The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
This novel exposes the harsh conditions and exploited lives of immigrants in the United States in Chicago and similar industrialized cities. The protagonist, a young Lithuanian immigrant, works in the meatpacking industry and experiences the extreme poverty, poor working conditions, and lack of social services. The narrative explores the corruption of the American meatpacking industry in the early 20th century and the hardships faced by the working class, leading to significant public outcry that contributed to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act.
The 210th greatest book of all time
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This book is on the following lists:
- 45th on Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels (Radcliffe Publishing Course)
- 87th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 308th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 50 Books to (Re-)Read at 50 (nextavenue)
- The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics (Book)
- Great Books (The Learning Channel)
- Recommended Books (Academy of Achievement)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century (New York Public Library)
- A Century of Reading (Lithub)
- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years (BookList)
- The 50 Most Influential Books of All Time (Open Education Database)
- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- Books That Shaped America (Library of Congress)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 100 Most Influential Books of the Century (Boston Public Library)