olivia_stoney's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
mary412's review against another edition
4.0
A history professor assign this book at the University of Wisconsin during the summer of 196? It was hot in Madison and I had no air conditioning. I don't remember the particulars of the book, but I can still recall the feelings it evoked. Of course I already knew about the stock yards. I grew up in a small town [Morris] south of Chicago and our family made regular trips into the city. If the wind was blowing from the direction of the yards, you could feel the smell. A book that one remembers, after one reading, for almost 50 years has to get four stars.
stilljep's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
bookhawk's review against another edition
2.0
The Jungle is a difficult review. On the one hand, it is historically significant for having a tremendous impact on getting needed oversight over the meat packing industry and likely a large reason for it being on classic lists. On the other hand, it may be one of the most depressing books I have ever read and also a total socialist propaganda piece. I suspect this book is one many people have read parts of but not the whole book. I am glad I read it but also glad to be done reading it.
jonbrammer's review
4.0
I dare anyone to read this novel and continue to believe that laissez-faire capitalism is the best economic system. Although Sinclair inserts a lot of pro-socialist propaganda at the end of the Jungle, the harrowing story of Jurgis Rudkus and his family demonstrates the ways that the average worker is exploited not only by the corporation but also the political machine.
lapingveno's review against another edition
4.0
Sinclair is a master at depicting the plight of the working class in such a way that we feel deeply sorry for the characters whose lives are ruined by the avarice of the Beef Trust. This novel is gorgeous in its depiction of what can happen to people who are caught in the crossfire when greed is left to run amok, and in many respects, these same troubles (in mitigated forms) still exist today, both domestically and internationally. These bits of praise notwithstanding, Sinclair tips his hand a bit too heavily (for me, at least) near the end of this book, and those who wish a rich read free of "painfully obvious" propaganda can stop at the end of the twenty-eighth chapter. Much to my disappointment, the last three chapters are a shameless manifesto for socialism that hardly bears any weight on or relevance to the plot and characters to which we readers grow so thoroughly attached. Case in point, by the end of the piece, our beloved Jurgis is little more than a supporting character, shifted to the background to allow more "eloquent speakers" to defend the merits of socialism. However, if articulate arguments for socialism are your delight (and I must confess they are not mine), then the last three chapters of this book should bring you as much pleasure as the beauty of the plot which precedes it, for it is quite apparent that Sinclair had both thorough knowledge of and unbridled passion for this ideology he so unabashedly preached.
thebooksofwrath's review against another edition
3.0
Functions as more of a political treatise of sorts rather than a straightforward narrative, which exposes the ill-treatment of low-wage workers, particularly cheated immigrants, in early 20th century America. Through the medium of a tragic fable, Sinclair strives to represent Capitalism at its worst, and with bitter and explicit detail, sheds light on the injustice and evils that would be potentially concealed by the untrained eye. He advocates the cause of Socialism in its place and he makes a remarkably convincing argument for the undecided.
Personally, I found the story itself too tedious and predictable, and the characters a bit cold and detached; too much of a cautionary tale to make for a pleasurable read (like Black Beauty or The Red Pony for people). Nonetheless, the book is well-written with a sense of poignancy, and the concepts are both significant and inspiring.
Personally, I found the story itself too tedious and predictable, and the characters a bit cold and detached; too much of a cautionary tale to make for a pleasurable read (like Black Beauty or The Red Pony for people). Nonetheless, the book is well-written with a sense of poignancy, and the concepts are both significant and inspiring.