The Jungle
Unabridged Large Print Edition
by Upton Sinclair
In 1905, the socialist weekly journal “Appeal to Reason” sent muckraker author Upton Sinclair undercover to investigate conditions in the Chicago stockyards. The result of his seven-week investigation was “The Jungle”, first published in serial form by Appeal to Reason in 1905 and then as a book in 1906.
The story follows the fortunes of Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant who arrives in Chicago’s stockyards seeking the American Dream, his teenaged wife, and their extended family. He soon discovers a ruthless system that degrades and impoverishes him and ultimately destroys his family. Sinclair portrays their mistreatment by Rudkus’ employers and the wealthier elements of society. The meatpacking industry, where he finds employment, subjects workers to harsh conditions, lack of social support, and hopelessness. Sinclair’s depiction contrasts the working-class poverty with the deeply rooted corruption of those in power.
Though intended to create sympathy for the exploited and poorly treated immigrant workers in the meatpacking industry and promote the socialist agenda generally and the international labor movement in particular, the novel instead aroused widespread public indignation at the lack of quality, sanitary and safety standards in processing meats and helped bring about the passage of the federal Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act that had been introduced in congress. As Sinclair remarked at the time, “I aimed at the public’s heart and by accident I hit it in the stomach.”
This quality large print edition is not a machine-scanned text or reproduced “blowup” of an old version. It contains the unabridged original version of Upton Sinclair’s classic novel, freshly edited and formatted by human editors, printed on heavyweight bright white paper, with a fully laminated full-color cover.
Upton Sinclair
Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. (1878–1968) was a prolific American writer, muckraker, political activist, and the 1934 Democratic Party nominee for governor of California, having already run twice on the Socialist Party ticket. His literary output spanned nearly 100 books and works across various genres. Sinclair’s work gained significant recognition and popularity during the first half of the 20th century, and he was honored with the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1943 for “Dragon’s Teeth”, a novel about the Nazi takeover of Germany in the 1930s.
In addition to “The Jungle,” (1906) Sinclair authored other notable works, including “The Brass Check” (1919) criticizing American journalism and highlighting the limitations of the “free press” and the prevalence of yellow journalism. This work contributed to the creation of the first code of ethics for journalists.
Sinclair’s novels can be viewed as snapshots of the industrialized United States during the early 20th century. Works like “King Coal” (1917), “The Coal War”, “Oil!” (1927), and “The Flivver King” (1937) provide insights into the working conditions of coal, oil, and auto industries at the time. While his writing appears to capture perspectives from both laborers and industrialists, offering a multifaceted view of the era’s challenges and social dynamics, it is important to note that Sinclair was a dedicated socialist and an active member of the Socialist Party, and his writings were intended to further various facets of the socialist agenda.
Having run unsuccessfully in California for congress twice, the Senate once, and Governor three times and spent years promoting Progressive and radical political causes, Sinclair left politics behind and concentrated on his writing in his later life, publishing the popular “Lanny Budd” series of novels through the 1940’s. In 1961 Sinclair married his third wife, Mary Elizabeth Willis and moved to Arizona before returning east to Bound Brook, New Jersey, where Sinclair died in a nursing home on November 25, 1968.
Product details
Publisher: Apex Publications, Independently published (May 3, 2024)
Language: English
Paperback: 514 pages
ISBN: 979-8320167251
Item Weight: 2.48 pounds
Dimensions: 7.44 x 1.16 x 9.69 inches
List Price: $22.97
