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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.
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.
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