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ipanzica's review
4.0
An interesting tale by an amazing author. He made life on the road during the depression realistic by being filled with sad events. Though at the same time London took the time to add humor, wild sounding hobo names, and tales of raving mobs of 13-year-olds robbing the people who cross their path. Some people might think that the current generation of kids is bad, though I have yet to hear about wild gangs of 13-year-old beating up and robbing people recently.
mrslaww612's review
4.0
This one was odd.... No plot, reeally, just a loose collection of "remembrances" of life as a hobo. Not my favorite, to say the least.
mnboyer's review against another edition
2.0
I was really surprised that I was not a fan of this book. I enjoy London's other work, so I was excited to read about his experiences as a tramp. However, this just didn't hit home for me. It seems so distant from the classics that I enjoy from London.
This is interesting if you want autobiography. I know a lot of the fellow Ph.D. students that read this in the course I was in enjoyed it. However, if you're expecting a huge punch, this book just doesn't have it. There are some cute stories that I appreciated (hence the two stars). But a large majority of the book was just kind of "meh" to me.
This is interesting if you want autobiography. I know a lot of the fellow Ph.D. students that read this in the course I was in enjoyed it. However, if you're expecting a huge punch, this book just doesn't have it. There are some cute stories that I appreciated (hence the two stars). But a large majority of the book was just kind of "meh" to me.
timburbage's review
3.0
I really enjoy reading Jack London, and will still continue to read anything I find that he has written. His style is quick and effervescent, and his colloquialisms give a very strong voice. Also, he was just a super interesting dude who lived a super interesting life.
This book covers his times being a hobo and crossing the united states. Each chapter (I think there are 9) is a different story of how he ended up in jail for 30 days, or how he kept chasing another hobo across different trains. His final story is actually how he started being a hobo, and why he did it. Each story in itself was fairly interesting, but there was little no throughput from one story to the next. They weren't told in any order, and there was no narrative running through them.
Also, there was a lot of talk about different kinds of train. Like, a lot. He wrote about how he would jump on/in any different kinds of train coaches, and I still don't understand what any of it means.
I'm glad I read it, as Jack London is super interesting to me, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you love that hobo lifestyle, Jack London, or maybe you just love trains.
Also, there is a fair amount of racist language used, but I put that down to the time it was written, rather than Jack London being overtly racist in his story telling.
This book covers his times being a hobo and crossing the united states. Each chapter (I think there are 9) is a different story of how he ended up in jail for 30 days, or how he kept chasing another hobo across different trains. His final story is actually how he started being a hobo, and why he did it. Each story in itself was fairly interesting, but there was little no throughput from one story to the next. They weren't told in any order, and there was no narrative running through them.
Also, there was a lot of talk about different kinds of train. Like, a lot. He wrote about how he would jump on/in any different kinds of train coaches, and I still don't understand what any of it means.
I'm glad I read it, as Jack London is super interesting to me, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you love that hobo lifestyle, Jack London, or maybe you just love trains.
Also, there is a fair amount of racist language used, but I put that down to the time it was written, rather than Jack London being overtly racist in his story telling.
rwarner's review
3.0
Entertaining for awhile, though I found myself, about halfway through, hoping it would end soon. London describes scenery and events much better than he develops a plot, and this book is an example of that. Good for learning more about life as a hobo.
forkdogforkfruit's review
5.0
This Jack London memoir of sorts is so much fun. Documenting his time traveling around the US as a hobo in his unique writing style is simply refreshing despite being written well over a hundred years ago. There is a humbleness alongside an innocent comedy that seeps through page after page. Where many others may have seen despair London found acceptance, where others saw difficulty London saw a challenge and where others gave up London seemed to think that was where the measuring yourself started.
Another book that is covering a similar theme (memoir about crossing the US back and forth) is Kerouac's On The Road. Personally I never enjoyed On The Road because I thought it was too flamboyant and not enough substance. London's The Road is significantly better in my view and has made me consider rereading On The Road.
Another book that is covering a similar theme (memoir about crossing the US back and forth) is Kerouac's On The Road. Personally I never enjoyed On The Road because I thought it was too flamboyant and not enough substance. London's The Road is significantly better in my view and has made me consider rereading On The Road.