The Human Drift

Jack LondonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 180K words
Chapters: 19

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Human Drift by Jack LondonAuthor: London, Jack, 1876-1916,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 1, 1999

Editor's review

The Human Drift is a collection of nonfiction by Jack London, gathering his reflections on human migration, social change, and the direction of civilization. Unlike novels such as The Call of the Wild, this book shows the author as observer and commentator: in a blunt and sometimes sharp tone he discusses population movement, the struggle for survival, and social organization, bearing clear marks of his era and personal stance. For readers familiar with London's fiction, it offers another path into the intellectual background of his work; for those studying American social thought from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, it is also a useful text. Note that some views reflect the racial and social prejudices of the time; read them critically and in historical context rather than accepting them as universal conclusions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of Jack London's fiction who want to understand his nonfiction and intellectual background
Scholars and students of American social thought from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century
Readers interested in migration and social change who are able to read critically

Not a good fit for

Readers who only want London's adventure novels; the style and subject matter differ greatly
Readers expecting systematic sociological theory or contemporary research; this is essay-style commentary
Readers sensitive to period prejudices who do not wish to engage with context

Reading tips

First learn about the social background of the period in which the work was written, then approach the text, avoiding simple judgment by contemporary standards
Mark passages with period prejudices as you go, then review and analyze them together after finishing
Read alongside London's fiction to observe similarities and differences between his fictional and nonfiction writing
Read one or two pieces at a time, leaving room for reflection rather than reading continuously in one sitting

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book fiction or nonfiction?

It is nonfiction: a collection of Jack London's commentary and essays on human migration and social change, clearly distinct in style and subject from his adventure novels.

Do the views in this book still hold today?

It depends. Some observations remain useful, but many arguments carry the racial and social prejudices of the time and should not be taken directly as conclusions. Read them critically and in historical context.

Do I need to read Jack London's novels first?

No. The book can be read independently. However, if you have read his novels, you will more easily understand his intellectual trajectory and concerns, and reading the two together is more rewarding.

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About the author

Jack London Author · American · 1876–1916

Jack London (1876–1916) was an American realist writer born in San Francisco; his original name was John Griffith Chaney. He left school early to make a living, worked as a sailor and a tramp, and once went to Alaska to search for gold. These hard experiences became an important source of his writing. His works cover a wide range of subjects and often focus on the harsh struggle for survival in the northern wilderness, the relationship between humans and animals, and the misery of the lower classes. His style is vigorous and forceful, his plots are tightly constructed, and his writing combines adventure with social criticism. His representative works include The Call of the Wild, The Sea-Wolf, White Fang and Martin Eden. The library holds 91 of his works, including White Fang, Martin Eden, The Iron Heel and The People of the Abyss. He wrote about 50 works in his lifetime and is one of the most widely translated American writers of the twentieth century.