6 h 33 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 6 h 33 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Pearls, profit and sudden danger draw ships across the South Pacific—and David Grief knows the stakes.
In Jack London's A Son of the Sun, trade brings adventure to the scattered islands of the South Pacific. David Grief sails between them, buying pearls, copra and other island goods. A seasoned trader with a quick eye, he relies on nerve and sharp judgment when business turns dangerous. Money drives the action, and survival can depend on a fast decision.
These short stories mix peril with rough comedy. The Proud Goat of Aloysius Pankburn and The Jokers of New Gibbons show London's humour; The Devils of Fuatino and A Little Account with Swithin Hall bring threats close. Around the traders, planters, missionaries and island peoples live uneasily together. The stories also reflect racial and imperial attitudes that can make uncomfortable reading.
What you’ll discover
- A trader under pressure Follow David Grief as he meets danger with nerve, cunning and quick judgment.
- Trade with real stakes Discover how pearls, dried coconut meat and profit pull people toward these island shores.
- Humour amid the danger Meet Aloysius Pankburn, whose big ideas face a test in the Pacific.
- Heat, surf and rough talk Step into trading stations where London's direct prose keeps the action clear and moving.
- An uneasy island world Read adventure alongside a troubling picture of race, empire and the trader's place.
Who will love it
Made for readers who love sea stories, clever heroes, island adventures and storms, and anyone who enjoys short tales with a puzzle, a trick and sharp humor.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Grief pursues danger for pleasure
- Work gives Pankburn a new direction
- A cliff becomes a stronghold
- Cruel jokes put peace at risk
- People leave clues like the sea
- A wager exposes a bully
- Paper money depends on trust
- Pearls cannot outweigh a storm
- Pressure reveals what Grief values
Who’s who
- David GriefA rich, sunburned Englishman who owns ships and plantations across the Pacific and plays every contest for the joy of it.
- Harrison GriffithsA sick, bitter trader who tries to sail away from the Solomons without paying his debt.
- Aloysius PankburnA wealthy drinker with three copper spikes inherited from his father and a secret pointing to stolen Ecuadorian government gold.
- MauririThe Goat Man of Fuatino, Grief's blood brother, who wants to free his island from white pirates.
- KohoAn old, limping cannibal chief on New Gibbon who has a deep craving for rum and a deeper memory for insults.
- Peter GeeA calm, clever half-Chinese pearl buyer who avoids violence and can read a ship from the sound of its anchor.
- Cornelius DeasyA beachcomber who calls himself Fulualea and runs the king of Fitu-Iva's treasury with fake banknotes and fines.
- ParlayA mad old Frenchman who rules the atoll of Hikihoho and holds a fortune in pearls and a grudge against white men.
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A Son of the Sun
by Jack London · 1912
A South Seas millionaire risks his life for twelve hundred pounds, and plays every game for the fun of it.
Easy read2–5 hours to read20 languages
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“In Guvutu they merely drink between drinks.”
In short
What would you do if a man worth millions chased you across the sea for twelve hundred pounds? David Grief does exactly that, and he does it for fun.
A Son of the Sun at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 50 min3 h fast, 4 h 35 min slow
- Length
- 54,500 words
- Library level
- Easy short sentences, plain words
- First published
- 1912by Jack London
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A rich man chases a small debt for sport
Grief climbs aboard the ketch Willi-Waw in the Solomon Islands to collect twelve hundred pounds from a trader named Harrison Griffiths. The heat is crushing and the crew is sick with fever. Griffiths has sold his stations and means to sail away without paying.
Then the story pauses to describe Grief. He owns plantations, pearling concessions and vessels across the South Pacific, and nobody knows how many millions he is worth. Most white men sicken in the tropical sun and lose their morals. Grief thrives in it. Captain Ward asks why he chases such a small sum, and Grief answers that he simply wants to.
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Details
- First published
- 1912
- Language
- English
- Level
- Easy read
Cite this edition
London, Jack. A Son of the Sun. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-son-of-the-sun.
London, J. (2026). A son of the sun. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-son-of-the-sun (Original work published 1912)
London, Jack. A Son of the Sun. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-son-of-the-sun.
@book{london2026son,
author = {London, Jack},
title = {A Son of the Sun},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-son-of-the-sun},
note = {First published 1912}
}
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What is A Son of the Sun about?
It is a set of eight linked adventure tales about David Grief, a wealthy trader who roams the South Pacific. In each he faces a cheat, a pirate, a storm or a puzzle and solves it with courage and humor.
Who is David Grief in the book?
David Grief is an Englishman who owns plantations, trading stations and ships across the Pacific. He is sunburned, tough and playful, and he thrives in the tropics where other white men sicken, which is why he is called a son of the sun.
Is A Son of the Sun a true story?
No, the tales are fiction, though London drew on his knowledge of the Pacific and the world of traders, planters and sailors. The stories were published in the early twentieth century, and the book is a collection of linked chapters.
The author
Jack London
1876–1916 · American novelist and journalist
Jack London (1876–1916) was an American author, journalist and social activist. He was born in San Francisco and lived in California. He wrote novels, short stories and essays. His novels include The Call of the Wild (1903), The Sea-Wolf (1904), White Fang (1906) and Martin Eden (1909). He died in California.
“In Guvutu they merely drink between drinks.”
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