A review by snoakes7001
The People of the Abyss by Jack London
4.0
I picked up a copy of this (it's free on kindle) as someone I was twittering with told me it inspired Orwell to write Down and Out in Paris and London.
It's equally fascinating a social history as Orwell's book. Still relevant today too as the gap between rich and poor widens again and the underclass of third generation unemployed grows inexorably.
I did find London's attempts to transcribe the eastenders' voices slightly annoying though - think Dick Van Dyke's chimney sweep!
It's an important and horrifying read.
It's equally fascinating a social history as Orwell's book. Still relevant today too as the gap between rich and poor widens again and the underclass of third generation unemployed grows inexorably.
I did find London's attempts to transcribe the eastenders' voices slightly annoying though - think Dick Van Dyke's chimney sweep!
It's an important and horrifying read.