Review 185: The Road

The Road by Jack London
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a series of essays about Jack London’s time of hoboing and tramping along riding the rails. He was young, about 15 to nearly 19. There are two essays that cover his getting arrested, just as London entered the town near Niagara Falls and the sham trial that happened so quick it was obviously a sham. The next essay was of the thirty days he spent in jail from walking into town too early and without being registered at a hotel. Serving time in jail was part of the life, but this was London’s first time in prison, and he learned many lessons.

London writes with the slang in quotations and often explains the meanings. He talks about how he got into living on the road, names or monicas that people use or are given, and different types, such as road-kid, gay-cat, and “profesh”. There are of course the bulls, the police and all the railroad men that try to keep these free loaders off their trains.

Despite the writing being of a different era it is very readable. The first essay of London explaining how to beg for food at people’s houses reminds us of a different time, although maybe people weren’t happy to see strangers they weren’t nearly as leery as they are today.

I live near enough to a train station that during times while reading the book I could hear the freight trains passing and the engine whistle blow. It was the perfect back drop to this book.

Note: The version of the book I read isn't displayed. There are many editions in goodreads, and yet still missing many, particularly the older versions, and the edition I read wasn't there. The one I read was published in 1970 with an introduction by King Hendricks. The cover is an appropriate a man riding a train on the outside, hanging onto a "ladder" with the wind blowing his coat, all in blue. Love the cover of the book I read, and had to mention it here.

2nd Note: This book came to by from my Grandparents on March.11.2006

They were clearing out their books, I chose from their selections, and got a small box of books, mostly classics.