From the Life of Jack London

One of the most prominent and well-known American writers Jack London certainly is. In addition, they say that he was the first in the history of American writer, earning his labor of millions of dollars. Today I want to tell you about the interesting moments from his life.




At the end of 1875 in the United States broke the scandal: the American press excitedly telling us about the unfortunate Flora Wellman, who tried in desperation to shoot himself after the famous astrologer Professor William Cheney, with whom she lived, learning about pregnancy Flora insisted on an abortion. All, however, ended up rather well: the name of Cheney was dishonored for life, and Wellman received only slightly wounded, and January 12, 1876 gave birth to San Francisco boy who gave the name John. John Griffith Chaney, also known as Jack London.



Two women in kid Jack London became more important to him to end his days. First - Virginia Prentiss, a former slave Flora Wellmann; mother in her care after the birth of a baby left him for a while. Second - Eliza London, the eldest daughter of Jack's stepfather John London, whom Flora was married at the end of 1876; loyal friend and guardian angel of the writer. Alas, Flora herself constantly nurtured plans to get rich quickly, and these adventures smashed all attempts to farm her husband during the severe economic crisis.



Working life of Jack London began early: Seller morning and evening newspapers, a boy in a bowling alley, a cleaner in the park, working the canning factory. Then came the sea adventures. Good Virginia boy lent $ 300, which was bought second-hand schooner, and soon 14-year-old "captain" was nicknamed "Prince of the oyster pirates" for illegal fishing shrimp and crab from San Francisco's waterfront. Then there were the patrol service in the fishing and sailing sailor on fishing schooner "Sophie Sutherland" in Japan and the Bering Sea.



Jute mill worker, Gladilschikov laundry, fireman ... What good to tell the details? Discover works of Jack London, and followed his employment by "Tales fishing patrol", "Sea Wolf", "Martin Eden," "John Barleycorn" and many others. And the very first sketch was "Typhoon off the coast of Japan." It was published November 12, 1893 in a newspaper of San Francisco and won first prize. Thus began the literary career of Jack London.



Eighteen guy after going on the unemployed and the Washington spent months in prison in the first place, thoroughly acquainted with socialist ideas, and secondly, we finally decided to become a writer. It lacked education. London entered the high school, but was dissatisfied with the pace of learning and threw it. Independently produced, Jack passed the exams at the University of California and studied for three semesters. And then run out of money.



In the spring of 1897, Jack London, and many tens of thousands of Americans, "sick", "gold fever" and I went to Alaska. Group prospectors, among whom was London, was lucky: they made their way to the headwaters of the Yukon River gold-and staked out the site. But the smile of fortune proved false. They did not find gold, until next spring on the new site could not even dream of, and London during the winter really sick - scurvy. The following year, he returned to San Francisco, I am already feeling that carries home a truly golden treasure.



London now knew what to write - because the characters in his future works and live images he took with him to Alaska. Only manage to record. The efficiency of Jack London was incredible: 15-17 hours of literary work every day! Because it is written for them not so much his long writing career about 40 books. The first of them - a collection of stories "The Son of the Wolf" - was born in 1900, just a year after the publication of the first northern stories.



Of course, in many ways made the name of Jack London novels and stories "Daughter of the Snows", "Sea Wolf", "Martin Eden," "White Fang," "Hearts of Three" and others. But in the literature writer was primarily unrivaled king of the story. Written banal language, the stories of Jack London are easy to read, they are fun. It would seem that because of this hard to stop, think about it. But foreign ease in each of London's story is supported, like the foundation, the depth of meaning. And so the stories of Jack London then a long literary life.



In the life of London there were military adventures. Twice, in 1904 and 1914, he was a war correspondent in the Russian-Japanese war and the civil war in Mexico. In 1907, after numerous delays, together with his wife and a small crew traveled to London round trip on the two-masted sailing ship "Snark", built for 30 thousand dollars of his own drawings. He planned to sail a seven-year, but in 1909 became ill and was forced to restrict his route South Pacific.



For one book London paid a fee of up to 50 thousand dollars, but the money he did not have enough time. They say he was the first American writer to make a million dollars. But what is happiness? Just not about the money. It came as a severe crisis that London has become disgusted with writing. In socialism, he was disappointed. Outskirts of kidney disease, accompanied by severe pain. From them he escaped morphine. On the night of November 22, 1916 there was a particularly strong attack. Most likely, London did not calculate the dose of morphine. In the morning, 40-year-old writer found he had died ...



Source: 1001fact.ru