Reviews tagging 'Death'

La jungla by Upton Sinclair

20 reviews

lenorayoder's review against another edition

dark informative sad slow-paced

2.0

I like the message of the book and I’m glad it was published. It’s upsetting how much of this book is still relevant today. There are some really poignant and nicely written bits. Unfortunately, the majority of the book is a slog. There are a few parts with nice momentum where I wasn’t forcing myself to finish the chapter, but those were a small minority. This is journalism and a call to action disguised as fiction, and the layer of fiction being so thin makes it a chore to read. Glad I read it and I would recommend excerpts, but I would prefer an abridged version or a modern retelling that goes into the current horrors of the meat industry, monopolies, and exploitation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Trafficking, and Alcohol

Minor: Body horror, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

fakeppy's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

poetsaredepressed's review against another edition

informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cannibalism

mott_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Xenophobia, Blood, and Classism

jjstoff's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Classism

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

tgibbs44's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault

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

sylvestra's review against another edition

dark informative slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Classism