The novel ends with Eden's committing suicide by drowning, which contributed to what researcher Clarice Stasz calls the "biographical myth" that Jack London's own death was a suicide.
London's oldest daughter Joan commented that in spite of its tragic ending, the book is often regarded as "a 'success' story .. which inspired not only a whole generation of young writers but other different fields who, without aid or encouragement, attained their objectives through great struggle".