audiobook: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

It is the end of the 19th century. Like thousands of
others, the Rudkus family has emigrated from Lithuania to America in
search of a better life. As they settle into the Packingtown
neighborhood of Chicago, they find their dreams are unlikely to be
realized. In fact, just the opposite is quite likely to occur. Jurgis,
the main character of the novel, has brought his father Antanas, his
fiancae Ona, her stepmother Teta Elzbieta, Teta Elzbieta’s brother
Jonas and her six children, and Ona’s cousin Marija Berczynskas along.
The family, naave to the ways of Chicago, quickly falls prey to con men
and makes a series of bad decisions that lead them into wretched
poverty and terrible living conditions. All are forced to find jobs in
dismal working conditions for their very survival. Jurgis, broken and
discouraged, eventually finds solace in the American Socialist movement.
This novel was written during a period in American history when
“Trusts” were formed by multiple corporations to establish monopolies
that stifled competition and fixed prices. Unthinkable working
conditions and unfair business practices were the norm. The Jungle’s
author, Upton Sinclair, was an ardent Socialist of the time. Sinclair
was commissioned by the “Appeal To Reason”, a Socialist journal of the
period, to write a fictional expose on the working conditions of the
immigrant laborers in the meat packing industry in Chicago. Going
undercover, Sinclair spent seven weeks inside the meatpacking plants
gathering details for his novel.
The Reader wishes to gratefully acknowledge the assistance, and
patience, of Professor Giedrius Subacius (University of Illinois) and
the folks at Lituanus (www.lituanus.org) for their invaluable support
as I struggled with Lithuanian pronunciations. Truly, this audio book
would have been far more difficult, and far less authentic, without
their help.
And now, feel free to wander into The Jungle…….(Summary by Tom Weiss)
-----------------------------------------------------------
The ZyngRule audiobook reader has the following features:

* Table of Contents
* Pocket Guard Screen Lock: a translucent overlay prevents accidental button presses while your iphone is placed in your pocket
* 6 bookmarks
* 10-second rewind and fast-forward
* Sound effects