Known for his novels White Fang, The Call of the Wild, and Martin Eden, Jack London has become one of the iconic authors in literary history. Today, let’s take a look at the life of Jack London.
Photo: Daily Stormer
Born John Griffith Chaney in San Francisco on January 12th 1876. Jack London was born to parents Flora Wellman and William Chaney. Flora was an unwed mother and William worked as an attorney and a journalist. Jack’s father was never consistently in his life. Due to his distance from the family, Jack’s mother married a man by the name of John London. John London was a Civil War veg who moved the family around a lot before they finally settled in Oakland.
Jack officially began writing in 1893. During his travels, Jack almost died due to a typhoon that had almost wiped out the entire crew. Jack was 17 years old during his travels and luckily returned home safely. After telling his mother of his of his adventure, she pushed him to write his story down and submit to their local newspaper. Jack won the writing contest and received a $25 dollar prize.
The writing contest sparked an interest in Jack. He continued to write stories, but unfortunately, had trouble finding a publisher to publish his work. Jack London briefly attended the University of California before he headed to the Yukon in an attempt to make it big during the gold rush. At the age of 22, London hadn’t quite found his niche in the world. He returned to California determined to become a writer. He then began writing about his experience in Yukon. In 1899, one of Jack’s stories was finally published in Overland Monthly.
Jack London’s first major literary success came when he was 27 years old. The Call of the Wild was published in 1903. This novel helped push Jack to continue his writing career. In the last 16 years of his life, Jack published over 50 books. He was a dedicated writer and all of his hard work eventually payed off.
Over the years, Jack London suffered from a variety of health issues. He died on November 22nd 1916 at his California ranch due to kidney disease. Jack London’s unique writing style made him famous. His dedication and discipline helped him publish a vast number of novels. His work has continued to inspire generations and will continue to do so for many years to come.