The Sea-Wolf

When literary critic Humphrey Van Weyden is pulled from the water after a ferry sinks in San Francisco Bay, he finds himself aboard the Ghost, a sealing schooner bound for the North Pacific. The ship's captain, Wolf Larsen, is a man of immense strength and ruthless intelligence who refuses to put him ashore. Forced to serve as cabin-boy, Van Weyden must learn to survive among a hardened crew and under a captain who sees morality as a fiction.

As the voyage continues, Van Weyden is drawn into a battle of ideas with Larsen, even as he discovers reserves of strength he never knew he had. The arrival of a young poet, Maud Brewster, complicates the tense atmosphere, and the three are soon caught in a struggle of wills that will test their beliefs and their lives.

The Sea-Wolf is a gripping adventure story and a profound exploration of power, survival, and human nature. It will appeal to readers who love classic sea fiction, to students of American literature, and to anyone interested in the philosophical questions London raises. This edition contains the complete text, a new introduction, a character guide, a summary, themes, a glossary, and discussion questions.