The Star Rover: Amazon.ca: Jack London, Lorenzo Carcaterra: Books

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Review

“A genuine quest for the myths of the unconscious. . . . [A work of] true power.” —Andrew Sinclair

Product Description

The Star Rover is the story of San Quentin death-row inmate Darrell Standing, who escapes the horror of prison life—and long stretches in a straitjacket—by withdrawing into vivid dreams of past lives, including incarnations as a French nobleman and an Englishman in medieval Korea. Based on the life and imprisonment of Jack London’s friend Ed Morrell, this is one of the author’s most complex and original works. As Lorenzo Carcaterra argues in his Introduction, The Star Rover is “written with energy and force, brilliantly marching between the netherworlds of brutality and beauty.”

This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the text of the first American edition, published in 1915.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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1.0 out of 5 stars Star Rover Review, Jan 20 2004

By	Tyler - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Rover (Paperback)

Well I think that this book was not the book I was looking for, it starts out well and very descriptive, but as you go on into the book it gets worse and worse, chapter by chapter. I personaly will probably never read another Jack London book because this one was so borring.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Star Rover Review, Jan 20 2004

By	Tyler Ryska (Boise, ID USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Rover (Paperback)

Well I think that this book was not the book I was looking for, it starts out well and very descriptive, but as you go on into the book it gets worse and worse, chapter by chapter. I personaly will probably never read another Jack London book because this one was so borring.

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5.0 out of 5 stars It's Indiana Jones meets HBO's Oz...., Dec 22 2003

By	JunkyardMessiah "jonkadane" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Rover (Paperback)

Jack London's Star Rover surprised me on every page. It's a riveting, action-packed adventure tale filled with gritty heroes and villains, and fascinating settings, both grim and glorious. The protagonist is a fabulous anti hero, a cross between Indiana Jones and a character straight out of HBO's prison drama Oz.

The characters are so well defined, from the sadistic warden to prisoners Ed and Jack, whom we never really see, and only know through intricate, faceless conversations. The lead character, Darrell Standing, is wily, handsome, intrincsically good, but hardened and made cruel by the warden's treatment. Charming and dangerous, he's just the sort of bad-boy we love to root for. Ed and Jack, his two fellow prisoners, are perfect foils, one believing and encouranging, the other skeptical but reluctanly fascinated nonetheless. The warden makes a formidable, multi-faceted villain, at turns weak and cruel, and inventive in his tortures. What a wonderful read!

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars good first half
the first part is really great. the events of a convict's life is presented in an interesting way. the convict finds a means to escape, sort of a meditative way, that makes him... Read more

Published on April 24 2003 by jan erik storeb�

5.0 out of 5 stars Height of human triumph .... not for the faint of heart.
I started to write a review over two years ago after I read this piece, then stopped, deciding to wait, wanting to know whether such poignant effect on my thinking and outlook... Read more

Published on Jul 5 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Six Stars
This is a brilliant, beautiful novel. The idea of escape from a reality of suffering is presented to the reader through wonderful short stories that are layered within the theme... Read more

Published on Dec 15 2000 by TOM HASTINGS

5.0 out of 5 stars The Star Rover
An Excellent, yet not very well known book by Jack London. It's inspired by a real story of an innocently sentenced man, Ed Morrell, whom we find to participate in the book. Read more

Published on Feb 26 2000