Suchergebnisse

In the summer of 1902, respected American author Jack London (1876–1916), previously known for his descriptions of life during the Klondike Gold Rush, spent two months living 'down by the docks' in London's East End among the city's poorest residents. During this time he often slept in workhouses or on the streets, seeing first-hand how the impoverished struggled daily for adequate food, clothing and shelter while the rest of the city lived in relative prosperity - a prosperity which the author believed was gained at the expense of the poor. One of the earliest eyewitness descriptions of life in the slums of London, this book would influence later socially minded authors such as George Orwell. The text is also illustrated with photographs of the places and people mentioned, offering an important insight into the living conditions of the poor at the dawn of the twentieth century

The People of the Abyss is Jack London's riveting exposé of the conditions in the East End of London at the dawn of the 20th century. Stranded in Britain's capital after a cancelled assignment, London poses as a down-on-his-luck sailor and takes up residence in the slums of the East End. Sleeping in shelters and working odd jobs, he discovers a people doomed to poverty and starvation by age and ill health rather than laziness. Complementing his own experiences with extensive research, London delivers a scathing critique of the economic system and a heartfelt plea for compassion. With its tremendous contemporary relevance, The People of the Abyss still has as much power to shock and move as it did over 100 years ago.