Ebook171 pages3 hours
The Road
By Jack London
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
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About this ebook
"I went on 'The Road' because I couldn't keep away from it; because I hadn't the price of the railroad fare in my jeans; because I was so made that I couldn't work all my life on 'one same shift'; because — well, just because it was easier to than not to."
Jack London's "road" is the railroad, and these reminiscences paint a vivid portrait of life in the United States during the major economic depression of the 1890s. His compelling adventures include a month-long detention in a state penitentiary for vagrancy, as well as his travels with Kelly's Army, a group of unemployed workers who united to protest the labor environment.
London honed his storytelling skills during his hobo days, spinning yarns to avoid arrest and to cajole food and money from sympathetic listeners. This compelling memoir — which inspired the 1973 movie Emperor of the North Pole — also chronicles London's inner journey, from self-interested freebooter to social activist.
Jack London's "road" is the railroad, and these reminiscences paint a vivid portrait of life in the United States during the major economic depression of the 1890s. His compelling adventures include a month-long detention in a state penitentiary for vagrancy, as well as his travels with Kelly's Army, a group of unemployed workers who united to protest the labor environment.
London honed his storytelling skills during his hobo days, spinning yarns to avoid arrest and to cajole food and money from sympathetic listeners. This compelling memoir — which inspired the 1973 movie Emperor of the North Pole — also chronicles London's inner journey, from self-interested freebooter to social activist.
Author
Jack London
Jack London was born in San Francisco in 1876, and was a prolific and successful writer until his death in 1916. During his lifetime he wrote novels, short stories and essays, and is best known for ‘The Call of the Wild’ and ‘White Fang’.
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Reviews for The Road
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
6 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sketches of people, places and events by a teenage London who rode the rails during the 1890s looking for adventure. He begged, stole and generally whatever he could not to work. Lots of flavor in the slang terms and details of riding trains. Remarkable how innocent and simple the times were, yet also brutal. I've read better tramping memoirs from this period, there are good moments and some snoozers. Worthwhile. Significant for biographical details about London.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 'Road' in question is the railroad - motor cars were almost unheard of when Jack London was travelling around America as a hobo. This is a fascinating look at a very different country. It's full of great characters and long-forgotten slang and exciting tussles with policemen and railroad employees.The interesting thing about the book, for me, is that it works so well even though the story doesn't have much of a trajectory. It's really just a series of anecdotes about life as a hobo, from surviving a stint in jail to sneaking onto trains and staying on despite the brakemen trying to throw him off. The reason I kept reading was for the wonderful details, the vivid descriptions, the large characters, the tall tales and the wonderful insight into a world that seems very distant now. Highly recommended.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A great find. Learned alot about JL, the 1890's, and the way America used to be. An honest telling of his days being a 'profesh' hobo and by default about an America long gone buy. He lived during the times of reaction to the Robber Barons. Probably not too popular because JL was an obvious racist but most from that time were. He only lived to 40 but he squeezed a lot out of hos life for sure.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5London's tale of life on the road as a hobo in the 1890s isn't nearly as harrowing as similar tales from the 20th century, especially during the Depression. But it is quite interesting as it describes his initiation to the hobo life and some of the skills he developed. The book sidetracks into a few non-hobo passages, most of which also highlight the author's prowess. While he is certainly boasting of his cleverness throughout the book, he doesn't do so in an annoying way. We learn a lot about human nature here, and London, whom I have not widely read, is a very engaging, modern-sounding author. Recommended!
Book preview
The Road - Jack London
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