Novels (Accessible layout options)
Option 1 - Data Table
Title/Link | Date | Description |
---|---|---|
The Abysmal Brute | 1911 | A prize fighter faces the corruption of civilization and finds redemption in the wilds of California. |
Adventure | 1911 | Located in the Solomon Islands, this devastating portrayal of copra plantation slavery has scholars arguing whether London was criticizing the racism of the colonialists or approving of it. |
Before Adam | 1907 | The modern narrator's dreams transport him to a prehistoric community. |
Burning Daylight | 1910 | A tale of the Klondike Goldrush and the corrupting influence of high stakes capitalism. One of the "Sonoma County novels." Illustrated. |
The Call of the Wild | 1903 | The mythopoetic story of Buck, a sledge dog in the Klondike, and his journey of transformation. Audio Book version from LibriVox |
The Cruise of the Dazzler | 1902 | Escapades of the "Frisco Kid," a gritty and mischievous youth whose quick wit and courage see him through challenge and adventure. |
A Daughter of the Snows | 1902 | London's first novel introduces the typical strong, independent, well-educated heroine that would run through much of his fiction. |
The Game | 1905 | This prizefight story is influenced by London's attendance at events to write boxing journalism articles. |
Hearts of Three | 1918 | Originally intended as a film scenario, this plot is an improbably adventure story that can't help but bring to mind the "Lost Ark" films of decades later. |
The Iron Heel | 1908 | A futuristic tale of facist tyranny and socialist revolution, now considered a classic work of American radical literature. Much admired by Eugene Debs, Leon Trotsky, and George Orwell. |
Jerry of the Islands | 1917 | Jerry is a dog whose experiences reflect the cruelty and racism of colonial Melanesia. Does London support the racism or not? |
The Kempton-Wace Letters | 1903 | With Anna Strunsky A epistolary novel, the only one London wrote with another. Strunsky wrote the letters of Dane Kempton, who presents a romantic view of love, disputed by London in the form of Herbert Wace. After meeting Charmian Kittredge, London admitted he now agreed with Strunsky's romanticism. |
The Little Lady of the Big House | 1916 | A triangle romance provides the basis for a questioning of the meaning of masculinity, as well as an examination of agribusiness in California. |
Martin Eden | 1913 | Set in San Francisco, this is the story of Martin Eden, a seaman who pursues his dreams of education and literary fame. |
Michael, Brother of Jerry | 1917 | This story of brutality toward animals inspired a movement known as the Jack London Clubs, which were devoted to the cause of animal welfare and humane treatment. |
The Mutiny of the Elsinore | 1914 | Written during a time of personal tragedy, this novel of sea life is among his weakest. |
The Sea Wolf | 1904 | Chronicles the voyages of a ship run by the ruthless Wolf Larsen, among the greatest of London's characters, and a spokesman for an extreme individualism London intended to critique. |
The Star Rover | 1915 | The great transmigration novel inspired by the experiences of an ex-prisoner's account of coping with "the Jacket," a form of torture at San Quentin. London was a lifelong supporter of humane prison practices and helped parolees with money and sometimes jobs. |
The Valley of the Moon | 1913 | The first part of this novel exposes the struggles of the working-class of London's day, while the latter part is an exploration of the California landscape, with Sonoma Valley providing the "perfect spot" for the wandering lovers. |
White Fang | 1906 | An initiation story concerning the taming of a wild dog in the Klondike. London joked this was his Call of the Tame. |
Option 2 - Unordered List with Custom Style
- The Abysmal Brute (1911)
A prize fighter faces the corruption of civilization and finds redemption in the wilds of California. - Adventure (1911)
Located in the Solomon Islands, this devastating portrayal of copra plantation slavery has scholars arguing whether London was criticizing the racism of the colonialists or approving of it. - Before Adam (1907)
The modern narrator's dreams transport him to a prehistoric community. - Burning Daylight (1910)
A tale of the Klondike Goldrush and the corrupting influence of high stakes capitalism. One of the "Sonoma County novels." Illustrated. - The Call of the Wild (1903) Audio Book version from LibriVox
The mythopoetic story of Buck, a sledge dog in the Klondike, and his journey of transformation. - The Cruise of the Dazzler (1902)
Escapades of the "Frisco Kid," a gritty and mischievous youth whose quick wit and courage see him through challenge and adventure. - A Daughter of the Snows (1902)
London's first novel introduces the typical strong, independent, well-educated heroine that would run through much of his fiction. - The Game (1905)
This prizefight story is influenced by London's attendance at events to write boxing journalism articles.. - Hearts of Three (1918)
Originally intended as a film scenario, this plot is an improbably adventure story that can't help but bring to mind the "Lost Ark" films of decades later. - The Iron Heel (1908)
A futuristic tale of facist tyranny and socialist revolution, now considered a classic work of American radical literature. Much admired by Eugene Debs, Leon Trotsky, and George Orwell. - Jerry of the Islands (1917)
Jerry is a dog whose experiences reflect the cruelty and racism of colonial Melanesia. Does London support the racism or not? - The Kempton-Wace Letters (1903) With Anna Strunsky
A epistolary novel, the only one London wrote with another. Strunsky wrote the letters of Dane Kempton, who presents a romantic view of love, disputed by London in the form of Herbert Wace. After meeting Charmian Kittredge, London admitted he now agreed with Strunsky's romanticism. - The Little Lady of the Big House (1916)
A triangle romance provides the basis for a questioning of the meaning of masculinity, as well as an examination of agribusiness in California. - Martin Eden (1913)
Set in San Francisco, this is the story of Martin Eden, a seaman who pursues his dreams of education and literary fame. - Michael, Brother of Jerry (1917)
This story of brutality toward animals inspired a movement known as the Jack London Clubs, which were devoted to the cause of animal welfare and humane treatment. - The Mutiny of the Elsinore (1914)
Written during a time of personal tragedy, this novel of sea life is among his weakest. - The Sea Wolf(1904)
Chronicles the voyages of a ship run by the ruthless Wolf Larsen, among the greatest of London's characters, and a spokesman for an extreme individualism London intended to critique. - The Star Rover(1915)
The great transmigration novel inspired by the experiences of an ex-prisoner's account of coping with "the Jacket," a form of torture at San Quentin. London was a lifelong supporter of humane prison practices and helped parolees with money and sometimes jobs. - The Valley of the Moon (1913)
The first part of this novel exposes the struggles of the working-class of London's day, while the latter part is an exploration of the California landscape, with Sonoma Valley providing the "perfect spot" for the wandering lovers. - White Fang (1906)
An initiation story concerning the taming of a wild dog in the Klondike. London joked this was his Call of the Tame.