Alaska Kid • Jack London

When it comes to choosing my vacation reading, I’m usually quite selective. This year, however, I simply grabbed a few books from my rather manageable to-be-read pile and tossed them into my beach bag. One of them was an adventure novel by Jack London—and there’s nothing better than the sea and a good story set in the cold of Alaska to cool off during the summer heat.

There are hardly any attractive or nicely designed editions of Jack London’s works available today, which I really don’t understand, since his novels are thrilling and absolutely worth reading. Most editions you find are old ones aimed at young readers or children. Since it didn’t make much difference, this time I opted for an old linen-bound East German edition from 1955, explicitly marked “Not for sale in the West.” Well, that didn’t work out as intended—now the book has found its way to Bavaria and has even been read by a Bavarian. Of course, it doesn’t have an ISBN yet, since those weren’t introduced in Germany until the late 1960s. Somehow, I still like this little scruffy book with its cloth cover and yellowed pages.

The book tells the story of Christopher Bellew, who, after completing his studies, indulges in the bohemian lifestyle of San Francisco, where he is simply known as Kid Bellew. After his uncle teases him for not being a real man, and driven by a growing sense of adventure, he sets off for Klondike to prove himself and witness the Gold Rush—though he himself does not succumb to gold fever. In the far north, “Alaska Kid” experiences plenty of adventures. The reader follows him through the untouched wilderness of Alaska, along his journey to Dawson and the Yukon River. London brings the typical atmosphere of that era vividly to life, letting us witness the rush toward newly discovered lands rumored to contain gold, thrilling dog sled races, and Alaska Kid’s gambling nights in dark, smoky saloons.

London has a wonderfully smooth writing style, and his books are very pleasant and easy to read. Alaska Kid’s adventures are consistently exciting, and it’s clear to me why London was so successful. It’s light reading, yes—but full of atmosphere, engaging storytelling, and a solid dose of adventure. I could have gone on reading forever, as the later chapters are self-contained stories from Alaska Kid’s life, each with its own suspenseful arc and neat conclusion. It’s simply relaxing and entertaining.

If you’re looking for a good vacation read, I can only recommend picking up one of these charmingly shabby, low-budget editions of Jack London’s works. I’ve already ordered The Call of the Wild, again for a real bargain price. The Klondike Gold Rush setting is just perfect—with its wilderness and solitude, but also the hustle of adventurers of the time, who endured tremendous hardship, dragged heavy gear through freezing cold, and whose lives constantly hung by a thread in the unforgiving landscape.

Conclusion: With Alaska Kid, you get an engaging and entertaining read set during the evocative days of the Klondike Gold Rush, filled with adventure and vivid episodes from Alaska Kid’s life. You really can’t go wrong with this worn-out 1950s East German edition—the tattered book has its own special charm and costs less than two euros (shipping included). An absolute low-budget adventure novel reading tip!

Book information: Alaska Kid • Jack London • Verlag Tribüne Berlin • 235 pages