Martin Eden
Contributors: Andrew Sinclair (Introduction)
Edition: Reprint (9)
Series: Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: 1993
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 482
ISBN-13: 9780140187724
Copyright date: 1984
Description: Set in San Francisco, this is the story of Martin Eden, an impoverished seaman who pursues, obsessively and aggressively, dreams of education and literary fame. London, dissatisfied with the rewards of his own success, intended Martin Eden as an attack on individualism and a criticism of ambition; however, much of its status as a classic has been conferred by admirers of its ambitious protagonist.

Andrew Sinclair's wide-ranging introduction discusses the conflict between London's support of socialism and his powerful self-will. Sinclair also explores the parallels and divergences between the life of Martin Eden and that of his creator, focusing on London's mental depressions and how they affected his depiction of Eden.
(back cover)