Jerry of the Islands

Jack London was a self-made man. Despite not receiving a systematic education, he read extensively from a young age—both fiction and philosophical and sociological works. He prepared himself and was admitted to the University of California but had to leave after the third semester due to financial difficulties. A craftsman, sailor, and later a farmer who experienced the hardships of physical labor, London spent his life eagerly absorbing knowledge. From an early age, he was driven by the dream of becoming a writer, knowing he had much to say to readers. He was very popular in the USSR, where he was considered a socialist, despite the fact that he saw himself as different from socialists—remaining an individual who sought to achieve something in life first for himself, and only then for society. The book we present to readers contains the unadapted text of the novel, accompanied by commentary and a glossary.