Read Robert Morris

"Sinclair wrote the novel to highlight the plight of the working class and to show the
corruption of the American meatpacking industry during the early-20th century."
"Public pressure led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and
Drug Act of 1906, which established the Bureau of Chemistry that would become (in 1930)
the Food and Drug Administration." "[Sinclair] famously noted the limited effect of his
book by stating, "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach."


Be aware there is another version read by George Guidall, which is much harder to listen to,
but is the 1905 version which *may* contain additional content. This Robert Morris version
is much more well read.

The files are good quality and in order, but there 5 or so Instant Messenger honks about 60%
of the way through. The themes in this book are great. They include:

The working poor
Adulterated food production and meat inspection
The trap of poverty
The nature of capitalism
Civil injustice and political corruption
Labor unions and strike breaking
Exploitation of immigrants and migrant workers
Living the free life as a Hobo
The consequences of imprisonment
The ethics and irreconcilable results of living a criminal vs. honest life

Using a reasonable narrative around the events of an immigrant family in Chicago as wage-
slaves of the meat-packing industry, "The Jungle" is a thematic synthesis of:

George Orwell's "Road to Wigan Pier"
John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath"
George Orwell's "Down and Out in Paris and London"
Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation"
Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment"
The Film "Matewan" (1987)
And a touch of Michael Pollan

And it was written in 1906, before all of the above (Except Dostoyevsky).

It's dry and slow to get going at the beginning, I almost stopped. But it becomes engaging 20%
of the way through, turns less detailed and more plot driven, and ends with a flawed but
interesting didactic exposition. The structure reminds me of Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia".

It is not a masterpiece. The writing, structure, and narrative are flawed and unbalanced.
But this watery soup has amazingly nutritious morsels of meat that are worth wading through.
Not that you would want to eat the meat after reading this book.

Download File Size:218.94 MB

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