The Jungle

By: Upton Sinclair

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Few books have so affected radical social changes as The Jungle, first published serially in 1906. Exposing unsanitary conditions in the meat-packing industry in Chicago, Sinclair's novel gripped Americans by the stomach, contributing to the passage of the first Food and Drug Act. If you've never read this classic novel, don't be put off by its gruesome reputation. Upton Sinclair was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who could turn even an exposé into a tender and moving novel.

Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant, comes to America in search of a fortune for his family. He accepts the harsh realities of a working man's lot, laboring with naive vigor - until, his health and family sacrificed, he understands how the heavy wheels of the industrial machine can crush the strongest spirit.

Public Domain (P)1994 Recorded Books, LLC

Hard to Get Invested in this One

What did you love best about The Jungle?

The best part of The Jungle was the narrator. I could listen to George Guidall read a dictionary. He is very good.

Would you be willing to try another book from Upton Sinclair? Why or why not?

Sinclair has an ability to write that I would never seek to disparage. I picked The Jungle because it is regarded as a classic and I wanted to expand my knowledge of the classics. I didn't get particularly involved in this story and had trouble finding interest in listening to it, but the writing was well done, masterful even. I would give Sinclair another try, but I think I would be a bit choosier next time around.

Which character – as performed by George Guidall – was your favorite?

George Guidall's narration was fantastic, but I can't say that I had any favorites from this story. I would say that I did not particularly like any of the characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I struggled to find time to listen to this one. It did not compel me in that way.

Any additional comments?

Lots of soapboxing in this one. Seems that in the early 1900s life was terrible for most and not great for the rest. Makes me thankful for the life I have.

A Must Read, but Only if You Must Read it

Dreary. A monumental and significant book, but not an interesting listen. Listening to it is a bit like watching a cheap murder mystery for the third time, you know who did it and the plot moves ever so slowly to the end -- even slower once your popcorn is eaten. The repeated misfortunes that happen to the main character go from tragic to laughable. After a while, the only interest I had in the book was to experience what great tragedy would now befall the character. Yes it is an important piece of writing, but so too was the Warren commission's report -- it just wasn't engaging listening.

Why We Have Unions

The book followed by a political Rant
I agree with Shawn and McCarirk, the book is too long and not engaging enough. I applaud Sinclair trying to mix fact with story, but it came out as a slow moving tragedy, that was so tragic, I lost interest. It was one bad thing on top of another, on top of another, on top of another.

Rant
It's a time, where White people are upset because Black people calmly and quietly kneel during our anthem, to draw attention to the plight of their people. Privileged white people get upset, because they have been brain washed in our public school system to believe we are perfect and have always been perfect. Read!!! Read something besides the text books white society has brain washed you with. Learn that we are not now and have never been perfect. Understand this so that we can work to make ourselves as close to perfect as possible. Being brainwashed by white culture is no different than being brainwashed by a society organized by a dictator. Read various works by various authors from different parts of life and different parts of history.

Guidall was excellent

THIS is an American Tragedy

I know it's not actually titled "An American Tragedy" (that's another classic), but this book really details a tragic life in tragic circumstances. In fact, I found it so painfully dismal, I had to stop half way through to listen to another book before coming back to it because it was so intense. Don't let that stop you, though, because it's a book well worth listening too.

It's best known as a muckraking book about the appalling conditions of the Chicago meatpacking plants at the turn of the 20th century, and almost all of the descriptions in the book were found to be true - and two important pieces of food safety legislation were enacted because of it. In fact, Upton Sinclair spent almost 2 months "undercover" working in the meatpacking plants before writing this book - which was originally published in installments.

What struck me more, though, was the horrific situation of the workers, not just in the meatpacking plants themselves, but also their housing and social situations. How new immigrants had been targeted in Europe and encouraged to come to work in the Chicago plants, lured with promises of a land of plenty -- only to find a different reality when they arrived unskilled, unable to speak English, and unprepared for the scam artists of an unregulated marketplace. Wickedly dangerous workplace conditions (resulting in gangrenous wounds, chemical burns, and respiratory failure), ridiculously crowded living conditions (sharing a mattress to sleep in shifts at the boarding house), and high district unemployment that resulted in men begging for work each morning and low wages.

Upton Sinclair, with his clearly socialist leanings in this book, says he aimed for the heart of his reader (with these depictions of unfairly harsh circumstances), but hit the readers' stomachs instead (with depiction of the meatpacking situations). I see that what he means, but truly it was my heart, not my stomach, that was hit by this book.

However, there are no heroes in this book - the hardworking, striving family man who is the protagonist becomes a vandal, mugger, thief, and corrupt political worker who abandoned his extended family after a tragic loss. The employers are corrupt, the unions are corrupt, the police force is corrupt........the only thing left to root for is the Dream itself (or Socialism, if you believe in Sinclair's premise). The book did inspire me to do a little more research and learn a bit more about Chicago at the time - about the Beef Trust, the Chicago freight tunnels, and the scandals, investigations, and legislation that came about because of the horrific practices of those meatpacking plants.

Outstand

Despite being a sad/depressing story abt life for a poor immigrant family at the turn of the century, the book portrays what life was like for the mega wealthy and ultra poor. How massive corruption in politics and every aspect of life was killing our democratic system. Def worth reading, educational and entertaining in a sad way.

A story of our times

This was must reading in college Lit class which I plowed through. This reading was so different because it's history repeating it's self. The working conditions have reverted to doggie dog--no loyalty from employers, wages low for the common person, scams to take the money you have worked so hard to get, those getting ahead are those that have let go of their morals and life is painful so drugs and alcohol are used to dull the pain.

I was completely enthralled until the last 10%.

I loved the majority of this book as the story was great! The content was sad but only because you generally cared about the characters. I couldn't wait to listen each day to see what happened. I won't give any spoilers, I'll just say the whole thing turned with about 10% to go and it was like I was listening to a different book.

Life in the stock yards of Chicago in late 1800s

The corruption in the meat packing industry and in the government in Chicago in the late 1800s was very informative in this story. However, the last part of the book is just a long lecture about socialism and I kept waiting for the lecture to end, but it never did. That was the conclusion of the book!!

We never got to get back into the story itself about the Lithuanian immigrant named Jurgis. The conclusion was the preaching of Socialist principles. Very disappointing.

Narration, however, by George Guidall was excellent.

Good Book

This is a good book. It has good narration and a good story. It is even better knowing that events in the story are based on fact.

Powerful

The more things change, the more they stay the same. A book written in 1905 that is still relevant today.