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The People of the Abyss
Jack London · 1903 · Essay
Jack London put on rags, disappeared into the East End of London and lived what he wrote. What he found in the world's richest city he reported like a war correspondent — because, as he saw it, that is exactly what it was.
Inside this edition
Every LitLab edition is illustrated from the text itself — the world of the book mapped, its people drawn, its scenes staged. 15 plates are open to everyone in this book; here are 8 of them.
The East End of London — Whitechapel, Spitalfields, the docks, Mile End Road and Frying-pan Alley.
Spitalfields MarketThe market crowds — and the pickings left behind for those with nothing.
The World of the Abyss — the Machine, the submerged tenth, the spike, the ghetto, and the social pit they ring.
The People of the Abyss — the real figures Jack London documented in the East End, 1902.
The Carter & The Carpenter — worn out by honest work, bound for Poplar Workhouse.
The Sea Wife — Thomas & Mrs. Mugridge, a lifetime of work, and contented.
Jack London in disguise, joining the casual-ward line as a stranded American sailor.
Carrying the Banner — the homeless walking the endless streets through the night.
This edition
- Title
- The People of the Abyss
- Author
- Jack London (1876–1916)
- First published
- 1903
- Illustrated plates
- 56 original artworks · 15 open to everyone
- Chapters
- 28 · about 61,938 words
- Reading time
- 4 h 8 min
- Language
- EN
- Formats
- Read online · EPUB and PDF download with a subscription
- Publisher
- LitLab — The Illustrated Classics
- On LitLab since
- July 2026
- Rights
- Text in the public domain. Illustrations and edition © LitLab.
- Source text
- Project Gutenberg #1688
Neighbours in the library
Chosen by what they share with The People of the Abyss — the same author, the same genre, the same years.