Jack London · Martin Eden

"Martin Eden"follows the rise and fall of a young sailor who by sheer force of will educates himself and succeeds in becoming a famous writer. First published in 1909, the book is Jack London's autobiographical novel and was written when London was thirty-three and the most popular living writer in the world. London's prose is straightforward and vibrant, much like the author at his best. Martin Eden falls victim to the vicissitudes of his fame and fortune, much like the author at his worst (too much hard living is often given as the reason for London's death at forty). London spends a lot of time in this book criticizing American materialism in the way that materialism ought to be criticized. He also displays a certain kind of American work ethic (five hours of sleep a night, perseverance through failure, etc.) that sometimes doesn't know what to do with itself once it achieves success. We should all have that problem--just hope that we deal with it better than young Martin Eden does. "Martin Eden" is full of philosophical and artistic commentary. It is also a love story, although tragic, that shows some brilliant writing on what young love and infatuation is. If you want pure action, this novel is not for you. If you enjoy beautiful prose and novels which delve deeply into humanity, this is for you. Ultimately, readers will sense "Martin Eden" heading towards tragedy. Like an epic Shakeperian poem, the setup pulls the story towards an unhappy climax. However, the ending fits the character. If you want classic American literature at its finest, read this novel.