Customer Reviews

John Barleycorn (Modern Library Classics)

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`John Barleycorn' is the so-called "Alcoholic memoirs" of American literary icon Jack London. John Barleycorn was London's nickname for booze, and his relationship with Mr. Barleycorn is one of love/hate. In spite of the sub-title, London persists throughout this drunken autobiography that he is not an alcoholic. Nevertheless, he eloquently chronicles his tumultuous drinking career with the goal of demonstrating the enormous toll that alcohol can take on the mind, body, and spirit. At times, he glorifies his drinking, but for the most part he seems to resent this seductive destroyer of men, and claims that the only reason he drinks so much is because it is everywhere. He sees drinking as sort of a social obligation, a manly thing to do around other men. Not only does he resent it, but he concludes that prohibition is the only way to stop the destructive force of alcohol.

`John Barleycorn' is not only a story about the effects of alcohol on one man's life, but it is also an adventurous tale of one of America's first celebrities rise from rags to riches. The narrative begins with London's poverty-stricken childhood in San Francisco, continues through his teenage years as a brawling oyster pirate, and on into his adult years as a celebrated writer and passionate socialist. The prose is magnificent, and although `John Barleycorn" was highly entertaining, there is also a sense of sadness for me because I know first-hand how agonizing this type of life can be. With that said, this is a fantastic piece of American literature.

Reading Jack London's "John Barleycorn" is like attending an AA meeting almost 50 years before they were instituted. London herein gives his story of life with alcohol, and it is much like those you hear in the rooms. Beginning with denial, then the drinking becomes a morning thing, then on the sly, the progression is classic alcoholism. Along the way, London includes enough autobiographical information that this is more than just a booze tale. Interestingly, London -- a devout socialist -- constantly harps on the need for prohibition in this country as a way to end the danger of alcoholism. And we all know how that worked out. I'm, an alcoholic, so I appreciated the book on one level. London is my favorite author, and this is one of his good efforts. It's not a depressing tale but one that is uplifting. I recommend it.(Review by Tom Bruce)

Jack London is the author that I admire the most among the American authors and this memoir, like his other works I read, gave me great reading pleasure. His life started in poverty, he lived a life of struggle and adventure, alcohol was always present as he grew up, and he felt obliged to drink to fit in the macho social environment, eventually developing a heavy drinking habit. In John Barleycorn he tells his story honestly, he describes the surroundings and characters around him beautifully, and especially his psychological descriptions are superb. In one part, while he was drunk and going by himself on a sloop at night, he falls in the water and he describes how all of a sudden he found himself thinking about committing suicide:

"Thoughts of suicide had never entered my head. And now that they entered, I thought it fine, a splendid culmination, a perfect rounding off of my short but exciting career. I, who had never known a girl's love, nor woman's love, nor the love of children; who had never played in the wide joy-fields of art, nor climbed the star-cool heights of philosophy, nor seen with my eyes more than a pin-point's surface of the gorgeous world; I decided that this was all, that I had seen all, lived all, been all, that was worth while, and that now was the time to cease.....The water was delicious. It was a man's way to die. It was a hero's death, and by the hero's own hand and will."

Such is the depth of his character descriptions, such is the way he reflects the mood beautifully. A "must read".

With all the gushy, cliche-ridden, Recovery oriented self-help books teeming in the bookstores these days, it's always refreshing to find a well-written, lyrical account of of an author's love/hate affair with alcohol. This said, the book hardly seems one to be recommended by AA or the temperance movement. Although, as pointed out by another reviewer, the author equivocates in usually one or two line disclaimers after long passages in which he narrates an alcoholic episode, the overall effect almost amounts to an apotheosis of alcohol and its effects. Indeed, it is personified in the book by what London calls "The White logic," and the most moving, lyrical and philosophical passages are given to this "character" in the book.

Consider the following quotes about "him" and his effects:

"He is the august companion with whom one walks with the gods."

"And every thought was a vision, bright-imaged, sharp-cut, unmistakable. My brain was illuminated by the clear, white light of alcohol."

Most importantly consider what "he" says:

"Let the doctors of all schools condemn me....What of it? I am truth. You know it....Life lies in order to live. Life is a perpetual lie-telling process. Life is a mad dance in the domain of flux, wherein appearances in mighty tides ebb and flow...You are such an appearance, composed of countless appearances out of the past. All an appearance can know is mirage."

I don't think so great a poet as Shelley could have put this ghastly vision of life more powerfully in prose form, though he does in verse, in his last, ironically titled poem, The Triumph Of Life.

I don't know whom London thought he might be fooling here with his mild calls for Prohibition pitted against the Romance and lyricism he associates with his drinking episodes and, above all, the profoundly counterbalancing effect of "the White Logic." The book is ultimately an autobiography of this voice within him.

_John Barleycorn_ by American writer Jack London is a semi-autobiographical novel which deals with Jack London's experiences with alcohol, nicknamed "John Barleycorn" throughout this novel. Jack London was a rugged adventurer who was born into poverty and only became wealthy after his success as a novelist. His early experiences, which he writes about in this novel, were particularly important in the shaping of his thought and writings. London was a very thoughtful writer and all of his writings are philosophical in nature. Philosophically London was influenced by such thinkers as Charles Darwin (and his notion of the "survival of the fittest"), Friedrich Nietzsche (whose superman ideal is seen in London's ultra-masculine heroic characters), and William James (whose psychological theories regarding religion play an important part in the writing of this book). London was a devout socialist (he had been born into poverty and witnessed firsthand the oppression of the working class and the poor by the capitalists); however, his socialism is highly idiosyncratic in that all of his heroes are rugged individualists. London also recognized the harm that alcohol had done to himself and to youth of his generation which led him to believe that Prohibition was necessary (although he continued to drink). While London insists that he is not an alcoholic or dipsomaniac, his experiences with alcohol show the harmful effects that it had upon him.

_John Barleycorn_ began as a suggestion from London's second wife, Charmian, that he write about his experiences with alcohol. London, who had originally opposed woman's suffrage, had just voted for a bill that would give women the vote because he believed that women would vote for Prohibition. Indeed, the novel _John Barleycorn_ became popular with the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and the Prohibition Party which actively campaigned for Prohibition. While London could not have foreseen some of the more disastrous consequences of Prohibition, such as the formation of the mob and organized crime, he certainly understood the dangers that alcohol posed because he had experienced them firsthand.

_John Barleycorn_ relates the adventures of the young Jack London beginning with his earliest experiences with alcohol as a young lad of only five years old. London had been born into poverty and forced to work in a cannery. London, being an adventurous sort with an active mind, grew dissatisfied with his life of toil, and eventually became an oyster pirate. It was at this point where his first real encounters with alcohol and saloon life began. London describes his adventures as an oyster pirate along with his experiences at the saloons and the subtle rules that accompanied the drinking game. Eventually London returned to steady work; however, he quickly experienced the immoralities of the capitalist system when he was asked to shovel coal and made to work the job of two men. London relates further adventures in which he became an unemployed vagrant and was arrested for vagrancy and a gold prospector in the Yukon. London also shows how "John Barleycorn" came to play an important role in his life, as a means for easing social relationships. London also describes his experiences with school and how he attained his education (including a year at the university level) through extreme efforts. London makes use of Viking imagery throughout many of his descriptive passages showing his love for adventure and Nordic folklore. Eventually London was to make his way in the world as an author and he became very wealthy doing so. Later when London had achieved both wealth and fame he was to take a series of voyages to Hawaii, the Tropics, and the South Seas which served as an impetus for new stories. During this time, London became "sun sick" and took to drink to ease his troubles brought on by the tropical climate and the diseases that accompanied it. When London returned home he continued drinking heavily. London describes his encounters with "the White Logic", a gloomy depression brought on by drink, his alcoholic reveries and philosophical musings, and his encounters with death ("the Noseless One"). Indeed, the thought of suicide was to plague London for much of his life. At one point London decided that he would stop drinking; however, he eventually realized that he was unable to do so and decides that he will continue to drink in moderation. However, he came to believe that Prohibition was necessary to prevent the harmful effects of alcohol on the youth. While London argues that he is not an alcoholic, it is clear however that alcohol has had a profound effect on his constitution and mind.

_John Barleycorn_ is a fascinating adventure novel which traces Jack London's life from the time he was a young boy into his adult years as a famous writer. The novel also shows the harmful effects of alcohol on London and shows the need for restraint. Like a great deal of London's work, this novel reveals London's defining social conscience which framed so much of his thinking. In addition, it provides for a fascinating read and is a great source of entertainment.

I was tempted into reading this book after finishing London's "Martin Eden", a somewhat autobiographical work of fiction. "John Barleycorn" purports to be more a striaght autobiography that focuses on the role of alcohol in London's life from his first tentative introduction at the age of five to his millde-career as a celebrity author.

Since it is autobiographical and there is no "plot", per se, it was a bit less interesting than "Martin Eden", in that I wasn't quite compelled to turn the page to see what happened next. However, he end of the book makes the intial effort worthwhile. London confronts "death" as a character, having philosophocal discussions with it. These conversations are dark and intellectauly compelling. Turns out that, for London, alcohol was a force promoting death and the contemplation of death.

If you're interested in getting inside the head of one of America's classic authors, John barleycorn is your ticket there.

Jack London is America's best adventure novel writer because he lived the lives of those he wrote about, and, back when life was hard. London was a man's man. This book is about his struggle with alcohol which he lost (just like Hemingway). Great read and well worth it!

Jack London is my favorite author I would always rate is books and articles highly, I would recommend his books for kids who like to read adventure stories or for adults just begining to read.

One of London's masterworks, John Barleycorn is often confused with exact biography. London was a binge drinker, not a day-in, day-out imbiber. But in this book, written during the push for Prohibition, he offers a poetic and shocking tale of how one can become an alcoholic and the tricks it plays on one's mind. His vision of "The Noseless One" who tricks the drinker is brilliant. His account of growing up in a port city where men spent free time at bars matches sociological discussions of becoming socialized to a drug or alcohol. He appreciates the special confluence of drinking with images of masculinity. Members of AA recommend this book, and for good reason. London understood too well the pain periods of drinking can bring to loved ones, and this was in a way a love letter to his wife.

This book is fascinating as a time-capsule of the understanding of alcoholism in the era before Bill W's discovery of the nature of the disease, as well as London's own understanding. London's constantly describes wit and clarity his binges, yet his twisted understanding of his own drinking leaves him no choice but to find his ability to leave the booze alone for months at a time evidence that he was not a born alkie. If you can get around the urge to go back in time and shake some sense into him his incomplete journey of self-discovery is full of profound episodes.

Pete Hamill's introduction is useful for its biographical details but his discounting of how this memoir has been used to support the theory that London's issues were around his conflicted sexuality does not ring true. He describes London's slighting sexual and romantic descriptions in his memoir yet attributes that to London's mother-a possible but not convincing answer when there is so much other evidence before us. It is impossible today to read the passages in which London insists that he drank only to spend more intimate time with the manly men who attracted him from the perspective of today without understanding that the drink allowed more than blustery conversation.