My favorite Jack London book.

well narrated. recording is clear. a nice listen on a long drive. highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who likes Jack London.

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9 people found this helpful

Not your typical Jack London

Any additional comments?

I found this book very interesting, partly because of my curiosity about London, himself. It is a loosely autobiographical novel that gives a real insight into the mind of London concerning his writing. The book is entirely about a young struggling author and all the obstacles and frustration in trying to get published and to be successful.
The book also gives an historical and fascinating look into the harshness and class stratification of the turn of the 20th Century.
This is not at all a typical London adventure story and might disappoint someone looking for that genre. It is however an excellent and memorable book as would be expected by a writer of London's stature.

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8 people found this helpful

Well worth the time

Great writing, thought-provoking, vast in scope, an ideas book with interesting characters. Not plot driven. so don't expect that.

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5 people found this helpful

Really Enjoyable

great to be able to listen to such writings as Jack London...I don't have the time to read but being able to listen to some of the legendary works is a privilege.

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4 people found this helpful

My most favorite book of all time.

Would you listen to Martin Eden again? Why?

I've read this book in my late teen years and it has changed my life.
I'm not a huge fun of audio books as the narrator usually stands in the way.
But this one was incredibly good! I loved the narration!
Well done!

What did you like best about this story?

A must read if you are an aspiring artist

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes.

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3 people found this helpful

Narrated well, vividly described character of M.E.

An interesting book which takes us deep into the thoughts and mental models of the protagonists and how it changes/grows over time with experiences.
Audible version is advisable as it is a long book and the narrator has done a splendid job of reading it.
There were parts that were dark but Martin Eden's persistence was motivational. The book felt like a window into Jack Langdon's own life, how else could he write and feel this way about a man worshiping literature and struggling to make a mark on it.
The book idealizes individualism and vividly paints how it is intertwined and also at a constant struggle with the society. The protagonist's character while marked with youthful energy, generosity and artistry, is also flawed with superficial love, impulsive aggression and depression.

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2 people found this helpful

The ultimate end of all secular materialism

As an eccentric career artist, and also having an MLA in Philosophy, I identified greatly with the character of Martin Eden.

So often, the dogma of the cynic, pretending to his integrity, but unable to bring its own end about, and shrinking under the potency thereof, will undulate upon convictions; ever learning, but never actually learning.

Martin is the fruit of philosophy--- which, has never once, given a single man the smallest part of what it dissimulated in its offerings.

I see a deep Truth in this story.

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2 people found this helpful

Amazing

English is my 3rd language. Even though I consider myself trilingual, I had never ever read more than some fragments of literature in English here and there, I did not feel comfortable enough, breaking systematically the flow of the narration because of my insecurity and overthinking. So I never got to read more than 30 pages before abandoning a book.
But what a magnificent story, and especially, what a wonderful narrator. If it wasn’t so clearly and well read, I would have abandoned it -being the pickiest reader and having a background in theater, radio and writing. It took me only 2 days, I couldn’t stop listening. Bravo. Thank you for helping me to lose my fear.

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1 person found this helpful

Great novel, somewhat irritating performance

This is a wonderful story especially for Jack London fans interested in his perspective as a young writer. The narrator does an okay job overall, however his voice for Martin, and especially for Ruth are quite distracting. By the time I was a quarter way through I found his voice of Ruth to be insulting; it makes her sound nothing but shrill and immature.

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Brilliant

Amazing use of language and vocabulary, something different and special. Descriptions of life that create blazing images in the mind.

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