Jack London was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to become an international celebrity and earn a large fortune from writing. London died at the age of 40 in 1916 but was able to write more than 50 books during his career. These works include novels, short stories, biographical memoirs, nonfiction essays, plays, and poetry. He is most well known for his novels and stories of the Klondike including The Call of the Wild and White Fang but his writing was much broader and included views on philosophy, politics, and even science fiction.
Martin Eden was published in 1909 and is the most autobiographical of London's novels. Martin Eden is a young seaman who upon meeting a young woman, Ruth, who is the daughter of a well-to-do businessman, decides to better himself by learning proper grammar and changing his mannerisms of the working class. He also decides that he can best do this by becoming a writer. He had read in a magazine that writers can make two cents a word and are usually paid in advance of publication for their work by magazines. Eden decides to self educate himself and spends nineteen hours a day reading and writing with only five hours for sleeping. But his writings are rejected time and time again forcing Marin to live a life of poverty. And although Ruth is in love with him, she discourages his writing and wants him to work for her father. Martin feels that nobody understands his writing and his family and friends all encourage him to find a job to make ends meet. Eventually, Martin's writings are accepted and he becomes wealthy selling his works and receiving the royalties from them. But it appears that all this comes too late for Martin's happiness and Ruth and her bourgeois friends and family appear to only want to associate with him because of his success and money. They all want to invite him to dinner but where were they when he was struggling to eat?
This was a sometimes difficult novel to read. It was full of words, philosophy, and discussions of writers that I sometimes had to google such as the poet Algernon Swinburne and the English philosopher and biologist Herbert Spencer who were both instrumental in Martin's self-education. London has stated that he didn't intend this novel to be autobiography but as an indictment of that pleasant, wild-beast struggle of individualism. He fought for entrance into the bourgeouise circles where he expected to find refinement, culture, high-living and high-thinking. He won his way into those circles and was appalled by the colossal, unlovely mediocrity of the bourgeousie. . . there remained nothing for which to live and fight. Overall, I did enjoy reading this and the setting of the book in Oakland, San Francisco, and the Bay area were very familiar to me. I worked in San Francisco for 13 years in the 1980s and 90s. The struggles of Eden and his persistencies were also very compelling with a work ethic that was almost beyond reasonableness. I have only read a couple of London's other works (Call of the Wild and The Sea Wolf) but hope to read more at some point.
Martin Eden was published in 1909 and is the most autobiographical of London's novels. Martin Eden is a young seaman who upon meeting a young woman, Ruth, who is the daughter of a well-to-do businessman, decides to better himself by learning proper grammar and changing his mannerisms of the working class. He also decides that he can best do this by becoming a writer. He had read in a magazine that writers can make two cents a word and are usually paid in advance of publication for their work by magazines. Eden decides to self educate himself and spends nineteen hours a day reading and writing with only five hours for sleeping. But his writings are rejected time and time again forcing Marin to live a life of poverty. And although Ruth is in love with him, she discourages his writing and wants him to work for her father. Martin feels that nobody understands his writing and his family and friends all encourage him to find a job to make ends meet. Eventually, Martin's writings are accepted and he becomes wealthy selling his works and receiving the royalties from them. But it appears that all this comes too late for Martin's happiness and Ruth and her bourgeois friends and family appear to only want to associate with him because of his success and money. They all want to invite him to dinner but where were they when he was struggling to eat?
This was a sometimes difficult novel to read. It was full of words, philosophy, and discussions of writers that I sometimes had to google such as the poet Algernon Swinburne and the English philosopher and biologist Herbert Spencer who were both instrumental in Martin's self-education. London has stated that he didn't intend this novel to be autobiography but as an indictment of that pleasant, wild-beast struggle of individualism. He fought for entrance into the bourgeouise circles where he expected to find refinement, culture, high-living and high-thinking. He won his way into those circles and was appalled by the colossal, unlovely mediocrity of the bourgeousie. . . there remained nothing for which to live and fight. Overall, I did enjoy reading this and the setting of the book in Oakland, San Francisco, and the Bay area were very familiar to me. I worked in San Francisco for 13 years in the 1980s and 90s. The struggles of Eden and his persistencies were also very compelling with a work ethic that was almost beyond reasonableness. I have only read a couple of London's other works (Call of the Wild and The Sea Wolf) but hope to read more at some point.
