Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

11 reviews

chels_ro's review against another edition

dark informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

despite the book serving as a voice for the progressive movement i found that it actually went much farther in its ideology, it’s very telling to me that it’s discussion of socialism and treatment of immigrants are less remembered than its problems with food safety. overall, while not what i would call enjoyable, still a very informative read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Body horror

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Alcoholism, Racism, and Abandonment

zagecko's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Sexual assault

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Classism

alexdebello's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Antisemitism

jessthanthree's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Racism, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Excrement, Trafficking, and Abandonment

Minor: Confinement and Cannibalism

reedsky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

summboo's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Intense book that causes you to reflect on capitalist systems

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Grief

The book is intense I’m it’s descriptions of poverty and the food industry in the early 1900s. Parts of the book are unsettling and difficult to read because they are trauma spawning events for the main character

kathleendayle's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Classism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

alex2teeuw's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

A rather depressing read, it must be said. It's incredibly informative. You feel the despair whilst reading it. And it's strangely relatable to contemporary society; not because of destitution, starvation and consumption epidemics, not to mention the famous depiction of the slaughterhouses - in Europe and the USA these are (for most people) no longer pressing issues. Rather Sinclair draws attention towards the necessity for profit at all costs and the injustices of poverty in a world of plenty. Yet, for all that is rewarding about Sinclair's impressive and polemic descriptions, the novel felt at times a bit too slow. The arduous conditions of the working class in early 20th century Chicago were at times themselves labouring for the reader - maybe this is deliberate: after all, it is a realist novel. These experiences were lived.
The ending is abrupt. Hopeful though it may be, it does not relate the prospects of a brighter future to the tumultuous lives of the past documented throughout the novel. (who am I to criticise Upton Sinclair??). The Jungle is impactful and insightful, but it's not exciting, it's not gripping. And it feels like the story is unfinished. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, and Abandonment

monjure's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Grief, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism and Xenophobia

roadki77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The book that caused major legislation regarding the food industry's health standards. Also communist propaganda, but that only comes in at the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Alcohol