stories. Often realise I was already listening to the next stories. Lazy editing quite often in audio books.

Excellent writing and reading spoilt by poor editing.

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Missionaries, cannibals and colonialism feature in this collection of short stories where cultures clash to brutal effect. The 'N' word is used repeatedly in The Inevitable White Man - so make sure you have your headphones on. The language is historically appropriate and is an important testimony of a vile attitude but this didn't make it any easier to listen to and I had to take a break because I felt so angry. Likewise, the final story captures the unrelenting misery inflicted by human upon human during this period of history.

The audio is abrupt with each story stopping without a pause. Given the subject matter, a small interlude or musical break would help give the reader time to reflect.

Has he sent whale teeth?

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Loved it, enjoyed every minute off it! Specially the story off two friends and changing names.

True adventure stories

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Some of these stories I could take or leave, but a few were actually quite good. 'The Heathen' and 'The Seed of McCoy' in particular.

The editing is badly done, there is no gap at all between stories. It has the last sentence of one, the title of the next, then right into it with no more of a gap than between two sentences.

Varied, but some good stories

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I am reading everything from Jack London right now, and I love this collection and narration. It draws you in throughout, very much like the spell binding last story of the collection. The editing between the stories is rough, too tight and clipped, seemingly letting the end of each story run into the next, like a wave crashing on top of another. Hopefully this will be fixed. But even with this editing faux pas it’s a beautiful audio book and I listen to it like the ‘page turner’ it is; in one go.

Excellent collection & narration

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Despite the fact this book is set in a different era, most will struggle to accept the racist language. Probably best avoided.
The book lacks any plot and is a collection of random seafaring diary type ramblings. Not the best!

Most will find the language offensive

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