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I'm in the middle of "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair. After many, many years it's finally made it to the front lines. I confess this is NOT my usual fare...
I confess too that I'm surprised at my reactions to the book. We all have heard that this is 'the shocking story of the horrors of Chicago's stock yards, meat packing industry of the early years, and the horror stories of the lives of the immigrants who worked there." But what surprises me is that I'm not shocked! This sort of graft, corruption, and poor working conditions are still going on today, just not so much in the US. They are the fodder of everyday newspapers looking to grab readers. Child labor in Cambodia, rotten meat being sold in Indonesia, people swindled out of their homes by scheming con men...
I am enjoying the reading though, and following the lives of the characters. I'm 1/3 into the book and will certainly finish it, but I keep hoping Jack Reacher or Lucas Davenport will come to the aid of the cast. Or at the very least, Rena Lazarus will comfort the women when their children complain of no food to eat.
Stitchawl
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