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Library of America #7
Novels and Social Writings
By turns an impoverished laborer, a renegade adventurer, a war correspondent in Mexico, a declared socialist, and a writer of enormous popularity the world over, Jack London was the author of brilliant works that reflect his ideas about twentieth-century capitalist societies while dramatizing them through incidents of adventure, romance, and brutal violence. His prose, always brisk and vigorous, rises in The People of the Abyss to italicized horror over the human degradations he saw in the slums of East London. It also accommodates the dazzling oratory of the hero of The Iron Heel, an American revolutionary named Ernest Everhard, whose speeches have the accents of some of London’s own political essays, like the piece (reprinted in this volume) entitled “Revolution.” London’s prophetic political vision was recalled by Leon Trotsky, who observed that when The Iron Heel first appeared, in 1907, not one of the revolutionary Marxists had yet fully imagined “the ominous perspective of the alliance between finance capitalism and labor aristocracy.”
Whether he is recollecting, in The Road, the exhilarating camaraderie of hobo gangs, or dramatizing, in Martin Eden, a life like his own, even to the foreshadowing of his own death at age forty, or confessing his struggles with alcoholism in the memoir John Barleycorn, London displays a genius for giving marginal life the aura of romance. Violence and brutality flash into life everywhere in his work, both as a condition of modern urban existence and as the inevitable reaction to it.
Though he is outraged in The People of the Abyss by the condition of the poor in capitalist societies, London is even more appalled by their submission, and in the novel he wrote immediately afterward, The Call of the Wild (in the companion volume, Novels and Stories), he constructed an animal fable about the necessary reversion to savagery. The Iron Heel, with its panoramic scenes of urban warfare in Chicago, envisions the United States taken over by fascists who perpetuate their regime for three hundred years. It constitutes London’s warning to his fellow socialists that mere persuasion is insufficient to combat a system that ultimately relies on force.
Whether he is recollecting, in The Road, the exhilarating camaraderie of hobo gangs, or dramatizing, in Martin Eden, a life like his own, even to the foreshadowing of his own death at age forty, or confessing his struggles with alcoholism in the memoir John Barleycorn, London displays a genius for giving marginal life the aura of romance. Violence and brutality flash into life everywhere in his work, both as a condition of modern urban existence and as the inevitable reaction to it.
Though he is outraged in The People of the Abyss by the condition of the poor in capitalist societies, London is even more appalled by their submission, and in the novel he wrote immediately afterward, The Call of the Wild (in the companion volume, Novels and Stories), he constructed an animal fable about the necessary reversion to savagery. The Iron Heel, with its panoramic scenes of urban warfare in Chicago, envisions the United States taken over by fascists who perpetuate their regime for three hundred years. It constitutes London’s warning to his fellow socialists that mere persuasion is insufficient to combat a system that ultimately relies on force.
1192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1901
28 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Jack London
7,719 books7,717 followersJohn Griffith Chaney, better known as 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. He was also an innovator in the genre that would later become known as science fiction.
London was part of the radical literary group "The Crowd" in San Francisco and a passionate advocate of animal rights, workers’ rights and socialism. London wrote several works dealing with these topics, such as his dystopian novel The Iron Heel, his non-fiction exposé The People of the Abyss, War of the Classes, and Before Adam.
His most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set in Alaska and the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, as well as the short stories "To Build a Fire", "An Odyssey of the North", and "Love of Life". He also wrote about the South Pacific in stories such as "The Pearls of Parlay" and "The Heathen".
London was part of the radical literary group "The Crowd" in San Francisco and a passionate advocate of animal rights, workers’ rights and socialism. London wrote several works dealing with these topics, such as his dystopian novel The Iron Heel, his non-fiction exposé The People of the Abyss, War of the Classes, and Before Adam.
His most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set in Alaska and the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, as well as the short stories "To Build a Fire", "An Odyssey of the North", and "Love of Life". He also wrote about the South Pacific in stories such as "The Pearls of Parlay" and "The Heathen".
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 12, 2014
Most people know of Jack London as being the writer of The Call of the Wild and White Fang. The books contained in this collection are no less well-written and wonderful, even if lesser-known.
The People of the Abyss is an account of Jack London's visits to London's slum areas known as The East End. It is comparable to George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London. Despite the twenty-or-so year's difference between the two dates of publications, many things remained the same for the poor working class. If you ever wondered why unions and socialistic laws became necessary, read these books. The conditions they describe were truly horrendous.
The Road consists of Jack London's two forays into "hoboism." A fascinating look into a now bygone era.
The Iron Heel is a work of fiction set into a dystopic, anti-socialistic society. I found it plodding at first what with all the explanatory debates and conversations, but it became riveting once the (failed) revolution began. Similar in tone to the novels of George Orwell's 1984 and Yevgeny Zamyatin's We and Fritz Lang's film Metropolis.
Martin Eden is a novel I read way back in my high school years when I worked as a page in our local library. The only thing I remembered about the book was its title and its ending, which was seared into my memory. As I now learned from rereading it, it is largely autobiographical. I loved it all over again. (One advantage of rereading it in my older age is that I recognized Martin's mental condition toward the end to be that of clinical depression.)
John Barleycorn is another autobiograhy, this one based on his use of alcohol. (Considering that it was first published as a "Saturday Evening Post" series of articles in 1913, I believe it was probably written for the Temperance Movement sympathizers.) Yet another fascinating look into Jack London.
Essays consist of "How I Became A Socialist," "The Scab," "Jack London on 'The Jungle"," and "Revolution."
All are well- worth reading. Jack London was a socialist because he saw and experienced the horrifying conditions of poverty. However, in March 1916 (the year of his death), he resigned from the Socialist Party "because of its lack of fire and fight, and its loss of emphasis on the class struggle." (Good man, IMO.) "The Jungle" was a book of Upton Sinclair's that Jack London reviewed favorably.
I find that I like Jack London the person as well as I love and admire his writings. He may not be as well-known now as he once was, but he remains a vital part of our literary heritage. He is easy to read and love.
The People of the Abyss is an account of Jack London's visits to London's slum areas known as The East End. It is comparable to George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London. Despite the twenty-or-so year's difference between the two dates of publications, many things remained the same for the poor working class. If you ever wondered why unions and socialistic laws became necessary, read these books. The conditions they describe were truly horrendous.
The Road consists of Jack London's two forays into "hoboism." A fascinating look into a now bygone era.
The Iron Heel is a work of fiction set into a dystopic, anti-socialistic society. I found it plodding at first what with all the explanatory debates and conversations, but it became riveting once the (failed) revolution began. Similar in tone to the novels of George Orwell's 1984 and Yevgeny Zamyatin's We and Fritz Lang's film Metropolis.
Martin Eden is a novel I read way back in my high school years when I worked as a page in our local library. The only thing I remembered about the book was its title and its ending, which was seared into my memory. As I now learned from rereading it, it is largely autobiographical. I loved it all over again. (One advantage of rereading it in my older age is that I recognized Martin's mental condition toward the end to be that of clinical depression.)
John Barleycorn is another autobiograhy, this one based on his use of alcohol. (Considering that it was first published as a "Saturday Evening Post" series of articles in 1913, I believe it was probably written for the Temperance Movement sympathizers.) Yet another fascinating look into Jack London.
Essays consist of "How I Became A Socialist," "The Scab," "Jack London on 'The Jungle"," and "Revolution."
All are well- worth reading. Jack London was a socialist because he saw and experienced the horrifying conditions of poverty. However, in March 1916 (the year of his death), he resigned from the Socialist Party "because of its lack of fire and fight, and its loss of emphasis on the class struggle." (Good man, IMO.) "The Jungle" was a book of Upton Sinclair's that Jack London reviewed favorably.
I find that I like Jack London the person as well as I love and admire his writings. He may not be as well-known now as he once was, but he remains a vital part of our literary heritage. He is easy to read and love.
June 10, 2014
London is a human before he is a writer. He lives what he writes and not too many writers have such a passion for living and humanity as London. This is for real. The Road and The People of the Abyss are obviously two of the strongest points of this collection and London doesn't lie when it comes to trying to live. He has a desire that few have and that it actually pushing the world around him outside of its own boundaries to make a better life for us all. He understands that we all have our own nasty demons inside that will prohibit ourselves from doing better but he wants us to destroy our obstacles so future generations have less obstacles. Unfortunately, we have created a plethora of obstacles that may be insurmountable. But if we can clear them away one by one instead of producing more, we may have a chance.
January 16, 2021
A great collection of some of London’s more political works, but should definitely not be treated as representative of his greatest stories.
April 15, 2013
This, sadly, is my first experience with the works of Jack London. I absolutely loved The People of the Abyss. Having been a visitor to many big cities since I was a toddler has given me a different way of viewing our nation's homeless. In The Road, I thoroughly enjoyed his tales of life as a tramp riding the rails all over the country. I am currently reading The Iron Heel and it is one of the best books I have read in a very long time.
March 14, 2015
Please see my reviews of the individual books in this volume.
Of the four essays published here, the best are "The Scab" and "Revolution." Although London continued to misread Marx's labor theory of value (or ignore it), "The Scab" is notable for showing how scabs are not merely union phenomena, but also occur in the system of capital as well, and in the relations between nations (interestingly, in both of these essays he stops short of drawing the full conclusions that Bukharin would draw 20 years later).
"How I Became a Socialist" is a mere autobiographical curiosity of little value except (perhaps) to London scholars.
"Jack London on _The Jungle_" is a book review of Sinclair Lewis's novel that mostly recapitulates the entire plot of the book, while adding a few facts and statistics from real life to back up Lewis's accuracy; this also seems of little worth overall except as a bit of historical ephemera.
Of the four essays published here, the best are "The Scab" and "Revolution." Although London continued to misread Marx's labor theory of value (or ignore it), "The Scab" is notable for showing how scabs are not merely union phenomena, but also occur in the system of capital as well, and in the relations between nations (interestingly, in both of these essays he stops short of drawing the full conclusions that Bukharin would draw 20 years later).
"How I Became a Socialist" is a mere autobiographical curiosity of little value except (perhaps) to London scholars.
"Jack London on _The Jungle_" is a book review of Sinclair Lewis's novel that mostly recapitulates the entire plot of the book, while adding a few facts and statistics from real life to back up Lewis's accuracy; this also seems of little worth overall except as a bit of historical ephemera.
January 17, 2026
I've already finished People of the Abyss and
The Iron Heel. Now I've finished reading The Road about the author's hobo adventures. Starting the novel Martin Eden
The Iron Heel. Now I've finished reading The Road about the author's hobo adventures. Starting the novel Martin Eden
July 24, 2016
This Library of America edition combines several of Jack London's less-known writings, autobiographical, fiction and essays. People of the Abyss is a nonfiction denunciation of what we now call income inequality, the destitution of his day. Martin Eden is a sort of fictional autobiography, and The Road, about hoboes and their society, and John Barleycorn, about alcoholism, are nonfictional accounts of his life.
The Iron Heel is a brilliant alternate-history story of revolution and class struggle in a future US. Long before Philip K. Dick or George Orwell, this story of fascism and oppression is a pioneering effort and something of a rallying call for his time.
The Iron Heel is a brilliant alternate-history story of revolution and class struggle in a future US. Long before Philip K. Dick or George Orwell, this story of fascism and oppression is a pioneering effort and something of a rallying call for his time.
September 21, 2008
I appreciate Jack London's quest for social reform but find it hard not to speed read through these long drawn out stories. His rightful claim to fame, I think, are his novels of wildlife, and living in the wild.
January 1, 2010
Note that I only read "The Iron Heel."
Intrigue, uncertainty, blood and guts. An interesting take on and look at socialism at the turn of the last century. Good reading if you're planning a people's revolution.
Intrigue, uncertainty, blood and guts. An interesting take on and look at socialism at the turn of the last century. Good reading if you're planning a people's revolution.
July 31, 2014
I accidentally let this book run overdue so am taking it back today. It makes me think I must be just another person, not all that incredible; from this I dislike the prole lit.
Maybe I should take it back out in a few years, since the tales do interest me.
Maybe I should take it back out in a few years, since the tales do interest me.
April 7, 2013
amazingly enjoyable reading. John Barleycorn is a great piece(especially if you ever do any drinking). If you have only ever read Call of the Wild, this is some enlightening stuff.
January 9, 2022
People of the Abyss - finished 1983
The Road - finished 01.22.16
The Iron Heel - finished 02.24.17
Martin Eden - finished 05.05.20
John Barleycorn - finished 01.22.21
Essays - finished 01.08.22
The Road - finished 01.22.16
The Iron Heel - finished 02.24.17
Martin Eden - finished 05.05.20
John Barleycorn - finished 01.22.21
Essays - finished 01.08.22
April 5, 2016
Reading the closest thing Jack London every wrote to an autobiography, John Barleycorn. So far most of it takes place in Sonoma Co., San Mateo, SF and Oakland.
July 18, 2018
Anyone who thinks that poor people should "just get a job" should read this and understand that the poor work the hardest and make the least from it.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews