The House Behind The Cedars Book

Star Rover by Jack London - Uleash the Powers of Your Mind I've struggled with how to review this one. It's getting five stars because I think it's greater than the sum of its parts. The book description states that this is a collection of closely related short stories. Having read it, I think that's either a mistake or a very sad attempt to water down, what I feel is a very thought provoking story. Jack London, for his day, was a great researcher and shrewd observer of the human condition. In fact, I think that particular aspect of his genius for writing has been overlooked. I'm not an expert on literary history, but I wonder if Jack London had not supported socialist views, or if the United States had not been paranoid of Socialists to the point of blindness how his writing would have been perceived. Perhaps it might not have made a difference. As I understand things, with my limited brain, observations of the Human Condition do not have a political persuasion, or perhaps it's that their message transcends political beliefs, or even perhaps the struggle of the human spirit is larger than any political party or caucus. I'm certain that Jack London's book Star Rover can be looked at in many ways. I'll focus on the three of them that ring truest to me. First, as a historical novel (historical fiction) that offers a look into life at the turn of the century and the dark ugliness in our nations prisons. In a strange twist of fate, London's book supports the work of his alleged father, attacking the practice of "jacketing" as a cruel and inhumane practice used by Warden's and prison guards to punish, interrogate, or torment prisoners. There is rarely a good reason to torture somebody. I say Jack's alleged father because the individual, William Chaney, was an astrologist and journalist. About the time this book was released he was working to force the state government of California to stop "Jacketing" and other inhumane practices in the state's prisons. To prepare for this book, Jack London interviewed Ed Morrell in prison. Though his main character is Professor Darrell Standing, Standing is largely based on the testimony of Ed Morrell who claims to have been a Star Rover, like Standing in the book. He also featured Ed Morrell in the book as one of the prisoners in solitary confinement with Darrell Standing who served as sort of a mentor. So, even though London does not claim to be a star rover, the tale is based on reports from someone who, at least, believes that they were. London also helped win Ed Morrell's release from prison and remained his friend until London's death in 1913. Ed Morrell wrote a play, that went nowhere, based on his life that he tried to publish in 1925. But the genius of London does not stop there. Standing believes in reincarnation. "Star Roving" is much like what people have often referred to as "Astral Projection." Standing used "Star Roving" as a means of going back through the daisy chain of lives his spirit has been part of and re-living them, or part of them. This is another place Jack London's true life adventures and his shrewd observation and keen memory of details and dogmatic researching show his genius. It is true that some of the stories are not verifiable, but most of them involve times and events in history which are. For example, the story of the man stranded on a small rocky island after his ship is lost in a storm is based on a true accounting and documented in the Philadelphia Museum. The sad, yet triumphant story of the European Sailor marrying a Korean woman, then suffering for decades at the hands of a politically powerful rival is based on a true story and verifiable. Perhaps the most valuable historical account is the accounting of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, which London tells through the eyes and mind of a young boy. This account, though a fictional story, is considered by many to be one of the most accurate accounts of the tragic attack. There was also a very interesting story about a man who was friend with Pilot at the Crucifixion of Christ, who was dumped by the love of his life, a Christian, because he wanted to flee with her rather than help Christ Escape. Though all of these stories are fiction, they are likely also accurate accounts based on what was known at the time. How much value we should place on historical fiction is debatable and conclusions about what is and is not relevant are subject to individual understanding on an account by account basis. The second way to look at this is as a story with "Spiritual" value. The opening story, offers an interesting twist on what is fair and just, and how human nature can be easily corrupted when one group believes they have been given power over another. We have inmates, who are clearly guilty of heinous crimes. Darrell Standing admits that he murdered a colleague, Ed Morrell was a renegade bank and train robber and what we might call a "domestic terrorist today" but was just considered a criminal in his day. Put in this story, the prisoners become the victims of a brutal system. There are several stories about the enduring spirit of man, where Standing, in a past life, endures tortures and harsh treatment, heroic survival and isolation under the most difficult circumstances imaginable. Yet, as thought provoking as these stories are, London does not draw any conclusions. Darrell Standing is simply a reporter of history here, not a judge. It's like London's famous short story "To Build a Fire." In the end, the man dies and we are left with an enormous unsettled spiritual argument about the nature of man, the wisdom of man's attempt to conquer nature and the right of man to believe his species should dominate the world. Each of the stories in this book offer a look at complex dilemma's facing mankind. Is it honorable (right) to kill rather than give women over to someone else? How can anyone ever justify a brutal slaughter of innocent people? Can love really conquer all? Are we really strongest, or able to withstand more punishment at our weakest not at our strongest? There is no way these stories were written without any spiritual significance when they talk about man, murder, God, Christ, overcoming Nature, and inhumanity to man. Even if London had never intended a spiritual observation, there is clearly one here. The third, and darker way of looking at this, that is not proven one way or the other. That would be that Darrell Standing has an autobiographical side to him. This is about Jack London finding escape from the pain and torture of failing kidneys and likely gallstones disease and renal colic. In John Barleycorn: The Memoirs of an Alcoholic, London called his bouts with alcohol (drinking) "adventures." When he wrote Star Rover he was in pain much of the time and taking morphine to get through the day. Perhaps his adventures under opium were far different than they had been with alcohol. Where Alcohol (John Barelycorn) trudged alongside him step by step whispering in his ear like the Devil, once he was no longer physically able to adventure, Opium released his soul to find new adventures in his mind. It's my opinion that this book is a little bit of all three.Five StarsSuitable for any reader.