The People of the Abyss
Written by Jack London
Narrated by Sean Murphy
5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
Jack London lived for a time within the grim and grimy world of the East End of London, where half a million people scraped together hardly enough on which to survive. Even if they were able to work, they were paid only enough to allow them a pitiful existence. He grew to know and empathise with these forgotten (or ignored) people as he spoke with them and tasted the workhouse, life on the streets, ... and the food, which was cheap, barely nutritious, and foul.
He writes about his experiences in a fluid and narrative style, making it very clear what he thinks of the social structures which created the Abyss, and of the millionaires who live high on the labours of a people forced to live in squalor. "... The food this managing class eats, the wine it drinks, ... the fine clothes it wears, are challenged by eight million mouths which have never had enough to fill them, and by twice eight million bodies which have never been sufficiently clothed and housed."
Jack London
Jack London (1876-1916) was an American novelist and journalist. Born in San Francisco to Florence Wellman, a spiritualist, and William Chaney, an astrologer, London was raised by his mother and her husband, John London, in Oakland. An intelligent boy, Jack went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley before leaving school to join the Klondike Gold Rush. His experiences in the Klondike—hard labor, life in a hostile environment, and bouts of scurvy—both shaped his sociopolitical outlook and served as powerful material for such works as “To Build a Fire” (1902), The Call of the Wild (1903), and White Fang (1906). When he returned to Oakland, London embarked on a career as a professional writer, finding success with novels and short fiction. In 1904, London worked as a war correspondent covering the Russo-Japanese War and was arrested several times by Japanese authorities. Upon returning to California, he joined the famous Bohemian Club, befriending such members as Ambrose Bierce and John Muir. London married Charmian Kittredge in 1905, the same year he purchased the thousand-acre Beauty Ranch in Sonoma County, California. London, who suffered from numerous illnesses throughout his life, died on his ranch at the age of 40. A lifelong advocate for socialism and animal rights, London is recognized as a pioneer of science fiction and an important figure in twentieth century American literature.
More audiobooks from Jack London
The Call of the Wild Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Selected Short Stories of Jack London Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to The People of the Abyss
Related audiobooks
The People of the Abyss Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The People of the Abyss (Unabridged) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLost Cities of the Ancient World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCivilization: The West and the Rest Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ghost Map Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Remembering Peasants: A Personal History of a Vanished World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Speaking Out: Lectures and Speeches, 1937-1958 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fortune's Bazaar: The Making of Hong Kong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Life in a Medieval Village Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5London: The Biography Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Heaven's Command Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cornhuskers: The Early Poetry of Carl Sandburg Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDawn of Detroit: A Chronicle of Bondage and Freedom in the City of the Straits Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Taste of Many Mountains Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inferno: 3 In 1: The Great Fires Of London, Rome & Chicago Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Economic Consequences of the Peace Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Monster of Elendhaven Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The City: A Global History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLife and Death in the Roman Suburb Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Communist Manifesto Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Medieval World II: Society, Economy, and Culture Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chaucer: A European Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5New England Bound: Slavery and Colonization in Early America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5London Labour and the London Poor Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5London Under: The Secret History Beneath the Streets Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Classics For You
Their Eyes Were Watching God Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Picture of Dorian Gray: Classic Tales Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bell Jar Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Perks of Being a Wallflower Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Old Man and the Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Sherlock Holmes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Series of Unfortunate Events #1 Multi-Voice, A: The Bad Beginning Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Fountainhead Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Gatsby Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Crucible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Iliad: A New Translation by Caroline Alexander Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Silmarillion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To Kill a Mockingbird Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frankenstein Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Thousand Ships: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Flowers in the Attic: 40th Anniversary Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Atlas Shrugged Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Farewell to Arms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For Whom the Bell Tolls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stone Blind: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Classic Tales Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5War & Peace - Volume I Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pride and Prejudice: Classic Tales Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sense and Sensibility Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Emma: Classic Tales Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Schindler's List Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Tale of Two Cities Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Prince: Machiavelli Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The People of the Abyss
4 ratings0 reviews