The Road

by Jack London

Overview

The Road, first published in 1907, is an autobiography by Jack London. London explains about his experiences and adventures as one of the hoboes. He spent his years as a hobo in America and Canada in the years 1894-1895. London starts with a story showing what excellent liars hoboes could be. He presents his illustration as an apology to a woman in Salt Lake City that he convinced to provide him support. The next chapter explains some other skills of the hobo, the most important of which is the 'holding down' of the train. The rest of the book details different aspects of hobo life, including their diverse backgrounds. The last chapter is about the "bulls", the cops. London says throughout the book about how the American system is unfair to the hoboes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789356561083
Publisher:	Double 9 Booksllp
Publication date:	04/22/2022
Pages:	122
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.29(d)

About the Author

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.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Selected Bibliography
A Note on the Text
List of Illustrations

Chapter 1: Confession
Chapter 2: Holding Her Down
Chapter 3: Pictures
Chapter 4: "Pinched"
Chapter 5: The Pen
Chapter 6: Hoboes That Pass in the Night
Chapter 7: Road-Kids and Gay-Cats
Chapter 8: Two Thousand Stiffs
Chapter 9: Bulls

Explanatory Notes
About the Editor

Editorial Reviews

London hit the road long before Kerouac, hopping a train in 1894 at age 18 and traveling 10,000 miles as a hobo. He related his experiences in nine illustrated essays published in Cosmopolitan (not the one you're thinking of) between 1907 and 1908. This reprint is the inaugural volume in Rutgers's "Subterranean Lives" series, which will chronicle alternative looks at America. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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