When God Laughs
Published in 1911, this collection gathers a dozen stories that show Jack London reaching well beyond the frozen North. The tales move across boxing rings, prison cells, tramp camps, and drawing rooms, bound together by London’s fascination with irony, appetite, and the cruel jokes fate plays on people who want too much. The title piece sets the mood, a bitter meditation on love and pleasure told over wine, arguing that the gods laugh hardest at those who grasp for happiness. Alongside it sits one of his best-known fight stories, ‘A Piece of Steak,’ about an aging boxer staking everything on one last hungry bout. Free to download as a PDF and EPUB edition.
About the Author
Jack London (1876-1916) was an American novelist and adventurer whose tales of the Yukon and the sea·The Call of the Wild, White Fang, The Sea-Wolf·made him one of the most popular writers of his time.
See all books by Jack London →
Listen to When God Laughs Audiobook Free
Listen to When God Laughs by Jack London free online. The full audiobook (5 hr 7 min, 12 chapters, read by Don W. Jenkins) streams free on this page.
When God Laughs (1911) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | When God Laughs | 24:52 | |
| 2 | The Apostate | 43:29 | |
| 3 | A Wicked Woman | 19:11 | |
| 4 | Just Meat | 37:10 | |
| 5 | Created He Them | 21:53 | |
| 6 | The Chinago | 33:39 | |
| 7 | Make Westing | 18:52 | |
| 8 | Semper Idem | 10:28 | |
| 9 | A Nose for the King | 12:00 | |
| 10 | The 'Francis Spaight' | 20:44 | |
| 11 | A Curious Fragment | 20:51 | |
| 12 | A Piece of Steak | 43:38 |
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