The Passion of Martin Eden

Written during a circumnavigation of the world on the yacht Snark, Martin Eden (1909) is Jack London's most autobiographical novel. It describes his struggle to cultivate the literary fame he achieved in his youth and his disillusionment with success in his maturity. The author's passionate identification with his hero, Martin Eden, gives the book unparalleled power and appeal. An attack on the bourgeoisie, but also on the values of individualism, this novel also reveals London's critical awareness in the struggle for the transformation of society in his time.