Jack London biography in English. Jack London - Jack London, oral topic in English with translation. Topic. English Topic: Jack London

The author of many short stories and novels, whose works romantically describe the all-conquering force of nature and the struggle for survival. London's identification with wilderness made him popular with the green movement. His leftist views are visible in the utopia "The Iron Heel" (1908). John Barleycorn (1913), which describes London's drinking bouts, links him with such later countrymen as Charles Bukowski and Jack Kerouac. On the other hand, the author's views on white supremacy and social Darwinism place him as a far-right conservative.

“Fiction pays the best, and when it is well done, it is the easiest to sell. A good joke will be bought faster than a good poem, and, if measured by blood and sweat, for better money. Avoid sad endings, rudeness, cruelty, tragedy, horror, if you want to see the things you write printed. (That's why don't do as I do, do as I say). Humor is the hardest to write, the easiest to sell, the best paid... Don't write too much. Focus your efforts on one story instead of scattering your efforts across a dozen. Don't sit back, inviting inspiration, chase it with a club to your advantage, and if you don't catch up, you will still get something surprisingly similar to it. (“How to get published”, 1903, “Editor” magazine).

Jack London was born in San Francisco. His father, the wandering astrologer “Professor” William Henry Cheney, abandoned him, and he was raised in Auckland by his mother, Flora Wellman, a music teacher and spiritualist. His stepfather John London, whose surname he took, was a bankrupt shopkeeper. London's youth was spent in poverty. At the age of ten, he became addicted to reading and borrowed books from the Oakland Public Library, where Ina Coolbirth advised him on the works of Flaubert, Tolstoy and other great novelists.
Having left school at 14, London was a sailor, a vagabond traveling on freight trains, and adopted socialist views as a member of the Unemployed Protest Army. In 1984, he was arrested in Niagara and jailed for vagrancy. These years strengthened his desire to emerge from poverty, and also subsequently provided material for his book The Sea Wolf (1904), which was based in part on his horrifying experiences at sea in the Pacific Ocean. The Road (1907), a collection of short stories, later inspired writers such as Steinbeck and Kerouac.

Having received little formal education, London spent a lot of time in public libraries reading fiction, poetry, books on philosophy, political science, and at the age of 19 he entered the University of California at Berkeley. At this time he had already begun to write. His first great love was Mabel Applegate, a girl from a wealthy family who became the prototype for Ruth Morse in the novel Martin Eden (1909). London later wrote to Anna Strunsky, the second love of his life: “Her virtues led her nowhere. Job? She didn't work. Her culture was a patina on the surface, a depth from the depths within her shallow waters.”

Less than a year later, London left his studies and in 1897 went to catch his fortune amid the Klondike gold rush. The attempt was unsuccessful. London spent the winter near Dawson, suffering from scurvy. In the spring he returned to San Francisco. His notebook was full of sketches of future stories.

London spent the rest of 1998 trying to make a living as a writer. His early stories appeared in the Overland Monthly and Atlantic Monthly magazines. In 1900 he married Elizabeth Maddern; their home became a battlefield between Bess and London's mother Flora. Three years later he left her and their two daughters to marry editor and traveler Charmian Kittridge. The marriage with her lasted until London's death. Charmian served as the prototype for the characters of London heroines, such as Paula in The Little Mistress of the Big House (1916).

In 1901, London ran unsuccessfully for the Socialist Party nomination for mayor of Auckland. He begins to persistently write novellas, essays and short stories, becoming one of the most famous authors during his lifetime. Before this, London created its own system to develop a daily norm of a thousand words. He did not deviate from her even during his travels and binges. London's first story, "Son of the Wolf", appeared in 1900. By 1904 London was the author of ten books. “Son of the Wolf” had a large readership, as did other “northern” works: “The Call of the Wild,” in which the family dog ​​Buck acquires a natural instinct for survival in the Yukon, “White Fang” (1906) and “Time Waits No” ( "Burning Daylight", 1910).

“There is ecstasy, which marks the pinnacle of life, the highest tension
vitality. And it is paradoxical that this ecstasy is the fullness of sensation
life and at the same time - complete oblivion of oneself and everything around. Such
selfless delight comes to the artist-creator in hours of inspiration. He
embraces the warrior on the battlefield, and the warrior, in the ecstasy of battle, strikes without mercy. IN
Such is the ecstasy of Buck at the head of the pack, with the ancient victory cry of the wolves,
chasing prey rushing ahead in the moonlight. This ecstasy came from
the depths of his being unknown to himself, returning him to the depths of time.
Life was boiling in him, rising in a stormy overflow, and every muscle, every vein
played, were on fire, and the joy of life was transformed into movement, into this
a frenzied leap under the stars on a dead earth frozen with cold.” (“Call of the Wild”).
In 1902, London came to England, where he experienced the other side of the British Empire: living conditions in the East End and working-class neighborhoods of the capital. Initially it was going to South Africa for reporting from the Boer War. His book about economic decline and the poor, People of the Abyss (1903), was an unexpected success in the United States but was criticized in England. London created this classic piece of investigative reporting in seven weeks. During a painful separation from his wife in 1904, he went to Korea as a correspondent for Hearst's newspaper to cover Russo-Japanese War(1904-1905). A year later, he published his first collection of non-fiction works, War of the Classes, which contains his essays on socialism. In 1907, London and Charmian set sail aboard the Snark, a small sailing ship designed by London himself, to circumnavigate the world. On board he began writing the novel Martin Eden. Experiencing great difficulties due to an incompetent captain and a poorly constructed ship, they cut the voyage short in Australia. London's finances were in disarray, his teeth hurt constantly, and he began buying sketches from the aspiring writer Sinclair Lewis in order to write and sell more stories and articles.

In 1910, London acquired a large plot of land near Glen Ellen in Sonoma County (California) and directed his efforts and finances to improve and expand his Beauty Ranch. He also travels widely and reports on the Mexican Revolution. In 1913, the still unfinished ranch burns down; The doctor tells him that his kidneys are failing. According to some reports, the London “dream house” was set on fire deliberately, and it was not insured.

Among London's major works are The Sea Wolf (1904), memorable for the Nietzschean spirit of the hero; utopian novel “The Iron Heel” (1908); "The Voyage of the Snark" (1911), a description of a voyage across the Pacific Ocean; semi-autobiographical "Martin Eden". “Unaware of the needs of others, of the needs of the whole society,” wrote London, “Martin Eden lived only for himself, fought only for himself and, if you like, died for himself.” The main character with a biblical name (English: “Edene” - Eden, paradise) is an uneducated sailor, a rude pariah who seeks to earn a fortune and gain status in society, using his passion for writing. He is attracted to Ruth Morse, a woman who has everything he thinks he wants in a wife - beauty, charm, wealth. Brissenden, Eden's friend, was based on George Sterling, a little-known romantic poet and close friend of London. Success came to Eden with his story “Belated.” He becomes disillusioned with life, returns to sea as a first-class passenger on the Mariposa liner and commits suicide by throwing himself overboard on the open sea. “Perhaps Nietzsche was right. Perhaps there is no truth in anything, there is no truth in truth itself, and this concept - truth - is simply a fiction. But he quickly got tired of thinking, happily sat down in the sun lounger again and dozed off. […]. And here he is somewhere below, collapsed into the darkness. He still understood this. Collapsed into darkness. And the moment I realized this, my consciousness broke off.” Critics assessed the book as a failure and a decline in London's literary fame.

A few months before his death, London left the Socialist Party. Debt, alcoholism, illness and fear of losing creative energy - all this darkened the last years of the writer’s life. He died on November 22, 1916, according to the official version - from gastrointestinal uremia. Although there were rumors of London committing suicide with morphine, the two vials found did not contain a lethal dose, especially for someone who was taking morphine as a painkiller. “Jack London was never an original thinker. He was, physically and intellectually, the great devourer of the world. He was one of those writers who goes to a place and writes his dreams about it, who finds an Idea there and wraps his spirit around it.” (L. Doctorow, The New York Times, 12/11/1988).

In literature, models for London were Kipling and Stevenson. He was also influenced by the theories of Darwin, Spencer, Marx and Nietzsche. In recent years, London has been reading Jung's work. He significantly influenced such writers as Hemingway, Kerouac, Ruark. Upton Sinclair is often called London's literary successor.

Jack London

I have to admit that I"m fond of reading. I like to read books about the history of our country, about famous people and adventures. Literature means much in my life. It helps to form the character and the world outlook, to understand life better. Books teach us to be honest, modest, and courageous. They help us to feel compassion for weak people.

Jack London became my favorite writer from his first books I"d read. First of all I got interested in Jack London as a personality. His life story struck me not less than his works. What a man! He was strong and talented. He lived a life of adventures and hardships, so he knew what he was writing about. In his novel Martin Iden he describes his biography.

Jack London was born in San Francisco in 1876. From his childhood he suffered greatly. He changed a lot of jobs: selling out newspapers, working at the factory. He hated that kind of job, which exhausted people and made them suffer physically and mentally.

Young Jack had no opportunity to go to school, so he studied privately reading much at night.

When gold was found in Alaska, Jack London joined the gold rush. He returned home without gold but with rich impressions about people with whom he met and made friends. They became the prototypes of his heroes.

The American novelist and short-story writer knew life in Alaska very well because he experienced it himself. That is why it is so interesting to read his novels "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang" His heroes are bright personalities. They are physically strong and enduring people. They try to find a way out from the most difficult situations. They fight and survive.

The very first story The Love of Life caught my fancy. I was struck by the will of a sick man who found himself alone, side by side with a wolf. Both the man and the wolf were sick and weak. And each of them was waiting for the other to grow still weaker and faint in order to feed on him. The man won. While reading the story I admired the courage and human spirit of the hero.

The story "Brown Wolf" is not less interesting. It's about a dog and his devotion to people.

Later I read more novels and stories by Jack London. My fondness of Jack London, the greatest American writer, will stay with me all my life.

Jack London

I must admit that I love to read. I like to read books about the history of our country, about famous people and adventures. Literature means a lot in my life. It helps shape character and outlook, and better understand life. Books teach us to be honest, humble and brave. They help us feel compassion for weak people.

Jack London became my favorite author from the first books I read. First of all, I became interested in Jack London as a person. The story of his life amazed me no less than his work. What a man! He was strong and talented. He lived a life of adventure and difficulty, so he knew what he wrote about. In the novel “Martin Ideas” he describes his biography. What a hard life he lived!

Jack London was born in San Francisco in 1876. He experienced a lot since childhood. He changed many jobs: he sold newspapers, worked in a factory. He hated work that exhausted people and made them suffer physically and mentally.

Young Jack did not have the opportunity to go to school, so he studied by himself by reading, mostly at night.

When gold was discovered in Alaska, Jack London joined the gold rush. He returned home without gold, but with rich impressions of the people he had met and made friends with. They became the prototypes of his heroes.

The American novelist and short story writer knew life in Alaska very well, because he experienced everything himself. That is why it is so interesting to read his novels “Call of the Wild” and “White Fang”. His heroes are smart people. They are physically strong and resilient. They try to find a way out of the most difficult situations. They fight and survive.

The very first story, “Love of Life,” captured my imagination. I was amazed by the willpower of a sick man who found himself alone, eye to eye with a wolf. Both the man and the wolf were sick and weak. And each of them waited until the other became weaker in order to eat him. The man won. Reading the story, I admired the hero’s courage and fortitude.

The story “The Brown Wolf” is no less interesting. It's about a dog and its devotion to people.

Later I read other novels and stories by Jack London. My admiration for Jack London, America's greatest writer, will remain with me throughout my life.

The novelist and short-story writer Jack London was, in his lifetime, one of the most popular authors in the world. After World War I his fame was eclipsed in the United States by a new generation of writers, but he remained popular in many other countries, especially in the Soviet Union, for his romantic tales of adventure mixed with elemental struggles for survival.

John Griffith London was born in San Francisco on January 12, 1876. His family was poor, and he was forced to go to work early in life to support himself. At 17 he sailed to Japan and Siberia on a seal-hunting voyage. He was largely self-taught, reading voluminously in libraries and spending a year at the University of California. In the late 1890s he joined the gold rush to the Klondike. This experience gave him material for his first book, "The Son of Wolf", published in 1900, and for "Call of the Wild" (1903), one of his most popular stories.

In his writing career of 17 years, London produced 50 books and many short stories. He wrote mostly for money, to meet ever-increasing expenses. His fame as a writer gave him a ready audience as a speaker for a peculiar and inconsistent blend of socialism and racial superiority.
London"s works, all hastily written, are of uneven quality. The best books are the Klondike tales, which also include "White Fang" (1906) and "Burning Daylight" (1910). His most enduring novel is probably the autobiographical " Martin Eden" (1909), but the exciting "Sea Wolf" (1904) continues to have great appeal for young readers.

In 1910 London settled near Glen Ellen, California, where he intended to build his dream home, "Wolf House." After the house burned down before completion in 1913, he was a broken and sick man. His death on November 22, 1916, from an overdose of drugs, was probably a suicide.

Topic by English language: Jack London. This text can be used as a presentation, project, story, essay, essay or message on a topic.

American writer

Jack London was born in 1876 in San Francisco. His real name was John Griffith. He was America's most successful writer of the early 20th century, whose life symbolized willpower.

Origin

London's family was very poor, so he began working at the age of 8. He sold newspapers and worked on ships and factories. Jack traveled across the ocean as a sailor, walking from San Francisco to New York with an army of unemployed men and back through Canada to Vancouver. London studied the great masters of literature and read the works of great scientists and philosophers.

Conclusion

A turning point in Jack's life was his thirty-day imprisonment, which forced him to study and later take up writing.

Best short stories

In 1987, Jack London joined the gold rush and headed to the Klondike. He brought no gold with him, but those years left their mark on his best short stories; among them are "The Call of the Wild", "White Fang", "Son of the Wolf" and "White Silence". They present a compelling narrative of man's struggle with nature. His novel The Sea Wolf is based on his experiences at sea.

The problems of individuals and society, as well as some of the difficulties that London himself faced in his early years as a writer, are described in The Iron Heel and Martin Eden.

Last years of life

During the 16 years of his literary career, Jack London published about 50 books: short stories, novels and essays. In 1910, London settled near Glen Helen in California, where he intended to build his dream home. After the house burned down before it was completed in 1913, London was a broken and sick man. Jack London died from various illnesses and drug treatments at the age of 40 in 1916.

Download English topic: Jack London

Jack London

American writer

Jack London was born in 1876 in San Francisco. His real name was John Griffith. He was the most successful writer in America in the early 20th century, whose life symbolized the power of will.

Background

London's family was very poor, so he began to work at the age of eight. He sold newspapers, worked on ships and in factories. Jack traveled across the ocean as a sailor, tramped from San Francisco to New York with an army of unemployed and back through Canada to Vancouver. London studied the great masters of literature and read the works of great scientists and philosophers.

Imprisonment

The turning point of Jack’s life was a thirty-day imprisonment, which made him decide to turn to education and pursue a career in writing.

His best short stories

In 1897 Jack London joined the gold rush to the Klondike. He didn’t bring any gold back with him but those years left their mark in his best short stories; among them The Call of the Wild, White Fang, The Son of the Wolf, and The white silence. They are gripping narratives of a man’s struggle with nature. His novel The Sea Wolf was based on his experiences at sea.

The problems of the individual and society as well as some of the difficulties London himself met during the first years of his literary work are described in The Iron Heel and Martin Eden.

The last year of life

During the sixteen years of his literary career Jack London published about fifty books: short stories, novels and essays. In 1910 London settled near Glen Ellen in California, where he intended to build his dream home. After the house burned down before completion in 1913, London was a broken and sick man. Jack London died from various diseases and drug treatments at the age of forty in 1916.

(1906)-depict elemental struggles for survival. During the 20th century he was one of the most extensively translated of American authors.

Jack London. George Grantham Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ggbain-00676)

Deserted by his father, a roving astrologer, he was raised in , California, by his spiritualist mother and his stepfather, whose surname, London, he took. At age 14 he quit school to escape poverty and gain adventure. He explored in his, alternately stealing or working for the government fish patrol. He went to Japan as a sailor and saw much of the United States as a hobo riding freight trains and as a member of Charles T. Kelly's industrial army (one of the many protest armies of the unemployed, like that was born of the financial panic of 1893). London saw depression conditions, was jailed for vagrancy, and in 1894 became a militant socialist.

London educated himself at public libraries with the writings of , and , usually in popularized forms. At 19 he crammed a four-year course into one year and entered the , Berkeley, but after a year he quit school to seek a fortune in the . Returning the next year, still poor and unable to find work, he decided to earn a living as a writer.

London studied magazines and then set himself a daily schedule of producing, jokes, anecdotes, adventure stories, or, steadily increasing his output. The optimism and energy with which he attacked his task are best conveyed in his autobiographical (1909). Within two years, stories of his Alaskan adventures began to win acceptance for their fresh subject matter and virile force. His first book, The Son of the Wolf: Tales of the Far North(1900), a collection of short stories that he had previously published in magazines, gained a wide audience.

During the remainder of his life, London wrote and published steadily, completing some 50 books of fiction and nonfiction in 17 years. Although he became the highest-paid writer in the United States at that time, his earnings never matched his expenditures, and he was never freed of the urgency of writing for money. He sailed a ketch to the South Pacific, telling of his adventures in The Cruise of the Snark(1911). In 1910 he settled on a ranch near Glen Ellen, California, where he built his grandiose Wolf House. He maintained his socialist beliefs almost to the end of his life.

The Sea-Wolf Jack London writing The Sea-Wolf, 1903. Jack London State Historic Park

Jack London's output, typically hastily written, is of uneven literary quality, though his highly romanticized stories of adventure can be compulsively readable. His Alaskan novels (1903), (1906), and Burning Daylight(1910), in which he dramatized in turn atavism, adaptability, and the appeal of the wilderness, are outstanding. His (1908), set in the Klondike, is a masterly depiction of humankind’s inability to overcome nature; it was reprinted in 1910 in the short-story collection Lost Face, one of many such volumes that London published. In addition to Martin Eden, he wrote two other autobiographical novels of considerable interest: The Road(1907) and John Barleycorn(1913). Other important novels are (1904), which features a Nietzschean hero, Humphrey Van Weyden, who battles the vicious; and (1908), a fantasy of the future that is a terrifying anticipation of