Martin Eden by Jack London Dec 30, 2006

~~~~~I've had this book for several years. The first time I made the mistake of reading the introduction by Paul Berman, a literary critic, first. It ruined the book for me because I knew before starting that the book was going to be depressing. After reading a few pages of the actual story, I didn't want to go any farther and quit. So this go-around, I skipped the introduction and forced myself to read the whole thing. And it was a struggle at times until there came a time when I started rooting for Martin to fulfill his dreams. Martin Eden is a sailor from the lower-lower class who meets Ruth, an upper middle-class gentle woman, and falls immediately in love. In order to become worthy of his love, Martin sets out to educate himself. He finds he has a brilliant intellect and learns and grows in leaps and bounds. His work ethic enables him to accomplish so much in such a short period of time. Eventually, against her better judgment, Ruth returns his love, probably more for his physical spendor because she never ceases to feel superior to him mentally and socially. Martin soon realizes that intellectually he is far superior to most of those in Ruth's world but it doesn't lessen his love for her. His ambition is to become a famous writer and he realizes that ambition too late, only after Ruth has broken off with him. The tragedy of the story is that after working so hard, Martin no longer fits in his former world and is no longer enchanted with Ruth's world. Having finally realized fame and fortune, he is left aimless and alone.
~~~~~While I didn't really enjoy this book, (too much philosophy) I did appreciate some of its conclusions. I found Martin Eden to be an unforgettable character. I'm glad I finished it and I liked it better than I ever imagined I would. London was a gifted writer and it's probably those skills that made the book a better read than I anticipated. Still, I don't think I will ever read it again. I've included a few quote that illustrate some of Eden's thinkings and also examples of London's great writing:
~~"He could not find an adequate motive in Mr. Butler's life of pinching and privation. Had he done it for love of a woman, or for attainment of beauty, Martin would have understood. God's own mad lover (Eden) should do anything for the kiss, but not for thirty thousand dollars a year. . . . . Thirty thousand a year was all right, but dyspepsia and inability to be humanly happy robbed such princely income of all its value."
~~"The world's judges of music may be all right. But I am I, and I won't subordinate my taste to the unanimous judgment of mankind." Something we should all remember when we don't like the same book that everyone else is raving about.
~~"The erasure of summer was at hand. Yet summer lingered, fading and fainting among her hills, deepening the purple of her valleys, spinning a shroud of haze from waning powers and sated ruptures, dying with the calm content of having lived and lived well."
~~"He saw the members of his own class and the members of Ruth's class, directing their narrow little lives by narrow little formulas--herd-creatures, flocking together and patterning their lives by one another's opinions, failing of being individuals and of really living life because of the childlike formulas by which they were enslaved."
Rating: 3.25

3 Comments:
booklogged said...
Some nice quotes. "I am I, and I won't subordinate my taste to the unanimous judgemnt of mankind" I'll remember that.

nessie said...
Sounds like my kind of book actually. I like the ones with liminal characters that can never be catagorized. Thanks!

Framed said...
Cassie reminded me that I've only had the book for a year. It just feels longer.