Customer Reviews

John Barleycorn: "Alcoholic Memoirs" (Oxford World's Classics)

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John Barleycorn is a tremondous book. One of the first things that will impress you about this book is London's life. London was a literal 'super-man' in the Carlyle sense. This book details how London raised himself from incredible child hood poverty and lower class surroundings while still a teen, engaging in rugged, manly adverntures that were simply amazing. This book also relates how London's love of books changed his life, and it will amaze you that his knowledge is so broad (throughout the book London dazzles us with philosophical qoutes and insights).

Most of all though, this book is about alcoholism. As one reviewer correctly notes, London had a strong liking for intoxication. However, one would be wrong to think of this book as pro-drinking, London is fairly fanatical in his dislike of alcohol and what it eventually did to him and other young men of his age. However, the brilliance of these 'alcoholic memoirs' is that he successfully illuminates the thought processes of most intelligent persons that have drinking problems. You will come away from this book understanding why many people, even an almost super-human person like Jack London, can fall prey to this vice. An absorbing read, and the book has a much more reader friendly and 'modern' style than many of London's fiction.

It may seem silly to ask this of a book that, at the time of its publication was used by the WCTU for their campaign, and which is recommended today by Alcoholics Anonymous; but ask it I will.

Let me note that "John Barleycorn" is one of Jack London's best books, and the closest thing to an autobiography he ever wrote. Chapters XXXVI and XXXVII, where he describes the "White Logic," contain some the finest, most lyrical, most poetic writing he ever did.

He describes the minuses of alcohol, AND he describes the plusses of alcohol. He describes BOTH the minuses AND plusses vividly, with all the skill of a great writer. He is a man who LOVES alcohol. He is a man who knows he has been damaged by alcohol. He describes both.

He praises saloon-keepers:

"Saloon-keepers are notoriously good fellows. On an average they perform vastly greater generosities than do business men. When I simply had to have ten dollars, desperate, with no place to turn, I went to Johnny Heinhold. Several years had passed since I had been in his place or spent a cent across his bar. And when I went to borrow the ten dollars I didn't buy a drink, either. And Johnny Heinhold let me have the ten dollars without security or interest...."

Of course, he balances this by explaining how this is in saloon-keepers own interest, and says "this is not to exalt saloon-keepers."

He praises the physical strength alcohol provides:

"And here again we come to another side of many-sided John Barleycorn. On the face of it, he gives something for nothing. Where no strength remains he finds new strength. The wearied one rises to greater effort. For the time being there is an actual accession of strength. I remember passing coal on an ocean steamer through eight days of hell, during which time we coal-passers were kept to the job by being fed with whisky. We toiled half drunk all the time. And without the whisky we could not have passed the coal.

This strength John Barleycorn gives is not fictitious strength. It is real strength."

Of course, he balances this by saying "But it is manufactured out of the sources of strength, and it must ultimately be paid for, and with interest."

He makes alcohol sound exciting, dangerous, comradely, glamorous, manly. Alcohol is his adventure, like his other adventures--indeed, as he explains, an integral PART of his other adventures.

And in the end, when he adds it all up, plusses and minuses, where does HE strike the balance? What total does HE come up with?

"And so I pondered my problem. I should not care to revisit all these fair places of the world except in the fashion I visited them before. GLASS IN HAND! There is a magic in the phrase. It means more than all the words in the dictionary can be made to mean. It is a habit of mind to which I have been trained all my life. It is now part of the stuff that composes me. I like the bubbling play of wit, the chesty laughs, the resonant voices of men, when, glass in hand, they shut the grey world outside and prod their brains with the fun and folly of an accelerated pulse.

No, I decided; I shall take my drink on occasion."

I don't drink. John Barleycorn is the only thing I have ever read that has made me feel that maybe I've missed something...

A stirring, deeply affecting account of one man's gradual resignation to the unrelenting grip of alcoholism. London at his electrifying, almost unsettling best. A must-read for all students of language and writing.

I really enjoyed this book. It is an intelligent and humorous view of a drinkers experiences, and we all know how entertaining Jack London's experiences were. This book is basically an autobiography of Jack London with an emphasis on his "drinking career". A classic that shouldn't be over looked.

Admirably honest rendering of his drinking problem. I was rivetted. And as an introspective person who thinks about things too much, I could TOTALLY relate to his pondering, to an unhealthy degree, what he refers to as "White Logic." A fine, though tragic, book.

This masterpiece by Jack London is part autobiography, part confession of his alcoholism, although he denies to be an alcoholic until the very end. Writing about his life made London a cult hero, writing about alcohol makes him a real hero. Consider that in those days (early 20eth century) alcoholics were considered mentally deranged and ought to be locked up. For all those who are mistified by the effects of alcohol on the human condition both physically and mentally this is probably the best thing to read. But beware; it won't lift your spirit the way spirits do.

Brilliantly written biography of Jack London. Deals with his decent into alcoholism. An excellent read.

I picked the book expecting more of an autobiograpy or memoir, but wasn't entirely disapointed by the content. To say this guy lived an interesting life would be an understatement in my opinion, whether the story was fictional or not. It was an interesting read and helped to open my eyes to the time period and how alcohol was interwoven in society. By the end of the book I was worn out from trying to convince myself that Jack London was saying something worthwhile.

Hear him sing. Jack at his bestI don't know what else3 to say.Wonderful riffs.

If you want to know about Jack London, this is the book to read! He talks about many events and adventures in life with his not so nice buddy, John Barleycorn(whisky). The book can be a lot of fun as he talks about his adventures when he was young and yet it's very sad in other areas regarding the loss of many of his friends due to alcoholism. And the book is disturbing how his thinking becomes haunted and depressed as he becomes a serious drinker when he is older. He tries very hard throughout the book to fight John Barleycorn and his strength, honesty and sincerity is an inspiration. I couldn't help but compare this book to Craig Fergeson's American on Purpose book. It's extremely amazing to find these guys rise out of the clutches of John Barleycorn.