Martin Eden by Jack London

 MARTIN EDEN BY JACK LONDON

Very Short Description (to keep you intrigued) :)

Martin Eden is a poor and uneducated sailor, who idealises the world of Ruth Morse, a young lady from the bourgeois family. Martin decides to make his way in the world to become her equal.

My humble opinion

Of course the transformation of the main character is very impressive and inspiring, but the book is more about individualism. So is it possible to follow your ideas/ideals and remain part of the society, be understood? That’s the rhetorical question Jack London imposes throughout the book. It appears that the story and the problems become more complex as Martin advances, as if one had to literally experience this progress. So I really enjoyed that the novel turned out far more intricate than it seemed at first, both from the point of view of the storyline and the main idea.

Interesting Facts

Martin Eden’s character is semi-autobiographical and the character of Ruth Morse was inspired by Jack London’s first love, Mabel Applegarth.

The author did not choose the Surname Eden by a hazard. It is metaphorical and makes reference to the Garden of Eden.

Why read?

For the sake of metamorphosis and the rich ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche and Herbert Spencer!