Page 32. In purple prose they know naught of germs, only the power of industry and of things Being Done. Lo! The great American muck-raking novel.

This was a really good read, and I think an important one for everyone. I read it many years ago, and my main memory is of the conditions of working in a meat processing plant, but its so much more. Jurgis, the main character is sort of a Walter Mitty of the early 20th century immigrant experience. He and his family come to America, find a house, get taken advantage of. Work in amazingly poor conditions in the plant, then things start to go wrong, he looses his job, gets arrested, looses his wife and child. He moves from meat packing, to a fertilizer plant, to living as a hobo, is a scab working against labor, then he works for labor, turns to a life of crime, then political corruption, then ultimately Socialism. It was a whirlwind. An excellent read. I had it on the shelf already, but I read it as a memorial read for Anita, it was one of her top 50 reads. ( )

Well that was unexpected. A thorough political narrative that, for me, took an unexpected route. I found it somewhat frustrating and much wished for a sense of justice in the in, which, I suppose, is up to the reader to find. ( )

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.
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Very depressing. ( )