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kilforheaven's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
knz_edmo's review against another edition
4.0
Let's talk about the insistence of Man to survive despite overwhelming odds that they, simply, should not.
I had never read a Jack London book before and, to be entirely honest, I had no idea he had even existed. I tend to read newer lit(besides my proclivity for the greeks) and would have never stumbled into this book unless I had randomly gone into a 2nd & Charles thrift store on a random Saturday and picked up this random book covered in brown paper with such a vague description that made it a necessary buy on this day.
Before Adam takes the reader into the origins of ourselves, transporting us to the Pleistocene, when humans were not exactly us that breathe and walk and talk and create culture today. A man suffers from the visions of a previous life, the life of Big-Tooth, his supposed ancestor. Big-Tooth, belonging to a middle developed group called the Folk, has the beginnings of a rudimentary language and the initial foray into technology. But the Folk are not the only humanoid species that exists on the earth at this time and in the latter half of the book, the Folk suffer much from the actions of the Fire People, a group much more closely aligned with modern humanity. And in the same way the Folk poke fun at a lesser group known as the Tree People, much more closely aligned with modern apes.
What I genuinely appreciated about this book is the way that it approached Darwin's ideas of natural selection and although there was limited anthropological information at the time, London does an excellent job of avoiding the "missing link" idea, presenting instead the idea that current humanity was established through many different species generations often intermixing and mingling. London presents three version of what that may have look like in this book but also uses this to show how grief and love and care is not necessarily a human only thing. The beginnings of these ideas we hold so dearly in our culture today can be traced to the beginnings of our lines and the beginnings of us.
Big-Tooth suffers so much, but it is through this that we recognize his humanity. The loss of family, of home, of ourselves is no stranger to us in the modern era.
The missing star is for the pacing of the book, not necessarily the material within. I deeply loved the story of Big-Tooth and his hoard but the pacing just wasn't what I am used to or expected.
Regardless, I highly recommend this book. From what I've read, it's different than Jack London's typical fare. The way he crafts a world full of mystery among those with no words is beautiful.
I had never read a Jack London book before and, to be entirely honest, I had no idea he had even existed. I tend to read newer lit
Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Often, before I learned, did I wonder whence came the multitudes of pictures that thronged my dreams; for they were pictures the like of which I had never seen in real wake-a-day life.
Before Adam takes the reader into the origins of ourselves, transporting us to the Pleistocene, when humans were not exactly us that breathe and walk and talk and create culture today. A man suffers from the visions of a previous life, the life of Big-Tooth, his supposed ancestor. Big-Tooth, belonging to a middle developed group called the Folk, has the beginnings of a rudimentary language and the initial foray into technology. But the Folk are not the only humanoid species that exists on the earth at this time and in the latter half of the book, the Folk suffer much from the actions of the Fire People, a group much more closely aligned with modern humanity. And in the same way the Folk poke fun at a lesser group known as the Tree People, much more closely aligned with modern apes.
What I genuinely appreciated about this book is the way that it approached Darwin's ideas of natural selection and although there was limited anthropological information at the time, London does an excellent job of avoiding the "missing link" idea, presenting instead the idea that current humanity was established through many different species generations often intermixing and mingling. London presents three version of what that may have look like in this book but also uses this to show how grief and love and care is not necessarily a human only thing. The beginnings of these ideas we hold so dearly in our culture today can be traced to the beginnings of our lines and the beginnings of us.
Big-Tooth suffers so much, but it is through this that we recognize his humanity. The loss of family, of home, of ourselves is no stranger to us in the modern era.
The missing star is for the pacing of the book, not necessarily the material within. I deeply loved the story of Big-Tooth and his hoard but the pacing just wasn't what I am used to or expected.
Regardless, I highly recommend this book. From what I've read, it's different than Jack London's typical fare. The way he crafts a world full of mystery among those with no words is beautiful.
viviennelockheart's review against another edition
4.0
Jack London and his coolest imagination. Who knows, maybe his reality.
vacanthungarian's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A nice little story of a different kind of man. I really appreciated the ease of reading (for a classic) and to find such a simple, uncomplicated story for a change. I'm not going to bore myself by trying to dissect some kind of meaning and bring theories about dreams and instinct in o it. Just appreciate the story for what it is. A story.
zofoklecja's review against another edition
3.0
Odd little story with interesting premise. I hoped the now-narrator would play bigger part in it though.
and_camp_89's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
joeure's review against another edition
5.0
This book was about as brutally realistic as "Hurry, Skurry, & Flurry" when it comes to characters you've come to like dying at the hands of nature. Jack London's understanding of human evolution was way ahead of its time in 1907 and is still a bit ahead of its time in 2017.
bilgewhiteman's review against another edition
4.0
Jack London, daha çok küçükken 'Beyaz Diş' kitabıyla tanıdığım ileri görüşlü bir yazar. Ademden Önce ise çok güzeldi. Hala fikirleri aklımda parlıyor. Düşündüren, harika bir kitap.
Ayrıca, Mark Wolynn bu konuya çok benzer bir konuya değiniyor Seninle Başlamadı isimli kitabında. Ona da bakabilirsiniz. En azından ben benzetiyorum.
Ayrıca, Mark Wolynn bu konuya çok benzer bir konuya değiniyor Seninle Başlamadı isimli kitabında. Ona da bakabilirsiniz. En azından ben benzetiyorum.
ergunozden's review against another edition
3.0
Güzel bir kitaptı ama daha iyi olabilirdi bence. Jack London’a başlamak için çok iyi bir kitap değil. Hızlı okuyabileceğim bir kitap olacağını düşünmüştüm ama öyle olmadı pek. Yine de Jack London okumaya devam edicem, tek bir kitapla yazarı yargılamak doğru değil çünkü. Bundan sonraki hedefim de Demir Ökçe.