A review by trnolan
Oil! by Upton Sinclair

3.0

Unexpectedly interesting. Inspired to read by watching There Will Be Blood, yet this novel only shares a passing resemblance with the film. Upton Sinclair's politics seep into everything he wrote, yet this novel stands out for the characters within. It also illuminates a time period that is sometimes forgotten or swept up into a label of the roaring 20s. But this generalization forgets all those who built that extravagance and the suffering they endured. Sinclair never forgets the individual and gives even the poorest character the same degree of nuance as the wealthiest.

The story itself is only okay and Sinclair pads the page count with unnecessary detail. But a few of the characters (Paul, Bunny and Rachel in particular) will stick with me.