Martin Eden

Jack London's 1909 semi-autobiographical novel follows a sailor who educates himself to become a writer and finds success hollow.

Author

Jack London

First published

1909

Setting

Early 20th-century Oakland

Genre

Semi-autobiographical novel

Read it if you like

A hard-hitting story about ambition and becoming a writer.

On screen and stage

Film (2019)

Overview

Martin Eden, a working sailor, falls for the middle-class Ruth Morse and decides to educate himself to become worthy of her. He studies, writes and endures rejection. When fame finally arrives, he finds that it comes from people who ignored him before.

Themes

• Self-education
• Class and ambition
• Individualism
• Disillusion

Background

Written when London was already famous, the novel draws on his own struggle to become a writer and his doubts about success. It was serialised in 1908–09 and published as a book in 1909.

Why it endures

It is often seen as London's most personal and ambiguous novel, and Pietro Marcello's 2019 film adaptation brought it new attention.