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HamburgerTime Since: Apr, 2010
#1: Feb 16th 2012 at 11:51:42 AM

I'm reading this now; has anyone here read it? It's pretty good, very moving, but I must admit I'm falling prey to Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy, as the entire plot is essentially one Diabolus ex Machina after another. Sinclair seems to want us to believe that the entire universe essentially exists for the sole purpose of screwing over this one family, and I'm having difficulty suspending my disbelief on that. Then again, I've never been utterly destitute before, so maybe it really feels that way to that sort of person.

BokhuraBurnes Radical Moderate from Inside the Bug Pit Since: Jan, 2001
Radical Moderate
#2: Feb 18th 2012 at 11:38:53 AM

I'm reading this too right now, and getting pretty into it. Sure, it's fairly dark, but there's a point to the darkness, and Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped. (The fact that the book was instrumental in creating food safety regulations is pretty cool, in my opinion.) I guess the closest you could get in modern-day media would be something like The Wire.

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.
HamburgerTime Since: Apr, 2010
#3: Feb 18th 2012 at 12:03:13 PM

[up] I get that Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped, but after the tenth Diabolus ex Machina or so, it almost stops being horrifying and starts being Eugene Horowitz-esque, you know what I mean?

I'm kind of creeped out by Sinclair's treatment of the Irish, as well.

Aondeug Oh My from Our Dreams Since: Jun, 2009
Oh My
#4: Feb 18th 2012 at 12:17:04 PM

I liked it at first. But then Sinclaire kept dropping shit on the family and I stopped caring. In fact in the end I wanted them all dead because then the book would be over. The messages needed to be sent but dear god...

edited 18th Feb '12 12:17:29 PM by Aondeug

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah
Cider The Final ECW Champion from Not New York Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
The Final ECW Champion
#5: Feb 19th 2012 at 4:12:55 PM

Uh, I had no apathy but what he went through was sad. But stuff like that happens. There were some improbable events that I won't spoil but again, no apathy.

My only problem is that he pretty much demonized the other two political parties and made socialist sound like loyal angels, and I kind of am a socialist myself but all political parties have their problems. People do still write books like this, of course I can't think of any others right now, edit:Children of the Sea? What book was that a part of?

edited 11th Mar '12 2:46:05 PM by Cider

Modified Ura-nage, Torture Rack
Flapjackmaka A Mulberry is a Tree... from Pennsylvania Since: Nov, 2011
A Mulberry is a Tree...
#6: Mar 8th 2012 at 11:59:52 PM

@hamburger time. Are you in college?. I read this at the same time you did at u of r. Creepy

Anyway, the jungle is simply propoganda. I didnt put much thought into it

edited 9th Mar '12 12:01:28 AM by Flapjackmaka

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Cider The Final ECW Champion from Not New York Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
The Final ECW Champion
#7: Mar 11th 2012 at 2:52:41 PM

Sold and Princess are two more books kind of like this one if you want modern social commentary. Admittedly, I'm more likely to read real events than "realistic fiction" so that's why I'm having so much trouble finding books that read like the Jungle(because things rarely go that wrong.)

edited 11th Mar '12 2:54:49 PM by Cider

Modified Ura-nage, Torture Rack
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