The Jungle
170 Installments—Entirely free
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Members' Rating:
from 8 Ratings and 4 Reviews
ISBN:0735101205
Description
By the turn of the twentieth century, the rise of big business in America had brought huge changes to the lives of people everywhere. Some enjoyed major success, while others struggled desperately to make ends meet, even while holding down steady work. Upton Sinclair was anxious to create a literary "documentary" about this very crisis when he arrived in Chicago in the early 1900s. He boldly observed and recorded the hard truths of existence on the bottom rung of the capitalist ladder. The Jungle is a novel based on what Sinclair learned on his visit to Chicago. In this tragic tale, a young family of immigrants seeks to get ahead by coming to the United States, believing that anyone has the chance to achieve success in the freedom of the capitalist system. As they face back-breaking labor for low wages in the grim Chicago stockyards, they watch their dreams come to nothing and their lives fall apart. Their misery forces them to realize that capitalism has its dark side, and that it does not offer everyone an equal chance at success. Sinclair gives us a sobering look at what the cost of "Big Business" really can be for those only hoping for a chance at a better life.
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Opening Lines (Experimental)
It was four o'clock when the ceremony was over and the carriages began to arrive. There had been a crowd following all the way, owing to the exuberance of Marija Berczynskas. The occasion rested heavily upon Marija's broad shoulders--it was her task to see that all things went in due form, and ...
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5/5
Reviewed by dkaufman1 on Jan 22, 2010
Amazing, Historical?, Riveting.
I had always had this book on a list, and finally when reading it, Sinclair's character development is truly gut wrenching. The knowledge of a modern reader to know gritty books with seedy underbellies were not the norm can be seen as a true classic of literature. If you are interested in why America is today the way it is, re-read this book.
5/5
Reviewed by w9eh on Apr 14, 2009
Not a ray of sunshine
This is possibly the most depressing book ever written...but still worth the effort.
4/5
Reviewed by AMeador on Mar 9, 2009
The Jungle
The book showed the harsh realities of the packinghouses in Chicago and the development of industrialization. I thought the book was interesting until the last few chapters which was a very long account of capitalism vs. socialism. I understood that the author needed to present his point of view but was rather difficult to stick with. Each paragraph could have been analyzed with how things were then and actually how they are today since it seems that the trend now seems to be toward socialism. Absolutely the discussion between capitalism and socialism is relavent today.
4/5
Reviewed by kenzo on Feb 4, 2009
Powerful
Well researched muckraker. The book offers an intersting History of Immigration and the conditions in Chicago around the turn of the century. This book never did accomplish the motive of Sinclair to reveal the deplorable working conditions in the meat packing industry. It did however force Roosevelt to push Congress to adopt the Pure Food and Drug Act along with the Meat Inspection Act. For that alone, its stands the test of time. It reads well and I found it hard to put down.It did drag a bit through the last few chapters which focused on Socialism.
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Ratings for 'The Jungle' by Sinclair, Upton
| AMeador | | Read review | 2009-03-09 |
| californiameaghan |  | 2008-09-24 | |
| dkaufman1 | | Read review | 2010-01-22 |
| dyylajoi | | 2009-03-08 | |
| kenzo | | Read review | 2009-02-04 |
| ravenskya | | 2008-10-08 | |
| rolene | | 2009-06-17 | |
| w9eh | | Read review | 2009-04-14 |
The Jungle
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