The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

This book actually took me about a month to read because although it looks short, it is very dense. The premise I was familiar with before I started reading was that a family immigrates to the United States in the early 1900s, specifically the Chicago area in hopes of working and attaining a better life. The novel outlines the harsh working conditions and exploitation that these workers undergo in the meat packing industry. What I had gleaned from other readers of the book was that it was centralized on the grotesque conditions of the meat industry and the unhealthy working conditions that people were forced to endure in order to make money. However, the book goes much deeper than that and as some might know, it is really about a call for socialism. The trials that the immigrant families endure are deeply saddening and made my heart (and stomach) ache. But the last 30 or so pages of socialism rallies and speeches I found very relevant to today. This is a great book to get you infuriated about capitalism and the systematic oppression that many families still face today. Also, it just might make you rethink eating meat…