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A Daughter of the Snows

Jack London

(NOTE: This is a long review, because at the time of this writing, most of the other reviews, are short and would not have helped me make up my mind about choosing to read the book. So this is quite lengthy, but is designed for the ones trying to decide whether to read it or not.)This book brings out very mixed feelings. I would do 2 1/2 stars if I could. First, this was written in 1902 which means it reflects the thinking of the time and of the setting in Alaska. As well, it is either London's first or second novel, as he wrote two that year. So, as with many young writers, his craft is developing and we can see the difference between a book like White Fang and A Daughter of the Snows. In one way, the book is forward thinking, as its female lead Frona Welse is a very unconventional, independent young woman who returns after about 10 years of education to the wilds of Alaska. It does not hurt that her father is one of the most powerful merchants in Alaska and supplies all the gold prospectors with their rations. His power is shown by the strict rationing of sugar he gives out to even the wealthiest of the Eldorado Kings. At any rate, Frona is by Edwardian and Victorian standards an unconventional woman. Jack London, however, contrasts her to the "burlesque" women who frequent the dance halls and are not considered worthy of socializing with her. Lucille is good enough for the men to dance with, but when she meets Frona on the road, she tries to avoid "sullying" Frona. Frona, on the other hand, has few such thoughts. She tries to be kind and friendly, and when Lucille visits her, she insists the Indian servant bring her in. Later, when Lucille marries Treadway, Frona agrees to stand in as her maid of honor, and with the help of a few others, makes sure that Lucille Treadway and her husband are included in the social set. As well, Frona handles a gun, a dog team, a canoe, rescue operations, and bitter cold without complaints or comment. She is a strong character, and she is actually above reproach in all areas sexual. In another way, this book is about as backward thinking as you can get. The many discussions about the superiority of the white race, in particular the Nordic stock, is overdone, and is really hard to swallow. Since it is a product of its times, the racism has to be viewed as if you were living in 1902 not 2013. I don't know London's views on race and racial superiority. In this book, as in others, he treats the Indians as mainly decent characters. So it is not that he denigrates them, but rather the words of some of his characters espouse the great virtues of the white race over other races. This leaves me to believe that the attitudes of the characters are just that, the attitudes of the characters. As anyone who has read other Jack London books knows, he has really evil characters who treat dogs horribly and others that treat them very well. The problem I have is that both Frona and Vance Corliss, the two sympathetic characters in the book, are the ones discussing and espousing these views. So you can both admire and dislike aspects of Frona.The book centers around Frona Welse, Vance Corliss, and Gregory St. Vincent. The support characters of Del Bishop and Jake Welse round out the characters that are really, truly focused on in this book. There are other characters that are strong, sturdy regulars, but it is sometimes hard to keep them all straight. They include Eldorado Kings, traveling gold prospectors, a few Indians like Bella and Gow, and some French colonel who has not yet learned to paddle a canoe (can't remember his name). Corliss the mining engineer and St. Vincent the traveling correspondent are the chief rivals for Frona's affections, an area where Frona's father says SHE must choose. He promises not to interfere. Here are spoilers, but I'm not hiding them, as they are somewhat predictable. Corliss proposes and is turned down, but Frona wants to remain friends. St. Vincent proposes and is accepted. In the novel, Corliss is presented as the admirable character, ethical, brave, and above reproach. On the other hand, St. Vincent is portrayed as a coward, a lady's man, and a tall-tale spinner. You listen to his tales and you wonder how on earth they could be true. However, the women love him and are charmed by him, and the men almost to a one dislike him. Indeed, after the first big brawl in which St. Vincent is introduced and shown to be a coward, Del Bishop shows a hate for him and seems bent on bringing him down. This will lead us to more spoilers later.The strongest point of this book is the description of the ice break on the river. The great detail devoted to that was AMAZING! I could really get the sense of the ice breaking up, the power and fear of the huge pieces of ice sheering away trees and raising the water level and flooding cabins. It's almost as breath-taking as a picture. (I'm sure there are those who feel it goes on too long over several chapters, but I would say, that is London's strength in a book that often drags in terms of plot, too long for some events, and too little for others.) The book could indeed have been shorter with a lot of inaction and not much happening in the way of character development or theme development. You do get a good sense of the setting == both time and place in this novel. Even in his first novels, London had a way with that. The characters are not overly developed, and yet you fully understand Frona, St. Vincent, and Corliss, so I guess they are developed enough.There two plot points that really do something to make the book are actually interesting. The first is the attempted rescue of the man who collapses on the other side of the river from Split Island. The harrowing canoe attempt to rescue him and to bring him back are interesting and tie directly in with what I said above about enjoying the descriptions of the ice breaking up. They find that he is still alive after 3 days (how???? seems implausible) and that he carries urgent dispatches for Frona's father. They are able to bring him back across the river, but not to Split Island but the other island. Frona sends Corliss to get help for the man or to take him to her father. Meanwhile, Frona comes upon the scene in the one big cabin where Gregory St. Vincent stands accused of killing Bella and her "husband", a very angry, ruminating, dangerous fellow. Frona acts as his defense attorney in this mockery of s trial. All evidence is circumstantial except for Bella's dying words that say St. Vincent is to blame. Predictably, St. Vincent is found guilty by all the miners and is sentenced to immediate hanging. ON the gallows, St. Vincent changes his story to one that reveals him a total coward (his first story was that two masked me came in and there was a huge brawl that killed Bella and the angry man -- whose name eludes me!). One Indian with a scar supposedly came in and Bella and this Indian did in Bella's husband. No one believes Gregory St. Vincent, and he is about to be hung. Just in the nick of time, a raft comes up, a body of a badly wounded Indian named Gow is deposited on shore, and Gregory identifies him as the murderer. After many communication attempts, one of the miners is able to communicate with Gow (in Gow's language) and confirm Gregory St. Vincent's cowardly story. WE are not almost to the end of the book. St. Vincent is set free, but Frona is forever changed in her feelings toward him. He threatens to sully her name with things he THINKS he knows. Then Corliss comes and Frona reveals that her father had to leave for the "OUTSIDE" -- which I assume means outside Alaska because of the dispatches -- and she asks Corliss to take her back to Dawson now that the rivers are free of ice. But the last words in the chapter and the book are directed by Frona to St. Vincent. "'He ...he suggested you,' she added shyly, indicating St. Vincent." I assume HE means her father had suggested that St. Vincent escort her back to Dawson. I have no idea and it is one of the strangest endings I've encountered in a classic. I HATE the ending...it makes no sense. I did not expect Frona to fling herself into Corliss's arms, but I thought she'd walk away from St. Vincent. Not just be standing at the edge of the river between Gregory and Vance. I don't even really see the symbolism,and that is why I include the whole ending here, even if it is a spoiler, because it doesn't SPOIL anything. So do I recommend this book? Yes, if you like to read about the Alaskan goal rush times and like unconventional women characters. NO, if you want well-written, well-resolved plot lines.
Picture of a book: A Daughter of the Snows

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