Martin Eden

Jack London

One of London’s least known novels...but in my opinion his best. Martin Eden is really a semi-autobiography of Jack London’s own life: his metamorphosis from an uneducated seaman to a world respected author is a fascinating read. The catalyst for Martin’s change is his deep love for a beautiful educated woman, but the superficiality and hypocrisy he soon discovers in the upper class leads him to a deep spiritual crises that ultimately leads to tragedy.

This book is written with a passion that totally engulfs the reader. There are many scenes that stay in the readers mind...his deep uncompromising love for truth, his bicycling for hours daily to the Oakland library to educate himself, his first kiss with his loved one: Ruth (there is more steam in this one kiss than many of the sexual passages in much of today’s current fiction), his one pointed obsession with writing, that even the thought of sleep depressed Martin as it would mean laying down the pen for a few hours.This is one of my favorite novels. If you are an aspiring writer or just a lover of good quality fiction you do not want to miss this one.

Review by Tony Kainauskas.