Encender una hoguera

Escrito por Jack London

Narrado por Víctor Prieto

Publicada en 1908, “Hacer un fuego” (“To build a fire”) está considerada la mejor historia corta de Jack London. Cuenta una historia engañosamente simple. Un hombre decide salir a caminar solo en un día en el que la temperatura es de - 45 ºC. Es un buscador de oro inexperto, recién llegado al Yukón. El hombre decide salir solo aunque los viejos pobladores le advirtieron de que la primera y única ley del invierno en el Yukón es que nunca se sale sin un compañero. El hombre se ríe; él es joven, es fuerte: sale entonces con su perro. Súbitamente, pisa un hielo que se rompe y se moja el pie en el agua encerrada bajo el hielo. Intenta entonces prender un fuego, sabiendo que si no lo hace en cinco minutos su pie se congelará irremediablemente. Se saca el guante, se le caen los fósforos… a la media hora está muerto, congelado. Hacia el final, la narración se vuelve sobrecogedora: el lector es obligado a habitar el cuerpo y la mente de un hombre que se está muriendo, viviendo cada minuto de su agonía.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: Editorial Libervox Audio
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 1 ene 2014
• ISBN: 9788415677444

Jack London

Jack London (1876-1916) was an American novelist and journalist. Born in San Francisco to Florence Wellman, a spiritualist, and William Chaney, an astrologer, London was raised by his mother and her husband, John London, in Oakland. An intelligent boy, Jack went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley before leaving school to join the Klondike Gold Rush. His experiences in the Klondike—hard labor, life in a hostile environment, and bouts of scurvy—both shaped his sociopolitical outlook and served as powerful material for such works as “To Build a Fire” (1902), The Call of the Wild (1903), and White Fang (1906). When he returned to Oakland, London embarked on a career as a professional writer, finding success with novels and short fiction. In 1904, London worked as a war correspondent covering the Russo-Japanese War and was arrested several times by Japanese authorities. Upon returning to California, he joined the famous Bohemian Club, befriending such members as Ambrose Bierce and John Muir. London married Charmian Kittredge in 1905, the same year he purchased the thousand-acre Beauty Ranch in Sonoma County, California. London, who suffered from numerous illnesses throughout his life, died on his ranch at the age of 40. A lifelong advocate for socialism and animal rights, London is recognized as a pioneer of science fiction and an important figure in twentieth century American literature.