Jack London

Martin Eden (1909) is a novel by American writer Jack London. The book follows the tradition of the Künstlerroman, a narrative that traces the life and development of an artist, to tell the story of a young man not unlike London himself. Part fiction, part autobiography, Martin Eden examines the consequences of dreams and achievements, successes and failures, for a young artist struggling with fame. The novel is heavily influenced by London's socialist...

Wrestling with the disease of alcoholism for most of his life, Jack London tells all in his autobiography John Barleycorn. Beginning with a discussion of the prohibition movement and its effects, London explores the ways that alcohol affects daily life in the Victorian era. Because there were not many forms of affordable entertainment or reliable communication, bars were the perfect spot for social activity. People were able to sit and drink, enjoying...

Though most of Jack London's novels and short stories fall firmly into the action-adventure category, the prolific author occasionally ventured into other genres, as well. Although The Red One, like many of London's tales, is set among an indigenous tribe, the story—which details the discovery of a strange object of worship which seems to have originated in another world—contains some fascinating themes that will please fans

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From 'The League of the Old Men' At the Barracks a man was being tried for his life. He was an old man, a native from the Whitefish River, which empties into the Yukon below Lake Le Barge. All Dawson was wrought up over the affair, and likewise the Yukon-dwellers for a thousand miles up and down. It has been the custom of the land-robbing and sea-robbing Anglo-Saxon to give the law to conquered peoples, and ofttimes this law is harsh. But in the case...

Mr. London is here writing of scenes and types of people with which he is very familiar, the sea and ships and those who live in ships. In addition to the adventure element, of which there is an abundance of the usual London kind, a most satisfying kind it is, too, there is a thread of romance involving a wealthy, tired young man who takes the trip on the Elsinore, and the captain's daughter. The play of incident, on the one hand the ship's amazing...

"A Son of the Sun" is a 1912 novel by Jack London. It is set in the South Pacific at the beginning of the 20th century and consists of eight separate stories. David Grief is a forty-year-old English adventurer who came to the South seas years ago and became rich. As a businessman he owns offices in Sydney, but he is rarely there. Since his wealth spreads over a lot of islands, Grief has some adventures while going among these islands. London depicts...

Written by the beloved author, Jack London, The Night-Born is a compelling collection of ten short works of fiction, each featuring an interesting protagonist. The Madness of John Harned is narrated by a wealthy Ecuadorian man, who attends a bullfight with his cousin, Maria, and the American man who is in love with her, John. While they watch the event, Maria and John have a debate that eventually leads to John to make an unpredictable and unfortunate...

Published posthumously, this collection of seven short stories and sketches creates a fascinating portrait of life on the picturesque Hawaiian Islands. Brimming with vivid descriptions of the sea and forest, these tales examine the lives of an array of characters and the effect upon them of their contact with Western civilisation. Including: On the Makaloa Mat, The Bones of Kahekili, When Alice Told her Soul, Shin-Bones, The Water Baby, The Tears...

Told from the perspective of Bassett, an English scientist, Jack London's The Red One follows an astonishing expedition in the Solomon Islands. Originally, on a quest to collect butterflies, Bassett explores the jungle of Guadalcanal. However, the scientist finds much more than just butterflies. After being kidnapped by a cannibalistic tribe, Bassett is saved by a native woman, who leads him to her settlement. As he learns of the strange politics...