"The Metropolis" by Upton Sinclair paints a vivid picture of the extravagant life of New York City's high society during the Gilded Age of the early 1900s and explores the hidden secrets of New York's elite and the true cost of their lavish lifestyles. The story follows Allan Montague, a young lawyer from Mississippi, as he moves to the city to...More
Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. (September 20, 1878 – November 25, 1968) was an American writer and political activist who wrote nearly 100 books and other works in several genres. Sinclair's work was well known and popular in the first half of the 20th century, and he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1943.
In 1906, Sinclair acquired particular fame for his classic muck-raking novel The Jungle, which exposed labor and sanitary conditions in the U.S. meatpacking industry, causing a public uproar.
Many of his novels can be read as historical works. Writing during the Progressive Era, Sinclair describes the world of the industrialized United States from both the working man's and the industrialist's points of view. Novels such as King...More
Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. (September 20, 1878 – November 25, 1968) was an American writer and political activist who wrote nearly 100 books and other works in several genres. Sinclair's work was well known and popular in the first half of the 20th century, and he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1943.
In 1906, Sinclair acquired particular fame for his classic muck-raking novel The Jungle, which exposed labor and sanitary conditions in the U.S. meatpacking industry, causing a public uproar.
Many of his novels can be read as historical works. Writing during the Progressive Era, Sinclair describes the world of the industrialized United States from both the working man's and the industrialist's points of view. Novels such as King Coal (1917), The Coal War (published posthumously), Oil! (1927), and The Flivver King (1937) describe the working conditions of the coal, oil, and auto industries at the time.
Sinclair was an outspoken socialist and ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a nominee from the Socialist Party. He was also the Democratic Party candidate for Governor of California during the Great Depression, running under the banner of the End Poverty in California campaign, but was defeated in the 1934 elections.
Book Summary
"The Metropolis" by Upton Sinclair paints a vivid picture of the extravagant life of New York City's high society during the Gilded Age of the early 1900s and explores the hidden secrets of New York's elite and the true cost of their lavish lifestyles. The story follows Allan Montague, a young lawyer from Mississippi, as he moves to the city to join his brother Oliver and cousin Alice. Allan soon discovers that Oliver has become part of a fast-paced social circle that includes some of the most powerful members of the business class. Sinclair's novel is a scathing expose of the excesses of the wealthy elite, who spend vast sums of money on entertainment and luxury goods. Expensive cars, private trains, and clothing costing thousands of dollars are just a few of the extravagances that are described in great detail. "The Metropolis" is a novel that delves into the superficiality of high society and the hollowness of their lifestyles.
Upton Sinclair
