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eviemwx's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
hobbitony's review against another edition
4.0
This is going to act as more stream of consciousness then an actual review if anyone is reading.
Jack London's "The People of the Abyss" was a sociological nonfiction case study of London during the start of the 1900's. London thought it'd be interesting to see how those on the East End of London (no pun intended) lived during this time. To do this, he dressed in rags, secured himself a polish place to rest at nights and wandered into the area to associate himself among the masses. Representative of slumming but not quite, it reminded me of Undercover boss where richer men spy on their company workers by appearing as a struggling worker among the rest in the company hierarchy.
I was surprised to read this account partly because the thought of pretending to be poor leaves a sour taste in my mouth. London is aware of the conditions respective of the raging economy that is leaving the poor even further behind. He understands that poverty is not just a thing that happens but it's a gradual degradation of one's families falling further and further into the trap of poverty. I highlighted a lot of quotes that really stuck out to me because London encapsulates the cycle of poverty as something that burrows its way into you and simply drags everyone down with it.
During the account, he narrates his journey into workhouses, narratives with other struggling men who are living on the streets and develops genuine compassion for those. He even predicts the growing opposition from the 99% to the rest of the economy.
At times, especially during the middle, I found myself a bit bored with the almost repetitive chapters but there was a certain switch up when London began giving statistics that made it clear, this was not simply a journey to find new writing content but a genuine exploration of the current state of the world.
Jack London's "The People of the Abyss" was a sociological nonfiction case study of London during the start of the 1900's. London thought it'd be interesting to see how those on the East End of London (no pun intended) lived during this time. To do this, he dressed in rags, secured himself a polish place to rest at nights and wandered into the area to associate himself among the masses. Representative of slumming but not quite, it reminded me of Undercover boss where richer men spy on their company workers by appearing as a struggling worker among the rest in the company hierarchy.
I was surprised to read this account partly because the thought of pretending to be poor leaves a sour taste in my mouth. London is aware of the conditions respective of the raging economy that is leaving the poor even further behind. He understands that poverty is not just a thing that happens but it's a gradual degradation of one's families falling further and further into the trap of poverty. I highlighted a lot of quotes that really stuck out to me because London encapsulates the cycle of poverty as something that burrows its way into you and simply drags everyone down with it.
During the account, he narrates his journey into workhouses, narratives with other struggling men who are living on the streets and develops genuine compassion for those. He even predicts the growing opposition from the 99% to the rest of the economy.
At times, especially during the middle, I found myself a bit bored with the almost repetitive chapters but there was a certain switch up when London began giving statistics that made it clear, this was not simply a journey to find new writing content but a genuine exploration of the current state of the world.
melissabee's review against another edition
4.0
Powerful and passionate, though not perfect (too much sweeping generalizing, and I find London's personality grating and self-congratulatory). I read this partly to remind myself of what a world with no social support, healthcare, or care for the old is like, as our country gets closer to becoming such a world again. I used to think that people would not take away, for example, food and healthcare from children, but history (and recent history at that) shows that governments are perfectly capable of letting children (and many others) die in the streets. Everyone should read this.
msand3's review against another edition
4.0
London’s nonfiction examination of the poor in the East End of London is influenced by Carlyle (whom he often quotes) and was surely inspired by Riis’ [b:How the Other Half Lives|882203|How the Other Half Lives|Jacob A. Riis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390174770l/882203._SY75_.jpg|163917] and Engels’ [b:The Condition of the Working Class in England|824042|The Condition of the Working Class in England|Friedrich Engels|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348259744l/824042._SY75_.jpg|496446], while in turn inspiring Orwell’s later personal narratives. The book is divided into two sections, with the first half being London’s first-hand account of living and working in the slums to get a sense of the conditions, and the second half a collection of essays that examine the impossible economics of the working poor and homeless who must work long hours for starvation wages while living in abject poverty and filth. It is a sobering read. What makes it all the more depressing is how London -- who had previously lived as a tramp in the U.S. west and had a pretty rough life growing up -- is unable to spend more than 24 hours in these conditions before heading back to his comfortable inn to change clothes, eat, and sleep. The two sections of the book are divided by a chapter in which London describes witnessing the coronation of Edward VII, contrasting the glitter and opulence with the sordid conditions he had just experienced. London is particularly critical of religious hypocrites -- his experience with the Salvation Army paints them as predatory proselytizers who treat the poor like cattle under the guise of charity.
My one criticism is that London glosses over the experiences of women. Every person profiled in the first half is a man, and London only makes oblique references to the lives of women who must work for less money, raise children, and fall into prostitution when their husbands die or become disabled. London devotes a chapter in the second half to the plight of children, but the experiences of women receive no real attention. This is an unfortunate and surprising oversight.
Even so, this remains an important book for understanding London’s later fiction and political views, and should be read alongside other 19th and early-20th-century socialist depictions of poverty and class. I would suggest reading it before venturing into any of London’s later fiction, as it seems to be a touchstone for the themes fleshed out in his later novels and stories.
My one criticism is that London glosses over the experiences of women. Every person profiled in the first half is a man, and London only makes oblique references to the lives of women who must work for less money, raise children, and fall into prostitution when their husbands die or become disabled. London devotes a chapter in the second half to the plight of children, but the experiences of women receive no real attention. This is an unfortunate and surprising oversight.
Even so, this remains an important book for understanding London’s later fiction and political views, and should be read alongside other 19th and early-20th-century socialist depictions of poverty and class. I would suggest reading it before venturing into any of London’s later fiction, as it seems to be a touchstone for the themes fleshed out in his later novels and stories.
andreiagmmarques's review against another edition
4.0
Reconhecer uma derrota tão esmagadora é dar o golpe da misericórdia à criatividade e ao progresso.
strong_extraordinary_dreams's review against another edition
3.0
An intense expose of how the other 3/4 lived in late 19th century London. Yeah, it's grim, and grim to be reminded that that is the reality for the majority of the world today.
Still, others - like Orwell's "Down and out in Paris & London" - have a greater effect when dealing with the same subject. (Orwell is one of the best writers, in another league to Jack London)
It's OK, not too long, so three stars.
Still, others - like Orwell's "Down and out in Paris & London" - have a greater effect when dealing with the same subject. (Orwell is one of the best writers, in another league to Jack London)
It's OK, not too long, so three stars.
booknooknoggin's review against another edition
4.0
Plights of the poor in London's East end. Excellent book. Should be required reading in schools.
boopity's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating look into the desperate poor in London. Written from the perspective of an American looking in add a lot of depth to the narrative. Shocking to read some of the facts and stories. 1 in 4 Londoners lived in abject poverty in 1903.
libridinosa's review against another edition
2.0
Análiza la problemática social de inicio del siglo 20. Es una investigación rigurosa.
Pero la narrativa no fue consistente.
No pudo mantener el tono ficcional para narrar esta desgarradora realidad. Arracó muy bien con la narrativa novelada y terminó en un compendio de datos.
Pero la narrativa no fue consistente.
No pudo mantener el tono ficcional para narrar esta desgarradora realidad. Arracó muy bien con la narrativa novelada y terminó en un compendio de datos.
peebee's review against another edition
5.0
Way more ballsy than Barbara Ehrenreich, way less ballsy than George Orwell. He doesn't get caught up in this wishy-washy just-the-facts objectivity thing that's making the rounds. He gets mad, and that goes into the book. He's a socialist and that goes into the book. Of course, he also left himself an escape hatch which he uses constantly. His stories are basically, after decompressing, he goes back under for a visit to a spike, or a lodging house or a trip around town after dark and runs back to his nice place on the outskirts of the slum when it gets to be too much for him. Orwell lived it every day for a period of months, if not years, and actually starved for lack of anything to do for money. Still a great book to beat a banker over the head with.