Friggin' trip. The guy examines his previous lives via meditation/hypnosis during horrifically long periods in a sort of straight jacket. Kind of a bunch of short stories put together, which I guess was London's thing? Interesting tie-together at the end, which I don't know how I feel about. I get the feeling that London didn't like making endings, or couldn't do it well, so did what he could. There is a way that short fiction ends that can be less—secure? Something like that. His endings have that flavour. ( )

Jack London is one of the more underrated authors in American literature, and this is his most underrated novel. It is based on the actual experiences of Ed Morrell, who spent many years on death row at San Quentin, much of the time in solitary confinement.

London paints a gripping picture of a man who learns to deal with the harsh conditions he faces in solitary confinement by retreating into himself. By learning to mentally cut himself off from his immediate surroundings, Morrell can retreat into past lives and travel to distant places.

I was struck by how closely Morrell's technique for withdrawing from this world resembles the Tibetan Buddhist practice of chod, where one learns to cut off one's attachment to their body. As the novel progresses, Morrell's journeys outside his immediate surroundings allow him to come to terms with what he has done in the past and prepare him for his eventual fate.

This is an astonishing book that sits on the intersection between fiction, science fiction, and mysticism. It is so far ahead of its time that it is hard to believe that it was published in 1915.

I cannot recommend this novel highly enough for anyone who wants to see the true range of Jack London's abilities as a writer. ( )

One of the best books I have ever read. There were a few slow spots but overall a really great book. Huge imagination.