Very depressing. ( )

As moving as I was told it'd be; a true classic in an unconventional way. ( )

It's been some time since I read this, and I don't recall any details but still have a positive feeling about the book. ( )

I dare anyone to read this novel and continue to believe that laissez-faire capitalism is the best economic system. Although Sinclair inserts a lot of pro-socialist propaganda at the end of the Jungle, the harrowing story of Jurgis Rudkus and his family demonstrates the ways that the average worker is exploited not only by the corporation but also the political machine. ( )

I didn't finish this. I read about half. The reason? The reality was too harsh for me at the moment in life I was attempting to read it. Perhaps I would have gone further when I was younger, say, in my 30s or 40s. I did appreciate what I read of it. Sinclair's writing is vivid and clear. It paints a clear picture, although the picture is not what one wants to see, that of human misery. I found it to be very interesting in showing a place and a time in history. Like Charles Dickens, he is an advocate of the downtrodden. Unlike Dickens, he does not soften the blow with humor or heartwarming scenes. ( )