Adventure

Adventure is a book by Jack London, first published in 1911. Set in the South Seas, the novel centres on David Sheldon, an English planter struggling to keep his remote Solomon Islands plantation afloat amid illness, labour unrest, and mounting hostility from neighbouring traders and indigenous groups. Isolated by geography and circumstance, Sheldon embodies the rigid colonial mindset of his era, valuing discipline and order in a world that constantly resists his control. The story gains momentum with the arrival of Joan Lackland, a strong-willed and capable woman whose presence disrupts Sheldon’s carefully guarded routines. As they face external threats - including raids, economic sabotage, and the dangers of tropical disease - their uneasy partnership becomes a test of endurance, trust, and survival. London vividly depicts plantation life, the harsh realities of colonial commerce, and the volatile balance of power in the Pacific islands. More than an adventure tale, the novel explores themes of imperialism, race, and human resilience under pressure. Drawing on his own experiences in the South Pacific, Jack London brings authenticity to the setting while questioning the assumptions and moral certainties of Western expansion. Adventure stands as a late-period work in London’s career, combining action, psychological tension, and social commentary within a classic adventure fiction framework.