The Jungle

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Summary: This story is a gripping, heart-breaking, MUST-READ!
Review: Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, leads you through the heart-wrenching tale of a family of poor Lithuanian immigrants. His description is so amazing that you can actually envision the filth of the stockyards, smell the stench, and feel the pain and suffering of the poor, good-hearted immigrants. From the minute they arrive in America, they are faced with nothing but hardships, struggling to survive. The characters and the storylines were very realistic. This story was so real to me, that I actually got nightmares. My only dissappointment with the novel was the ending. I was hoping for something more about Jurgis and the family, but instead got a heavy speech on socialism. Socialism was a good turn for Jurgis, but I feel the story would have been a bit better if it had ended more personally, on his part. Overall, this was an excellent book. I think that everyone should read it becuase it has so much to offer. It not only gives us a vivid depiction of that period in time, it is overwhelming with emotion. It is a major contribution to our history.

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Summary: Librarian from Maryland
Review: The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, is a classic work of American literature. I am very disappointed by those who have allowed their emotions about Socialism, overshadow their ability to be objective about the value of this book. Contextually speaking, at this time, the labor movement in America was just beginning, it had its roots in Marxism, and was further encouraged by the Russian Revolution in 1910. See, Ten Days that Changed the World, by John Reed, which was the basis of the film REDS starring Warren, Beatty, Jack Nicholson, et.al. At this time in American history, capitalism was seen as extremely exploitative, and any doctrine which provided humane conditions for workers was given attention. That is the political backdrop for this novel. If people would do their historical research, they would not sound so ignorant and dogmatic when reviewing a written work. Similarly, the type of language used and the phrasing was also very different from today. Just as people do not talk like Jane Austen characters today, neither did they do so at the turn of the century. Language and writing style has changed considerably, to be critical of that is to delude oneself that all people speak in the same voice. Hearing the voices of others is the purpose of literature. Which include, tone, language, history, politics, etc. Also, Please remove the queries for cliff notes. Book reviews should contain just, that and not serve as chat rooms for cliff notes-the bane of a librarian's and English teacher's existence. Perhaps the editors of Amazon should create another place on the site for queries, chat, and student reviews.

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Summary: glad a book can change SOMETHING in history!
Review: Upton Sinclair writes a touching book, explaining what labor was like at the turn of the century. Oh, and to "AP History Student from Colorado", it's not about writing better endings. (i admit i skimmed over this part too... but) Sinclair is simply expressing his views about socialism being the solution to these labor problems. now if you'll excuse me, i must write an essay dealing with this wonderful novel.

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Summary: I NEED CLIFF NOTES
Review: This book is very non-climatic. Don't get me wrong it has it's pluses.

IF YOU HAVE OR KNOW WHERE I CAN GET CLIFF NOTES FROM THIS BOOK AT EMAIL ME @ [e-mail] Thanks

Rating:
Summary: What a wonderful book
Review: I felt that Upton Sinclair's The Jungle was a hauntingly accurate depiction of the life of a working man in the early twentieth century. The only flaw in the book is the ending. My five year old cousin could have written a better ending. The book receives 5 stars from me until page 329, after which it recieves none at all.

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Summary: I will never eat meat again!
Review: The Jungle is about an immigrant Jurgis from Lithuania, who brings his family to the United States with dreams of wealth and success. Jurgis and his family go through many hardships and soon realize that the American Dream wasn't really what it seemed. The Jungle shows the corruption in the meat-packing industry and in politics as well. This book was interesting and made me want to read on, but the ending dissapointed me. It delt with the advantages of Socialism and put aside Jurgis and his life. Overall, this was a very eye-opening book that made me realize the hardships immigrants had to deal with when starting a new life in this country.

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Summary: Descriptive read, immigrant family hoping for Americandream
Review: I found myself not able to put this book down. The story follows an immigrant family and the trials and tribulations of them. The challenges and setbacks are hauntingly real. I truly felt the anguish of the characters. I felt so sorry for the main character, Jurgis, as he felt the pressures to provide for his family and could not. As a reader, you witness the loss of family members over and over-tearfully. Just when you think the family has reached the lowest they can, they sink even lower. Why could not Jurgis learn his lessons about squandering? How sad I felt as I realized that this poverty and crisis actually happened to many americans and immigrants long ago. I thought of the hungry and homeless tonight finishing this book. How fortunate we are. Sinclairs ending was less than satisfactory-too much talk of socialism. Throughout the whole book was the storyline of the family, and the last chapters mentioned them few if any.

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Summary: More socially and politically significant than literary.
Review: Based on some of the customer reviews I've read, a novel may not have been the best platform for Sinclair's treatise. His instincts as a newspaper man made him record every misfortune and misery that he witnessed during his time at the stockyards. As a result, Jurgis and his family seem to suffer more misfortunes than Job. I think, perhaps, that the protagonists function better if they are viewed as representative rather than real. Sinclair's Lithuanians can represent every immigrant, every working person; and the slow, terrible unraveling of their dreams and their humanity is as applicable today as it was at the turn of the century. Though working conditions are demonstrably better today, many working families exist on the edge of solvency. Likewise, this is not just a story about meat packers and stockyards in 1904. Even nearly 100 years later, big business continues to succumb to its own worst instincts. Witness The Gap and Tommy Hilfiger, caught using virtual slave labor in third world countries to manufacture their clothes. GM and Ford are both being sued by former Nazis prisoners who were forced to work in their plants during WWII. These modern examples of graft made Sinclair's book significant for me. I also think it would be helpful not to get too incensed by Sinclair's socialism. Though he was a socialist before he researched and wrote The Jungle, what he saw in Chicago could hardly have weakened his convictions. Capitalism loses its luster when you witness the violent sacrifice of men, women and children on its altar.

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Summary: Need Cliff Notes
Review: I have only halfway read this book, but I have a test on it coming up soon. If anyone reads this and knows where I can get the Cliff Notes for this book, please email me at [e-mail] THANKS! 10-10-99

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Summary: Amazing
Review: I started to read this book when I found out that it was the same one that we were talking about in History. It got my attention from the very start and never let go. I was sickened by how the meat was processed, and how such a wonderful family could be shattered. This book definetly gave an up close and personal view on how bad the packers lives were. If you want a story that will suply you with a range of emotions, this it. I hope you will read it.