''The Game'' is a 1905 novel by

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

about a twenty-year-old

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

Joe, who meets his death in the ring. London was a sports reporter for the ''Oakland Herald'' and based the novel on his personal observations.

Overview

Joe Fleming earns his livelihood as a sailmaker and supports his mother and sisters. He adds to his income by taking part in prize-fights at sporting clubs. He is due to be married to Genevieve, who works in the Silversteins' candy shop. Joe agrees to give up "the game" but asks that Genevieve watch his last fight, on the eve of their wedding, and she reluctantly agrees. The story is told from Genevieve's point of view.Librivox.org
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Background

This is one of at least four stories London wrote about boxing, the others being " A Piece of Steak" (1909), "

The Mexican ''The Mexican'' is a 2001 American dark comedy adventure crime film directed by Gore Verbinski and stars Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt in lead roles. Its plot is a mixture of different genres. Plot In Los Angeles, a traffic light changes to red a ...

" (1911), and ''

The Abysmal Brute ''The Abysmal Brute'' is a novel by American writer Jack London, published in book form in 1913. It is a short novel, and could be regarded as a novelette. It first appeared in September 1911 in ''Popular Magazine''. In the story, a man who wa ...

'' (1911). This writing, and especially ''The Game'' helped to make boxing a respectable literary topic. When London was accused of inaccuracy in ''The Game'' he answered his critic with "I have had these experiences and it was out of these experiences, plus a fairly intimate knowledge of prize-fighting in general, that I wrote ''The Game''." The book is alleged to have persuaded Gene Tunney to retire from boxing after he read the book in the late 1920s.Sonoma State University
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References

External links

* Novels about boxing Novels by Jack London 1905 American novels Novels set in Oakland, California {{1900s-novel-stub